Draining central heating down

I found clues that our central heating might need flushing the other day, so I have put half a litre of SM4 into the header tank. The system is a standard boiler with fully pumped indirect hot water. The rads are operated by a shut off valve tied to a room stat.

My problem is...

After having a new boiler fitted about 2 or 3 years ago, I now find that the heating drain point is at about 5 foot from floor level. It was previously a couple of inches above the floor when I had my old boiler.

How do I drain the whole system down? Local plumber recommended a BG power flush . No! I am not going down that path.

I am going to replace all the ground floor rads next spring / summer. All the ones upstairs are less than 6 or 7 years old, the downstairs ones date back to 1978.

Dave

Reply to
Dave
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From one of the radiator taps, or better still use a self cutting tap to install a new drain position on a pipe that is low enough.

Reply to
John Rumm

Now why didn't I think of that? No, don't answer that :-( I have not been very well for the last 3 months. Nothing serious, but one thing after another :-(

I'll fit one behind the TV before the pipes start to climb upstairs :-) The lounge radiator is the only one on an outside wall. Alternatively, I could tap into the pipe just behind my computer in the dining room. That is very close to the back outside wall. It would run right onto the ground where some bushes are growing. Perhaps the best location.

Many thanks John

Dave

Reply to
Dave

My favoured trick is to tee into a pipe and fir a service valve, then pipe from there through the wall into a gully outside. Measure carefully and you can come out right above one!

Reply to
John Rumm

Regrettably, there are no gullies within 12 foot of where I could put the output.

Dave

Reply to
Dave

I use a length of garden hose and run it though the front door, back door or patio door, depending on the drop I drain from into the nearest drain

Tony

Reply to
TMC

If you are going that route, then make sure you spend the money on decent drain taps that don't spew dirty water out the gland when you open them then!

My drain down procedure just requires a screwdriver. Give a quarter turn to the service valve and it empties direct into a drain outside. ;-)

Reply to
John Rumm

I endorse the comment about decent drain taps

Tony

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Reply to
TMC

That is the way I wanted to go, but I have the problem of draining down

4 rads that are below the boiler drain point.

Plumber who came this afternoon showed me a rad valve that has a drain point coming off it. The rad that I intend fitting it to is very close to the front door and is where the old cast iron boiler used to be. The rad also has isolation valves before it, so it only means draining that one small rad now, to fit the new valve. This means that I can do a full drain down from that one point :-)

Now I have taken a few minutes to think about this, the rad I had intended draining from is fed from the one on the half landing on the stairs. Though like Baldrick, I have a cunning plan :-)

Get plumber to freeze the lounge rad pipe and change the valve for one that has a drain point on it. Drill wall and do what John has done. The pipe will only be about a foot from the corner with the next wall and will be hidden by furniture. Outside it will be adjacent to a gully as well.

Looking back, I will still have to put another drain on the rad I first suggested, as it is likely to get silted up as it is fed from above the drain point.

I hope the above is clear.

Dave

Reply to
Dave

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