Mike Faithfull wrote:


I would have to agree with your KISS principle John - however, IMHO having a
drain cock, with whatever its shortcomings, is a small price to pay for the
speed and convenience of being able to attach a hose which can go straight
out the patio doors into an outside drain instead of spending ages pratting
about with unstable trays full of black nasty water - however infrequently
this may be required ... YMMV )

Agreed - our previous house had an unusually intelligent version of this
idea: a drain cock in a large understairs cupboard, so the odd leakette
of sludgy gunge (if such were present) would stain only floorboards,
rather than your finest lounge carpet.

Never did get round to running a captive length of garden hose (with
creepie-crawlie cap) through the airbrick close by - only time we had to
drain down we just hooked up the garden hose and let it snake through
hall and kitchen...