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Actuators opening when no call for heat
Alan Ambrose replied to recoveringbuilder's topic in Underfloor Heating
Worth checking all the schedules in the thermostats in case there’s a rogue entry. Also, check the docs - from memory, there’s some occasional calls to exercise the system for some reason. You can check on the app (if you have the hub) to see which circuits fired and for how long. Bet it’s a rogue schedule. -
I-Joist quality. Expectations.
Alan Ambrose replied to flanagaj's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
FYI, I found my posi joists were OK but had a bend in them or other discrepancies e.g. length, of a cm over 5m. They needed to be fettled to line up e.g. at the eaves. -
Avoiding Flicker with Dimmable Bathroom LEDs
-rick- replied to cedricuk's topic in Electrics - Kitchen & Bathroom
The ultimate option is to choose drivers that have separate dimming control (0-10V, dali, dmx, matter, whatever). Mains dimming LED drivers is always going to be a compromise that has limitations. If you are driving individual bulbs (that are designed for it) then ultimate dimming control is done via current control drivers (vs PWM). That avoids flicker and is very controllable. But it's tricky and tends to need paired bulb/driver so more likely to be found in integrated units with external dimming control. Dimming LED strips or other voltage controlled devices, look for the frequency of the switching. Switching at 2000Hz is likely to be seen as flicker free to most (unless you are filming) but 20kHz drivers are available for niche uses (filming) at the cost of lower efficiency. 20khz also chosen to be above audible range as some people might be able to hear switching at lower frequencies. -
I’ve a few Plasson ‘arctic’ taps on blue pipe that survived last winter fine. They’re good to use too.
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On another subject, you’ll be pleased to know that you won’t have to deal with leap seconds going forward (well at least for 3,000 years).
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Avoiding Flicker with Dimmable Bathroom LEDs
Alan Ambrose replied to cedricuk's topic in Electrics - Kitchen & Bathroom
In another thread on here, someone just said that trailing edge dimming works best. You could always buy one example of each light, dimmer etc and wire them up to check that they behave well. -
Avoiding Flicker with Dimmable Bathroom LEDs
Nickfromwales replied to cedricuk's topic in Electrics - Kitchen & Bathroom
I do this in every clients bathroom and have done for 20+ years, as it’s simple, practical, and elegant. And quite ‘cool’ to have (what I always called them) some “P lights”, for nighttime automatic low level lighting. Bathrooms are in and out rooms, so faffing with dimming is a bit daft; basic smart switches can allow you to create scenes easily and cost effectively, whilst still being ‘dumb’ single press switches. Current client has rolled out Aqara for mostly lighting, and it’s a great choice for most boxes ticked and not having HA; we have done a lot of run home wiring here as we’ve opted to centralise drivers / LED running gear vs having these dotted around the home, to ease downstream troubleshooting and maintenance / repair. -
Avoiding Flicker with Dimmable Bathroom LEDs
cedricuk replied to cedricuk's topic in Electrics - Kitchen & Bathroom
That’s an interesting approach. Having separate circuits for low-level night lighting and full bathroom illumination seems practical, especially with the PIR sensor in the shower niche. It avoids the need for dimming altogether while still giving you flexibility depending on the time of day. Thanks for sharing your setup. - Today
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Yes. I’m not sure how much success this will yield, but worth starting the process of elimination here. Is the rising cold main in that room with the obligatory double check valve? Crud in that is usually a culprit too, as it audibly moans and groans when unhappy. Double check the pre charge pressure in the white expansion tank as that is often installed without a proper commissioning ever taking place.
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The first two verses of David Bowie's 'Time'. Time He's waiting in the wings He speaks of senseless things His script is you and me, boy Time He flexes like a whore Falls wanking to the floor His trick is you and me, boy
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Are we actually going to see it working? 👀
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Pretty sure you meant to drop the L in the title...
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The horror of horology
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I was that lad who worked in a clock shop
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Bernard might forgive you for this one. Plenty of garden pipework bursts in a hard winter, and the installs that survive are the boring ones: an isolation valve with a drain off cock on the feed inside the building, pipe buried well below frost depth, and a self draining tap on the end. The trace heating ideas are fine too, but the indoor valve plus drain off is simpler, cheaper and nothing electrical to go wrong.
- Yesterday
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What is the code top make is spell out BOOB A man walks into a clock shop and plonks his todger on the counter in front of the young, attractive, female shop assistant, as says "I need to help with this" The shop assistant is rather quick and says "This is a clock shop, not a cock shop, Sir." To which the man replies "Then just put two hands on it" (I heard this from a Bristol lad back in 1975)
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Thanks. I've recognized that my difficulty was primarily from the head of the roofing screw catching back of the gutter. No doubt the gutters and brackets are precisely made. With correct screws I expect no difficulty. Thx, ... P.
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Agree with cleaning the seal, but on the three I've done you can put it straight back in without a new one and it'll hold for years.
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First floor scaffolding
saveasteading replied to flanagaj's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
If they are built with noggins then they shouldn't warp too much . But I'd very strongly recommend using treated timber. The extra cost isn't great. In the exposed situation it should dry as quickly as it wets. I had a look at some of our old gash osb, where lying around or thrown on the wood pile. Most of it had been used as window opening covers. It is severely weakened and swollen. Of no use for anything. You can get flooring chipboard with a temporary film precisely for this purpose (and to catch plaster and paint). @Gone West, @torreand I can all be right, with differing circumstances. -
Our posijoists were similarly left open to the elements. We rolled offcut strips of DPM over the tops of them for protection before putting down an OSB deck and it kept them nice and dry. I was pleasantly surprised how well the OSB held up over a winter. Put enough screws in to protect against uplift as high winds can turn an 8x4 into a deadly kite, we used round head screws so they were easier to locate later after months of spills
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I-Joist quality. Expectations.
Gone West replied to flanagaj's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
Great, as long as they remember!! -
I looked for clocks I like . None are big and ‘wow ish ‘ ( or cost mega money ) . So only option was as a girlfriend once said to me “ go big or go home “
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By their nature regulations tend to be reactive. Take the Summerland fire and more lately Grenfell. In earlier days it was more about disease prevention covering drainage etc. Part of the issue now is how the control of development is fragmented across several regulators, be that the planners, building control, environmental health and now the building safety regulator. I have no issue in having rules for structural stability, weather/damp resistance, fire protection etc but begin to balk at being told to fit an EV charger or the right amount of internet to an individual house build. Developers perhaps, because they are selling a product to a third party for profit. Myself, I don't need the planners telling me what plants I have to landscape the garden with etc
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Recommendations for Composite Decking
marshian replied to steveoelliott's topic in Landscaping, Decking & Patios
I got some samples from Millboard - it's much thicker than normal wooden decking but the samples looked really good - we put wooden decking down in 2007 and it's reaching end of life (it's treated every year in spring and autumn) as there are sections where the edges have rotted and I had to replace the odd section - the structure under it is solid and well ventilated so next years project is replacement. I need to understand how the fixings work because I don't want to re-do the structure to suit fixed fixings -
Just how bad is your eyesight?
