New gadget means plumbing problems could be a breeze, with radiators ...

By Sarah Bridge, Financial Mail on SundayFollow @@sarahbridge100

With autumn round the corner, radiators will soon crank back into life - sometimes with less then perfect results.

But calling in a plumber can be costly. Now, after spending £50,000 of savings and three years on design, heating engineer Peter Jeffrey and his cousin, entrepreneur Stuart Bailey, have come up with a gadget that lets people drain and replace radiators with ease.

'People think that taking a radiator off the wall is really complicated but it can be simple,' said Bailey. 'Those with no experience are able to drain one in ten minutes.'

The £24.99 Rapid RaDrain gadget was recently runner-up in the prestigious Heating and Ventilation Awards, sold out on the QVC shopping channel and has just started selling through Homebase and Amazon.

Now the duo, based in Woodlands St Mary, Berkshire, have three more plumbing products in the pipeline.