Hiding copper pipes to rads/draining rads?

[DavidM]

Anyone know if it's possible to get pieces of white plastic split pipe that can be cut to clip over 15mm copper radiator supply pipes that come out of the floor and into the rad, just to tidy things up (paint just chips off or goes yellow after a while)?

Also, does anyone know of some "device" that can be clipped around the rad supply pipe when draining the rad (i.e. it funnels the water into a container when you loosen the tail nut). I usually use kitchen foil but still manage to get some dirty water marks on the carpet!

Cheers, David.

[EricP]

Most sheds do these

[BigWallop]

The white plastic pipe used on drainage systems can be cut with a strong pair of scissors, it's cheap and looks just as good as any other.

There is only one way I know to stop marks getting on the carpet when removing a rad', and that's to lift the carpet out the way and put old towels or kitchen paper down. The use a cloth wrapped around the pipe to direct the water into a bowl or something.

[BeeJay]

I bought some lengths of this from B+Q last year and fitted to all rads. I have removed most of it except for 2 rads. The reason being that the bright white drew attention to the pipes, the white plastic also looks very cheap coming out of a nice carpet. I would suggest buying a small length first and see if you can live with it.

[Brian G]

B & Q etc.

A system that I have successfully used for many years:

Use a black plastic bin bag. Loosen one rad valve nut off (usually the one at the bleed valve end) place the open bag on the floor, spread the open end wide and then wrap a section of the open end of the bag around the rad valve. This provides a large, waterproof catchment area that lets the water drop straight into it and the 'wrapped' end stops splashes onto the walls etc. Undo the nut until the water just begins to drip out and then open the bleed valve to control the water flow.

The beauty of this is that you don't have to look for a bowl that fits under the pipes, the mouth of the bag is wrapped around the open end of the pipe stopping water leakage and when the rad is drained, the bag can be easily emptied.

Brian G