Replacing Old for New Radiators
If you replacing all your old radiators it is best to drain all the water from the heating system before you start, a very simple procedure which will make the task a lot easier. Also make sure your boiler is turned off before you start. First turn off the cold water inlet, this is normally located under the kitchen sink, if not there go outside of the house and search for a pipe coming into the house. Having found where the pipe enters the house you should be able to locate a tap fixed to the pipe just inside the house, turn this off. An easy way to test if the water is off is to run a cold tap, when the cold water stops you know you’ve turn off the right tap.
Radiators are also plumb into the hot water system so it is important to drain the hot water too. This is slightly more complicated as you need to stop any new water from getting into the hot water tank. Your hot water tank operates in the same way as your toilet cistern, as you flush your toilet a ball cock falls down and new water enters the cistern. To stop any new water entering the cistern you need to stop the ball cock from dropping, just use some rope to hold the ball tightly in place. Now you are able to drain the hot water.
Remember when draining radiators to drain from the lowest point possible, if your original radiators had been installed properly you will find there is a outlet drain on the lowest radiator, attaché a hose pipe to this and feed into an exterior drain. Having drained your system you are now free to remove all the old radiators and fit the new ones.