Using video we wanted to test the DrainEasy claims that "anyone can benefit from using it". We test a great many of this type of claim and I’m afraid most of them do not make it onto our pages…. Needless to say, this one has!
Features and Benefits of the DrainEasy System
Immediately it was obvious that the DrainEasy is the most logical tool we have ever seen for draining down radiators. For both professional plumbers and heating engineers; not to mention DIYer’s and Home Improver’s, the eternal problem has been collecting the (usually) dirty water which comes out of the radiator by clinging to the pipe and running straight down to the floor.
Radiator valve including union nut and water pipe
Admittedly most of the water simply drips or squirts out of the union (the nut which is connected to the radiator and tightens onto the radiator valve) and runs into a drip tray or other collection vessel. But collecting the bulk of the water has never been a problem! Its the dirty water that runs down the pipe and makes an awful stain on the carpet that has caused many a job to end in disaster.
DrainEasy has solved this problem. The diverting collar that clips round the pipe, is sealed to it with some great sealing Gel (a little like Vaseline, but a bit thicker) stops water (and sludge!) from running down the pipe by diverting it into the drip tray.
The DrainEasy system attached to a radiator, directing water in to the drip tray
This is the feature of DrainEasy which (even if it had no others) would make us rush out and get one immediately!!
As it happens, it has loads. At a feature level it packs up nicely into the drip tray, the collars fit tightly to the pipe even without the sealing gel, the construction is solid and there is no fear of splits and the whole lot weights virtually nothing.
This kit can be stored in a space only 370mm x 270mm by 70mm high and contains everything required for 4 sizes of pipework except the spanners and the radiator bleed key.
As for benefits….. The main one is that your carpets stay safe! Then there’s the fact that it leaves both hands free to manage the draining of the radiator. The drip tray is large enough not to have to keep emptying the water and with the diversion collar you feel completely in control of the operation all the way through.
How to use the DrainEasy Radiator Draining Kit
The instructions are really best shown in the video but we do now from experience that many of you like to see them written down as we do not all use our mobile phones when working. You can download the instructions in pdf form at the end of this review so you can print them easily, but here are a few tips which do not appear on the instructions.
- Lay a mat or other protection layer underneath the radiator. This is not because the DrainEasy will not work, it is because human beings are accident prone. If you do not protect the floor carpet you will undoubtedly kick the full drip tray, or spill it on your way to the sink to empty it!
- Use a pair of footprints or another adjustable spanner to hold the valve solid while you undo the union nut
- Make absolutely sure your radiator valves are fully off. If you are in doubt, go look at our video on how radiator valves work
As well as the kit you will need two spanners as shown in the video and a radiator bleed key. Apart from that everything is provided for you in this great kit. We are really happy to award this 5 stars.
Valve bleeding key for bleeding radiator valves
What is in the DrainEasy kit?
- 8mm, 10mm, 15mm and 22mm diverting collars making it simple to drain radiators of any size
- A sturdy drip tray which is a really bright yellow making it very hard to miss and trip over!
- 4 collar clips which fit really snugly to the back of the collar making sure there are no drips from there
- A sachet of sealing gel to seal the collar to the pipe. If we were forced to find something negative about the DrainEasy kit, it would be that this gel would be easier to work with were it in a little tube rather than a sachet…..BUT….This would add cost to the kit, making it more expensive to you and, in reality, the sachet is no big deal. The gel flows easily out of it and there is even a "starter nick" on the edge to make opening easy
- A clip in cover which fits into the drip tray really well keeping everything in one place for the next time you need it
DIY Doctor’s verdict on the DrainEasy kit from Waldco
Great value for money. This kit will allow an awful lot of home owners to tackle a job they have put off for years because now it is dead easy!! The trade are using it because it’s so simple and it is just as simple for all of you. Compared to a bodge job behind a radiator, or a nasty brown stain on the carpet, this little piece of kit is a lifesaver. Five big fat stars from DIY Doctor.
Click here to download the installation instructions for the Waldco DrainEasy kit.
The Doctor’s Rating
Reviewed by: Mike Edwards
(4 out of 5 stars)
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