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It’s called “decorators caulk”. More severe gaps should be filled and finished with Tupret filler.

Ours requires the batteries to be connected and holding charge before it will work. When our battery malfunctioned and completely discharged, the inverter would not come on.

We have just gone through this. As @ETC says, easiest thing in most cases is to put in a Radon membrane (Visqueen R400) and sometimes a sump (Damplas one was £50). Insulated raft foundation engineers included full Radon protection in their foundation drawings (as we’re in a high area). Building inspector and structural warranty inspector was all over the details like a rash. Wanted images to show the sump had been installed, gas tight joints on all pipework to the sump. Spent a while inspecting the R400 membrane joints, laps, and in particular the penetrations. We had top hats on most (which must also need a Jubilee clip to secure), but some more complex ones needed a specific Visqueen detailing strip, which is a sticky butyl backing with a thin layer of Aluminium. They also insisted the Radon membrane projects at least 1m out from the walls of the house (under ground obviously). Not much more hassle than using a DPM if done at the right time.

You are a man of few words, I'll need you to use a lot more of them Damp proof membranes, any? Insulation, any? Thickness of these if present? Etc.

The 10mm will be for just the hob, back to its own breaker. Other fixed appliances will each have their own cable, back to its own breaker. A fixed microwave needs its own cable and breaker, whereas a plug in 'loose' microwave just plugs into the kitchen ring, as does the warming draw. I think the sparky is going to have to question YOU .

Cheaper by far to have put a radon barrier down……🤷

Suspended timber floor joists and timber floorboards in one part of the area, and solid concrete base in the other

Been a while since I watched it and not 100% sure this is the video I'm thinking of but I think the below will explain this if you don't mind the presentation. From about 6:28 in if you want to skip the bit on cable size.

OK, not sure what regs say about peak loads vs continuous ? Not keen for a family Christmas meal to trip out the circuit.

Hmm I can see the advantages definitely. But that leaves me having to find someone in the North who can do this and to a good standard. What about using Recticel 140mm with 10mm nominal gap as a way of rigid PIR and having a fully filled cavity?

Firstly, I'm not an electrician, but from what I know electrians always apply diversity so don't calculate based on 'everything on'. Secondly, I wouldn't expect Microwave or warming drawer to be on the Oven circuit. The Hob is the main thing that needs a dedicated connection. Wouldn't be surprised if everything else is intended to go on the ring main, All these devices peak loads are way way higher than their continuous.

The main cable is 10mm. I am actually wondering whether this is sufficient - i.e. for an everything on scenario. Hob 11kw, Oven 3kw, Mic Oven 3.6kw, Warming Drawer 0.8kw - Total 18.4kw or a massive 80Amps at 230V. Now the warming Drawer and the Mic could go on the ring main I guess but still leaves 14kw peak power, albeit only with all hob boost zones on - very unlikely but would still be 61A. Fortunately I do have underfloor conduit coming up in that area. Think I am going to have to question the sparky.

No, not viable. They are perforated clay and have poor insulation values. Warranty providers like a drained and vented cavity, so a single skin will not work. The blocks shatter if you drill them. You will struggle with plumbing and electrics. Airtightness is hard to achieve. More expensive than normal blocks. Just move on from these and save yourself a headache.

Did you ever get any further forward with this idea @mads?

This flat started as brand new as well. Everything ages. I'm not sure that I'd ever agree that it's worth buying a brand new oven because the timer stopped working. The replacement part was £250 (may as well buy a new oven). In the end I fixed it for <50p and some solder but I'm not most people. Specifically about the hob I don't see any immediate need, my point was you don't know what you don't know. Having the ability to isolate has been useful to me in ways I wouldn't have predicted. That's all I'm saying. I agree this is not an area for smart stuff though. (There are some clever uses of monitoring current draw of appliances in a smart house but switching on/off no).

I think it would be less relevant in a brand new house with brand new appliances, where these things are maintained / replaced accordingly. All hobs have standby buttons on them to switch them on / off tbh. That for me would be suffice.

