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Indeed. The Durgo (AAV) needs to be above any 1st floor WC, and needs to be accessible; eg if it fails and starts letting any stink out. Ground floor WC's don't need an AAV if the 'drop' (invert) is less than 1300mm.

If you have the height, you could install resilient bars and then a layer of 15mm sound block plasterboard onto those. The RB's deal with foot traffic and impact etc. The builders wouldn't normally install insulation in a makeover / refurb unless building control had stipulated it, and it really should have been part of the spec that they tendered to so not really anyone's fault. Reality is that the void there is within the heated envelope, so insulation in that void would add nothing re thermal performance anyways, but you'd obvs have preferred it for acoustics. Avoid penetrating the PB for spotlights, or go for a very good quality unit which is sound rated (as well as fire). If this is life or death, you could drill the existing plasterboard and pump the voids with cellulose (Warmcell from PYC), then over-board and skim.

Barely any smell but you'd not want it next to your patio just in case. I've even got one next to an ancient cess tank and even it doesn't smell. Another one serving a 3 chamber, low-tech one does whiff occasionally. This is a different situation to needing an air intake, such as a durgo, to allow the flush to move without a vacuum holding it back.

You'll need to work out if there's need for moisture control and where you're integrating that. For the timber floors I doubt you'll need any underlay, but some insulation may be of benefit. Can you provide some more details of what's there / what you propose?

What capacity tank are you thinking of using? At 5000L or under I'd really not bother.

Which underlay for solid oak on both concrete and timber floor boards above suspended floor?

If it's a good quality unit and is set to run at low speed / duty, then you shouldn't be able to hear it (if it's a unit that will be accepted by PH standards), and I've never had any issue with these being on a stud wall of a TF (mostly MBC or English Bro's). Most of my clients have said how quiet my installs are, but if you're at 75% duty on trickle vs my remit of 40-45% on trickle then this may be an issue. You don't need instructions, it's just a metal strip with a few holes in it. Then the unit hangs on it like a picture. You can fit qty 4 or qty 6 x 2" squares of 10mm thick neoprene on the rear of the unit which is likely more than suffice. Offer the bracket up and mark the holes, then see what you're screwing into there, beefing up according to what you need. Manufacturers and suppliers will just give you a generic reply re fitting, as you're not getting them to do it. Or you'll just get no reply at all.

Yes. Shingle goes under / around / atop, and then the sand blinding goes in. Groundworkers will just shoot through this, but if there's any major backfill over the shingle then they may well use a bit more type 1, then the sand (usually dependant on how far they have to walk to either pile of 'stuff' ).

Have you topped the pipe with pea grit then mot on top? Thinking in the 150 layer there's not much room for both!

I think so, especially if @Nickfromwales has done something close to what I have described 😀

Thanks 👍 sounds like we are OK to be in or just below the MOT then.

Thankyou 😊 do you know if there's a reason the Chambers needed to be so far out? Or was it just 'on the way' to the mains connection?

Many thanks Nick, that's really helpful. 👍

Get a pole that the laser fits too for indoors, they have a mount for the laser that has fine adjustment, a spring loaded foot so you can compress the pole and fit it in a doorway. wish I had bought one years ago. the standard method of fitting indoors is to get an old wood saw and smash the plastic handle off, then use the hole in the end of the blade to put a screw through and hang on a stud or something, magnetic fixing on back of laser onto saw blade.

Don’t bother with tripods indoors, they’re too susceptible to foot traffic.

Our soil pipes are in the compacted type 803 and sand blinding. A 1m length close to one of the stack foots comes up about 20-30mm into the 250mm insulation.

I used the red line Bosch 3 80, sub £400 iirc, for years and years and then (when I got fed up of batteries being consumed) I went and got the Milwaukee Green 3 line with 4ah rechargeable batteries. Miles better and sub £600 iirc.

Ours is mounted on an offcut of 2x6 that has multiple fixings into our ICF external walls. Located in the plant room.

@Tetrarch Look at anti vibration mounts, neoprene dampers. A Yoga mat might be enough to fit between the unit and the mounting board.

@Mulberry View Have you checked the pre charge pressure in the expansion vessel?

I’m one for caution but it’s just push fit with a retaining clip. Worst thing that can happen here is you get wet tbf. Drain down, get a towel, isolate the electrics to the boiler, and get it swapped out. You'll need a lint free cloth to clean out the receptacle and some silicone grease to lube the o ring on the new item. Slight twisting motion when you offer it back in. Same retaining clip will be fine.

Leica are a very good brand but IMO too expensive. The Chinese stuff is so cheap it is hard to say no.

Yup. 👍. SVP’s vent the accumulated gasses in the network sewerage system, and as you’re on an STP you don’t need to do that. As above, you can put it on an external facade out of sight or just route a branch off the STP and do a short stub stack / riser in the garden or landscaping, defo away from where you’re BBQ’ing lol, although these things don’t seem to stink as much as a sewer would.

You don't need to be qualified to build a house in the UK. ICF is fairly easy DIY. It would be more impressive if you built in brick and block. No requirement for Gas Safe if it is just for you but would be my preferred option.

Sorry to hijack thread, but I would echo the above advice. My MVHR unit is directly fixed to a wooden backboard in the loft. I have noticed that the slight vibration generates a bit of noise as described above In the case that you do NOT have an outside wall - is there any advice for some kind of dampener for the fixing? Regards Tet