In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Set Square wrote:


As far as cold is concerned, turn off the water at the main stopcock
(probably under the kitchen sink) and open a downstairs *and* an
upstairs tap. The pipework will drain through the downstairs tap,
with air being admitted through the upstairs tap.

With the hot system, you have to remove the pressure by stopping cold
water getting from the header tank into the hot cylinder. Hopefully
there will be a tap or gatevalve in the cold feed to the cylinder
(the one which comes down from above and goes into the *bottom* of
the cylinder. If so, turn that off and then open an up and a down hot
tap - as for cold - to drain the pipework. If there *isn't* a valve
in the cold feed, you'll need to reach down into the header tank and
stuff a tapered cork into the outlet pipe. [Choose one of a size
which leaves enough to catch hold of to pull it out again when you've
finished!]

Sorry, I missed the 'flat' bit - and assumed you had access to downstairs.
Do these pipes feed anything below, or not. If so, what I said is ok - if
you negotiate with the person below.

If not, and if the pipes you are breaking into are at the lowest point,
you'll have to use towels and trays as suggested by someone else to collect
the water in the pipes having first turned everything off.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
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