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I would go along with JpManning on this one. The drain down matters more than the wrapping, because insulation on its own will only buy you time in a proper cold snap. The bit I would watch is the valve body itself, as it can still hold water after the pipes have drained, so open the shower valve as well when you drain it and leave it open. A removable insulated box over the valve is a good shout, just make sure you can get it off quickly to check for a weep in spring before you put it back into regular use.

taking the washers off the tekscrews would've helped?

https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/publications/annex-a1-example-generic-wheelchair-dwelling-plans

many thanks JP. much appreciated

From a quick look at the documentation on-line it's more like 12kW min output - that's not gonna like powering 3 loops of UFH and nothing else at all I agree with @JohnMo - boiler has independant temp control for HW and CH - turn the CH temp down to min and start from there but bring the whole house (rads and UFH) into play so at least the boiler will have some volume/flow it can deal with I had a 18 kW gas boiler with a minimum modulation of 10kW that couldn't cope with the lower heat demand of the shoulder seasons and was borderline in the proper winter months and that was in a 4 bed house with 150 litres of water in the radiator circuit. Boiler itself wasn't a bad boiler it was just badly sized (oversized - although all the models had the same min 10 kW so it wouldn't have mattered) the solution was a 16 kW boiler with a min of 4 kW and it copes very well

Had a quick look and not really convinced that the annex is entirely wheelchair friendly - if this is required. Is there a 1500mm turning circle in the bedroom next to the storage? Wheelchair users need to be able to get to a door handle - I’d normally like to see a space to the side of a door - a leading edge - so that a person in a wheelchair can get close enough to the door to open a door handle. Take a look at the front door and the door into the en-suite. You might want to take a look a specific accessible bathroom layouts for independent and assisted use. I would normally expect to see an accessible WHB for use without having to get back onto a wheelchair. I don’t think splitting the storage space for the door into the en-suite is a great idea - access to the door and cupboards is restricted. Is there a current or future need for a hoist between the bedroom and the en-suite? I would normally expect to see a provision for a hoist from the bed to the bathroom. The utility room looks very tight for independent use. Finally - I presume an OT assessment has been carried out to determine the specific needs which have been transferred to the design?

@Pocster this may pique your interest.

The ones you have look a bit like the screwfix pan head self tapping stainless screws. If your are stainless they will be just the job.

Thanks for the recommendation. Screws from aliexpress arrived yesterday and are swapped in already. Photo added for interest. The button head doesn't catch the gutter as the hex head does. Installing the gutter in the brackets is easy now. =8~) SPAX refers to their drives as T-STAR and T-STAR plus. https://www.spax.com/gb-en/c/extras-accessories/bits.html Name isn't here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screw_drives I wonder about compatibility between T-STAR and TORX. I don't doubt that SPAX quality is better but rainy season now and rain is becoming more frequent. Not the right time to start from zero again. When the gutter falls off, I can reinstall with a thicker fascia and high quality screws. Really disappointed with Pro-tech issuing roofing screws as if they are appropriate. Not so "pro" as the name implies. If they can't offer better, might advise better at least. Thanks, ... P.

You can have a very long underground pipe. Ours is at least 25m.

Being in Wales (Pembs.) I am just about to go out for prices on this. The building is quite big (400m2) and I'm a bit concerned they may go over the top. When we got prices for the fire alarm system, the local fire inspector gave me a copy of BS 5839. It became apparent that most of the quotes were for a commercial system and when you read the standard they were wrong. The fire inspector went even further and said quite categorically "I do not want to see a commercial system fitted in this building". So reviewing our automatic fire suppression system and sprinkler vs mist options I have no no information or standard (BS9251:2021) as a reference document. Even the fire authority don't have it, so how on earth they can vet what has been fitted I have no idea. Hence, when do you use each type and how do I verify what the contractors are proposing is appropriate and compliant. Oops, just though should I start another topic?

I do believe so. If you are going to get through a lot look around both in UK and on mainland Europe. I think some on here have used merchants there. I have mainly used Pro Clima, and some Pavatex, though there are cheaper options, as far as I know. As I mentioned before, I have had foil tape that sticks well, but I have also had stuff which sticks very poorly.

Hi John. Way too many variables for even a close stab at prices; geography sways this massively, plus spec / materials quality / better trades & installers, and much more. Do NOT take guidance from anyone who would just pluck a price oyt of the air!!

