Hi just wondering what is the best and less messy way to drain off a radiator (ready for replacement) Hopefully without draining the whole system
Thanks Andy

Andy mather, October 2007

Dave is right but a couple of tips:

1. Before you start, use some duck tape to stick polythene sheeting on the radiator round the valve and channel it into the bowl.

2. once the old radiator is empty, put the bleed valve back in and tighten it up. Once you have it off the wall, turn it upside down and carry it out with all the sludge still inside. Otherwise, unless you keep it absolutely level all the way (in my experience impossible!) it will slosh out.

3. If the new radiator is not actually the same size, you can get things called radiator extensions to extend the gap between the valves and the new radiator a bit. You will have a better chance of finding them at a plumbers merchant than a big DIY superstore.

How successful you are will largely depend on how much freeplay you have in the pipes.

Peter, October 2007

if the rad you are putting in is the same size as the existing one, then you should be able to turn off the valves connected either side of the rad, then undo the the bleed valve located in the top corner. next place a bowl at one end under the nut that connects the valve to the rad. carefully undo the nut making sure that you have a good gip of the valve making sure that the pipecoming up to it doesn't bend when undoing the nut. as the nut is undone water from the rad will come out, if the flow is to quick then doing up the bleed valve some should slow it. once the rad is drained undo the nut at the other end (with a bowl under it in case any water left in system), then with the help of someone lift it off the wall. PLEASE NOTE that the water in the rad is likely to be pretty gunky and if you spill it on carpet it may not come out so take special care to plug rad ends when moving rad.

dave w, October 2007