1/2" chrome drain cock - does it exist?

[electronicsuk]

Hello chaps. I have a vertical radiator installed in the hallway, the pipework for which is sleeved and chased into the wall. Flow enters the bottom right of the rad, return is at the top left. Right angle lockshield and TRV are installed with the compression fitting pointing straight back towards the wall. As the rad hangs very close to the wall, the backnuts on the compression fittings are butted right up against the wall, and there are no exposed pipework tails.

As the plumbing runs down vertically from upstairs, it would be handy to have some method of draining down at this low point in the future. For the reasons listed above, there is no possibility of fitting a standard valve set with inbuilt drain cock. However, due to the valves being fitted at vertically opposite ends, I do have a spare 1/2" BSP thread at the bottom of the radiator that is currently plugged. Does such a thing as a chrome 1/2" drain cock exist that could be fitted in there? I know that I can remove the plug and drain down that way, but I've done it once already and it was a complete PITA.

Cheers!

 

[dextrous]

Why not fit an ordinary valve (either in-line or 90degrees)

 

[electronicsuk]

Why not fit an ordinary valve (either in-line or 90degrees)

It's something I'd considered, but given that this is a designer rad and I've already gone to significant effort to keep all exposed pipework to a minimum, it would seem a shame to stick a honking great valve on the side. Generally, proper drain cocks tend to be fairly compact and unobtrusive. If nothing exists then I suppose I'll just have to live with draining down by removing the plug - it's not like I'll be doing it on a regular basis, but I'm sure it will come back to bite me in the ass at a later date.

 

[TicklyT]

...... Flow enters the bottom right of the rad, return is at the top left......

That sounds like it won't work very well - the flow probably will whiz straight up to the top and out the return without heating the whole rad?

Reversing the flow and return would normally allow gravity circulation to spread across the width of the rad.

You could spend about £1 or so on a plain brass drain cock, dismantle it and take the bits to a local chrome plating shop and see what they can do with it.

 

[electronicsuk]

...... Flow enters the bottom right of the rad, return is at the top left......

That sounds like it won't work very well - the flow probably will whiz straight up to the top and out the return without heating the whole rad?

Reversing the flow and return would normally allow gravity circulation to spread across the width of the rad.

It may sound like it doesn't work very well, but in actual fact it works better than the same radiator I have fitted elsewhere with the flow/return both at the bottom. It gives a good, even temperature across all the panels. I can see how there might be a problem if the valves were not fitted at opposing sides, though.

You could spend about £1 or so on a plain brass drain cock, dismantle it and take the bits to a local chrome plating shop and see what they can do with it.

Good plan. Looks like I might end up doing just that.

 

[namsag]

Chrome spray paint will do it