On 01/10/2010 16:21, David Robinson wrote:
Not sure which of these might be any good.

Found these...
diagram:
http://www.myson.co.uk/downloads/Matchmate.pdf
pictu
http://www.uk-plumbing.com/Myson-Mat...rce=googlebase
cheaper:
http://www.heatandplumbtastic.com/ma...ld-angled/p757
or
http://www.heatingproductstogo.co.uk/page11.html

And the more basic ones like this:
http://www.ukhps.co.uk/cosmos-radiat...mm-7702-0.html
http://www.onplumb.com/trade-save-15...-tsrv15do.html
etc etc

The Myson method of draining looks a bit of a faff, but that mechanism
makes them slightly smaller than the basic ones.

I care about what they look like, but care about buying something
that's reliable / doesn't leak / will work when I need it to.

Given that I need 10-14 of the things (not sure every radiator needs
one, or has the space for one), cheap would be good too.

Anyone got any experience with either of these? Or others?

Cheers,
David.

I've got Matchmate drain-offs - as per your first reference - on
virtually all my rads, and they are brilliant.

They're very easy to install because the connections are dimensionally
identical to most ordinary 90 degree lockshields - so it's a straight
swap with no pipework changes. You need a bit of space at the end of the
rad, of course, in order to operate the drain. [I was unable to use one
on one of my rads because it's too close to the corner of the room].

They're also easy to use when you want to drain the rad. There's a
sequence of steps which you need to follow, but it's very
straightforward - and I certainly wouldn't regard it as a faff.

I proceed as follows:
1. Turn off both valves, making a note of how many turns are required to
shut the lockshield
2. Crack open the bleed screw to relieve the pressure (not usually
needed on a vented system) and close it again
3. Remove the plug from the drainpipe [1], having put an old towel
underneath to catch any drips - but virtually nothing comes out
4. Put a container[2] under the drain pipe to catch the outflow, and
open the bleed screw just a little in order to get a steady,
controllable, stream

Doubtless some clot will be along in a minute to tell you that you don't
need any of this - but simply need to carry the full radiator outside
with your thumbs over the ends of the tails. All I can say is that I'd
rather do that over *his* carpets than *mine*!

[1] By comparison, the cheapo type which you cite are a pain in the arse
because the rubber washer invariably sticks, and when it does release,
it leaks round the stem of the plug. The Matchmate plugs come straight
out with no messing

[2] I use a billie can (sp?) to catch the water, stopping the flow with
my thumb, and emptying the can into a bucket when nearly full. This way,
I can drain a radiator quite quickly with virtually no spillage
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.