Anyone got a good technique for draining rad with frozen tails

[WaterTight]

And not getting water on freezing clamps/heads?

Sometimes if tails are short and/or tight against wall it's difficult to get a rag in between or tray under union.

 

[cr0ft]

Crack open nut joining valves to radiator tails. Switch on wetvac and suck up water as it comes out.

Obviously only works if you have a wetvac. Brill bits of kit.

 

[supper plumb]

if theres movement then crack off the rad nut on one side then quick fix on a hose set up that you have made up that will screw on to the rad nut then just open up the bleed key and let the air in sorted!!
what you tring to do remove the rad from the brackets?

 

[supper plumb]

just use this to seal off rad then run it out side or into the bathroom

IsoRad RadClamp Radiator Removal Tools - Pair of Clamps | eBay

 

[supper plumb]

IsoRad Radiator Drain Tray - Full Kit - For Draining Radiators | eBay

 

[Mike Jackson]

I always shut off the valves first, drain the rad and then freeze. If one isn't closing just shut the other end and drain from that end.

I concur with the wet vac idea though.

 

[WaterTight]

Need me a wetvac!

Thanks chaps.

I always shut off the valves first, drain the rad and then freeze. If one isn't closing just shut the other end and drain from that end.

Then what do you do, whip the rad of and cap off the non-shutting valve before freezing?

What would you do if the rad valve leaks from the top and it isn't one with a gland that can be repacked? You then have movement of water and it may not freeze. I've had that once and a blob of LSX did the job and once where it didn't.

 

[cr0ft]

Numatic Charles CVC 370

The way ahead as far as wet vacs are concerned. Bomb proof.

 

[cr0ft]

Also yet to find a blocked sink/shower/basin waste he can't unblock. Loves the jobs you hate.

 

[WaterTight]

how big a rad could ol' charles there drain in one go?

 

[lame plumber]

george is even better as he will clean the carpet if u cock up

 

[cr0ft]

how big a rad could ol' charles there drain in one go?

I think it holds 15 Litres if I remember rightly. Never found a rad it couldn't drain in one go yet tbh.

 

[stevetheplumber]

ive often wondered if it would be worth putting a tank con and valve on the wet vac bin then conecting your hose to drain it

 

[Ermintrude]

Thought same but suction in the problem. We have a spare wet vac if you have suggestions and will try !

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

i just use wetvac. saves lot of time..

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

ive often wondered if it would be worth putting a tank con and valve on the wet vac bin then conecting your hose to drain it

it should work i guess. i like that idea steve

 

[Ermintrude]

it should work i guess. i like that idea steve

How would it work? Isn't the bucket under a negative pressure that's why it's sucks water up the flex? Wouldn't a hose connected do exactly the same? Or when Hoover empty just be a bypass?? Thought about nrv but wouldn't be sufficient head to empty bucket?

 

[vern]

If it was swiched off first, then dump valve opened lol, would save a few walks, and opening the hoover up etc

 

[cr0ft]

it should work i guess. i like that idea steve

The outlet would have to go after the motor, which means that the water would be sucked through the motor which would kill it. If you put a hole in below the pump then nothing would be sucked through

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

just realized that cr0ft.

 

[cr0ft]

Now a connection with a valve to empty it when it's turned off and full, that would work a treat. A definite labour saver.

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

maybe you could add small pump to outlet to speed up emptying.

 

[cr0ft]

Wetvac paid for itself again today, cleaning out an inaccessible trap. Why people make traps hard to access is beyond me!