Bidirectional Charger Availability in the UK Bidirectional chargers are expected to become available in the UK during 2026, with the first commercial launches expected in the second half of the year. However, availability will be gradual and limited initially. Nissan's 2026 Launch Nissan has announced it will launch affordable bidirectional charging on selected electric vehicles starting in 2026, with the UK as the first market. This is significant because Nissan has already achieved G99 Grid code certification with an AC-based solution, which is required to supply electricity to the UK national energy grid. The company aims to price its AC bidirectional charger comparably to a standard mono-directional charger available today, making it more accessible than previous estimates. Other Manufacturers Enphase Energy has announced its IQ Bidirectional EV Charger will be available globally in the second half of 2026. This DC-based charger delivers up to 11.5 kilowatts of bidirectional power and includes features like "black start" backup capability for powering homes during outages. Current Barriers in the UK Despite the promising timeline, the UK still faces regulatory and technical challenges. Current smart charging legislation doesn't fully accommodate bidirectional charging yet, and there are complications around: Standardisation of communication protocols between chargers and vehicles Tax and regulatory implications for selling electricity back to the grid Integration with existing electricity grid infrastructure The bottom line: While chargers are coming to market in 2026, widespread availability will likely take time. Early adopters may see options from Nissan and other manufacturers, but it will be a gradual rollout rather than an immediate, universal availability.

That didn't take long Explore More What are the minimum battery levels required for V2H operation? The minimum battery levels required for V2H operation vary by vehicle and charger, but most systems allow you to set a minimum state of charge to prevent draining the battery too low. Typically, you can set this between 20% and 30% to ensure you have enough power for driving. Check your specific EV and charger's manual for exact settings.

Sort of .... In case anyone was wondering, as I was, the following 5 vehicles support Vehicle to Home (V2H):- Hyundai Ioniq 5 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Kia EV9 Nissan Leaf Cupra Born You do need a bi-directional charger as well. With most car batteries seeming to have more capacity than your standard home solar batteries, and if you are considering one of the above cars anyway, then a bi-directional should be a no brainer decision IMHO. Except, they do not yet appear to be available in the UK 😞 - see later post. Further investigation required to see if there is an auto cut off feature for when the battery gets down to a preset level, say 20%.

My flat came with a multigrid style switch on the wall with isolators for everything in the kitchen. I'm really surprised at how much I've used it. This probably isn't typical but for me it's come in handy a lot, especially my kitchen is coming to end of life and things are breaking. (I'm avoiding replacing things piecemeal and would rather either do it all at once or sell the place with the kitchen as 'in need of refurbishment'). Lot's of things break in ways that don't stop them working but are annoying to leave switched on. Timer module in oven is best example. Oven worked fine except timer, but with oven powered the timer made a constant buzzing. In this case I ended up fixing it when I replaced the oven fan but in the meantime it was very convenient to have an easily accessible switch.

Assemble @AliG @Gary in New York @Torchia Currently contemplating a 350mm wall of 2 x 100mm concrete blocks, some type of insulation in the cavity and render to the outside. But. I’ve just come across these clay blocks which were used in a project that won awards down south. The interesting thing with these is you can do away with the cavity construction as I understand this can be problematic for builders to do right especially when having to fill with insulation at the same time. As I have the scope to build a wider wall, the monolithic single skin wall is most appealing. Plaster the inside. And render the outside, maybe with some EWI for added u-value busting. I want to achieve better than target u-value of 0.18W, but okay to land at this is costs determine. However I want to understand the costs of this method vs concrete block construction, and any other drawbacks if any. Or points of consideration. I can see some of these clay blocks would be able to meet the target value of 0.18W as just block alone. Whereas others would need a thin layer of EWI to meet this. My thinking is the use of a thin layer of EWI would give a total envelope of insulation externally, but that’s adding to costs. Would looking at a block that meets the target value with just a render externally be a better idea? Looking for advice and input to help determine if viable or not over traditional concrete blocks and cavity fill construction.

Why. how often do you need to isolate your induction hob ? the day you buy a new one, that’s the only time you will ever go near that switch. put a surface mounted box in the corner and get moved onto the next problem.

Anyone recommend a good flexible decorating sealant tha takes emulsion paints e.g. to use at junctions such as plaster and rooflight, skirting/architrave and wall etc etc

The advantage of this is being it fits within the wall better than others?

Yes it is massive. The induction hob has mutiple boost zones on it = max 11 kw. Unfortunately it is looking like the cables come out of the wall at the bottom of the cupboard position, so the switches will have to be behind whatever we put in the cupboard. Don't suppose you can get smart home grid switch modules that you can turn off remotely ? Switch Bot maybe ?