For completeness, I recommended that the client installed an automatic fire suppression system; not just for safety for the family but also for preservation of the asset. Furthermore, “automatic fire suppression” can be either a mist system or a sprinkler system, unless a sprinkler is specifically mandated; there are certain circumstances where you must fit sprinklers and cannot fit a mist system. Most PD’s will knee-jerk towards a sprinkler, usually through laziness, whereas a mist system is usually suffice, cheaper, more elegant, much, much easier to install and route, and causes a fraction of the damage that sprinklers will cause (these run forever, eg until you physically turn off the water, but a mist is timed output).

Nothing more than escape windows in every room upstairs, and any closed route rooms on the ground floor.

Having spent quite a bit already on professional fees, I need to work out whether an eco refurb is likely to be affordable before spending any more. I don't expect an economic payback within my lifetime - just aiming to reduce carbon footprint and to build a bit of domestic resilience. I'm particularly interested in the Heat Geek Ministore, but their on line estimator just invites me to pay GBP 750 for a detailed plan - and my architect has already done mush of the work on that already. It would be good to know more before committing. Heating would consist of ASHP providing warmth for Domestic Hot Water (say 40 C), Under Floor Heating on ground floor (variable, say < 30 C) and possibly retained radiators (4) on upper floor using existing 10mm plumbing - maybe with an option to also replace radiators/plumbing if there is any money left. (In practice we hardly ever use uppoer floor radiators - just go to bed with a thick duvet.) Biggest challenge for DHW would be a very occasional hot bath and I'd like to have an immersion coil in the cylinder to help, but I don't see that as an available product, yet. Space is very limited so I'd like to know all the sizes (and the likely prices) of any additional equipment needed - how big is a 'manifold' and how many do I need? We have plans for more insulation - underfloor insulation beneath new floorboards throughout ground floor; and rear wall external insulation if I can get away with capping the top edge rather than extending the roof above it. Having renewed the floor, we want to never disturb it again, so we would run services behind wainscoting and not below the joists. We are also holding back rising capillary moisture in all walls by putting a Newtonite membrane behind the wainscoting (up to approx 900mm). This membrane would enable moisture to be vented into the floor void, where there are air bricks. We had considered a unified MVHR system but, single-room ventilation/heat recovery units are a bit less costly, less disruptive, and more flexible - although slightly less efficient. The lower half of the kitchen will need to be rebuilt, after replacing the floor. The upstairs bathroom will need a complete refit and rewiring: HW Cyclinder would live there and the washing machine and dryer would be relocated there from the kitchen. We are removing the gas boiler from it's current position inside a small extension and repurposing the space to upgrade a toilet into a small wet room - toilet/shower. If at all possible (funds may not allow), we would install solar PV on the SW-facing half of the roof. Advice on any of the above would be welcome. Could it be done inside a GPB 100k budget?

So Airtightness Tapes are worth paying the bit extra for then? That opens up a whole new range of choices to try and make sense of, then!

From what I can see the minimum output of the boiler is about 10kW, which is pretty big based on what you have told us. Most likely a low heat loss in the depth of winter than you min modulation. Your biggest issue is trying to run UFH on it's own. If you do you will just have the issues you are seeing. I would simplify to get the whole system to run either on or off. The following will sound wrong to what people tell you. To get everything to work, you need to turn down the boiler flow temperature, wind your radiator thermostat up so it doesn't interfere with heating for now. When turning down boiler flow temperature you want the radiator rooms to slowly heat up so the radiators stay warm most the time. This will allow the UFH to get a continuous flow of heated water. You will need the flow temp to about 15 degs above the UFH flow temp to give the UFH mixer some authority. At a guess the CH flow temp will be set at 70 degs, turn this down to 50. Then switch your heating on with all thermostats set at 24 or higher. Leave the system to run all day - a job for a Saturday or Sunday. Assess how the room temps are,if your bedrooms get too hot bring down the flow temp a little if they are not warm enough add a couple degrees to the flow temperature. Also look at you UFH temp if room to cold turn the white knob up a little 1 Deg makes a big difference, opposite it rooms to hot. Ideally deleted the radiator thermostat and put trvs on the radiators - ideally ones than never fully close down. Your aim is not to have many timed on off periods, so have one or one for day and night, but run long and slow. You will most likely use way less oil than you do now, because the boiler will be happier and it will be in condensing mode all the time

Says not for masonry or am I misunderstanding it?

My mate says woodburners help the sap score. I'm planing to have one but will see what the cost is

Gas is cheaper and the hobs last longer. No special pots or pans.

It would - but did a SAP A with gas boiler

Which do you use?