Help Please - Central Heating - External Draincock

gspringe · 16 April 2018 at 2:47PM

Hi there - I wonder if anyone can help. We are having a new patio laid in a few weeks. However, after removing some weeds yesterday realised there is a metal door under the patio doors. When you open it there is an external draincock (think that's what its called) for draining the central heating down.

In order to put in a new patio we need to build over the front of it. Does anybody know if this is possible? Or if we need to do something with it first? Any thoughts most welcome. Thank you

Head_The_Ball · 16 April 2018 at 3:08PM

Can you lay the patio slabs leaving access to the draincock with a removable metal grid or cover?

Alternatively, can you find another low point in the central heating system suitable for a drain point and securely cap off the existing drain point.

The drain point needs to be from the lowest level in the system but that could probably be at various points around the ground floor of the property.

It could be inside the house although you would then need to attach a hose to drain the water.

gspringe · 16 April 2018 at 3:33PM

Thank you for your reply. The patio needs to be raised above the metal grid. So it really needs to go. It is right under the French doors so we couldn't even leave the patio at its current height and have a step down as the step would still cover the grid.

Is it possible to remove it completely and still be able to drain the system down if/when necessary? As I'm sure not all houses have these? Would we need to get a heating engineer to come and block it off somehow?

Thanks again.

[Can you lay the patio slabs leaving access to the draincock with a removable metal grid or cover?

Alternatively, can you find another low point in the central heating system suitable for a drain point and securely cap off the existing drain point.

The drain point needs to be from the lowest level in the system but that could probably be at various points around the ground floor of the property.

It could be inside the house although you would then need to attach a hose to drain the water.]

greyteam1959 · 16 April 2018 at 4:14PM

Remove the draincock then extend the pipe under the patio & refit the draincock ???
HTH

Le_Kirk · 16 April 2018 at 4:42PM

Hope your new patio is not being laid above the level of the DPC (damp proof course)!

Head_The_Ball · 16 April 2018 at 4:44PM

Do you need an exterior draincock? I don't know the answer to that.

Our previous 1962 built house had an external draincock for the CH system. I used that a few times.

I have just had a look around our current 2004 built house.

There is no external draincock that I can see.

All the downstairs radiators have a draincock as part of one of the two valves.

If I ever need to drain the system, which I haven't yet had to do, then presumably I could do that by using one or more of those draincocks.

gspringe · 16 April 2018 at 4:52PM

No its not being laid above the Damp Proof Course. That's above the hole cut out for the draincock.

I've looked at the radiators in our house, they are all just 8 years old and think they have their own draincocks too. I don't think the external one is needed.

I just don't know whether somebody needs to do something with it before we brick the hole up? If I rang a central heating engineer do you think they could advise?

shaun_from_Africa · 16 April 2018 at 5:24PM

If it was me and I had the time, I would get the external drain removed along with all of the pipework that is currently outside of the property.
If you get it blanked off then covered over by the patio, there is always the possibility that the pipes or drain could corrode and start leaking and as this would be impossible to see, the first time you actually know about it is when the patio starts sinking due to the soil under it getting waterlogged.

bris · 16 April 2018 at 7:37PM

Worst feeling in the industry, turning up to a job and no bloody draincock. There are plenty houses without them, I tend to get them all. it's not a legal requirement just good practice.

If you have to bury it, make sure it's protected from corrosion or as above it will come back to bite you a few years down the line.

Help Please - Central Heating - External Draincock

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