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Yes, get your heat loss calcs done - but also remember that the heat loss doesn't translate directly to cooling capacity, so you'd need to model that separately. You will be reading MIs but I like Panasonic as all the data is readily available in easily accessible format - https://www.aircon.panasonic.eu/GB_en/ranges/aquarea/fan-coils/

So bit like radiators bigger fan coils for lower flow temp difference between target and flow. Any pics of your units so I can see how they look. I suppose I really need my detailed drawings and heat loss calcs before I start looking which will be some time off. I can tell its going to be hard work finding the right gear if I have to start looking at MI's

So assuming this is without all the plasterboard etc fitted. Going better than 0.64 is chasing numbers, to say look at me. Further gains aren't worth the cost. Get a couple of tubes of air tight mastic if needed.

You're already in the top 0.1% of air tight homes, spending £2,000 (and £2,000 of TF money for use elsewhere...) to enter the 0.01% of homes is not worth it IMO. Future sellers won't care, friends and family won't care and realistically you'd never notice the difference even if you really really tried on a really windy day. The second anyone opens a door you've undone several hours of airtightness anyway. Ours is at 2.7 (no sniggering at the back...) as a hugely volumetric bungalow with several sliders everywhere... And despite wibbling about it for years, and being obsessed with trying to seal everywhere that I could.... Its fine...

Hi All, I'm just about to cancel getting Aerobarrier done and this is just a final check to make sure we're not missing something, as the figures involved are tiny. Situation: Current test result: 0.64 Contracted arrangement with timber frame = 0.6, however there are tiny leaks out of the window frames, sliding doors and velux (velux are by far the worst areas of leaks). The TF company has been brilliant and would be willing to go halves on Aerobarrier to both make sure we're as happy as possible, and helping achieve a well-below 0.6 result (even though it's rather unlikely to be solely down to the TF airtightness). The current performance will get worse(?) 1. There are ducts in the floor that are fully taped and sealed and in reality at the end of the build there are likely to be small leaks in these areas. 2. The air tester stated that at completion, the way the volume is calculated differs from this stage - they will measure each room individually rather than using the outside envelope of the house, therefore the volume of the wall thicknesses and intermediate floor depth will be deducted from the current volume - hence 0.64 of a larger volume will equate to a higher ACH of a smaller volume. 3. I've not yet found any documentation to confirm this - can anyone point me to detail as to how ACH and volume is calculated at initial and final stage of build? Cost: Aerobarrier have quoted c.£4,300 for 304sqm footprint (we'd split the cost with the TF company). Summary: Our thinking is that the £2k+ would go a long way for more benefit elsewhere in our build. Will we notice the performance? Is there a financial benefit to being able to state 'Passivehaus performance level' (without rounding down - 🤣!); we plan to live in the house for 40+yrs so I figure today's passivehaus reference may not be very relevant.

Fan coil brands. Brand doesn't matter for ASHP. Good ones let you adjust the temp of water to enable the fan to start with a different temp for heat and cool. Poor ones are operated on a fixed water flow temp, which may not suit your setup. I have Myson iVector MkII fan coil, which is good. Panasonic, Daikin, Cool Energy all have good fan coils and many others. If you have time look on eBay many bargains come up or shop around as prices can vary hugely for the same thing. Some cheap fan coils are set up to just heat, so be careful read the install manual. Yes, one circuit feeding UFH and fan coils. But to this you need to size the fan coil to the expected flow temperature.

Why not spend a bit more and get one that does cooling and heating well. If the performance isn't quoted as good, maybe the indoor unit isn't that good either, noisy and drafty.

Depends on inside temp and humidity not outside. Easy way is set to a fixed flow temp. Generally keeping flow temp above 14-16 degs is fine. It depends on the first sentence, that depends on ventilation system etc

Good to know it will be less than i thought. Is there a good brand of fan coil to get or do you try and match the manufacturer of the heat pump? Presuming these heat if needed in winter too? When you say other option run at same temperature do you mean same temp as UFH? I'm pretty sure we can manage without the artic blast of AC as long as the fcu are effective. I am trying to take steps to reduce heat gain i have asked architect to specify a pergola off rear SE elevation with climbing plants on it. Should keep the worst of midday sun off the patio glazing. Running a condensate with dry trap wouldnt be the hardest job in the world but it sounds like these fcu are going to make the system simpler.

How do you keep the flow temp above the dew point? Is it a set static temperature or does it depend on the outside air temp and/or humidity. Do you have to do the same with the ufh? Does the system take care of this or do you manually have to set some kind of stat?

They are made for cooling. The ones I've looked at do heating but not very efficiently: better than an electric heater still.. but maybe not much use if it's minus 10 outside.

Very well done, @Captain Scally.

One thing stands out and it the price, if compare to an ASHP it has nearly all the same components, it will have an air to refrigerant condenser/evaporator, fan, compressor, a casing, a controller, only the thing is the refrigerant to water heat exchanger and pump are missing. But its 10x cheaper - and everyone says an ASHP has to be expensive because it's complex, this sort of proves the point it doesn't. It may not have have a defrost cycle built in but if it does heating and cooling it will have all the hardware, which is a 4 way valve.

In fairness, given the 5 and 6 figure feck ups I’ve seen, this particular instance is more an annoying hiccup. Glass half full approach is the way to get to the finish line.

That looks great. I was admiring the gutters and dp's. Nice and big, and multiple outlets and the splays will get the water away super fast. Was this to do with the circumstances or simply good practice.. Then I noticed the comment from @Square Feet Sorry ft2 I completely disagree as I want shot of water asap and any leaks that may occur to be visible. And I think they look good. I'm a philistine who thinks that a building is there to keep us safe, warm and dry. The rest is secondary. I detest secret gutters, valley gutters, hidden pipes and afterthought drainage.

Minor set-backs my friend! Seriously, I'm sure half of us have had that 'wtf did I start this for' feeling when waking in the small hours soaked in sweat and dreaming of -insert current snag here -. It's hard to keep perspective when it's your life/money/sanity, but it will be worth it when it's finished and the PTSD subsides 🙂

I’m constantly firing idiots on my clients behalves. Just shocking how some own a saw but say it’s blunt; then I mention that they’re holding it upside down……😵‍💫🫣😣. Most recent builder to receive a bullet….you’d have to see how poor the work was to believe it. He of course couldn’t see what the problem was, or when shown just kept saying “ok, I’ll put that right”. The fact he ignored written and verbal instruction was just another day in the office. And a site littered with empty beer cans; instant dismissal applies there afaic. Glad you’ve found your voice!

Any thoughts on the Mediterranean method? It seems simple and very diy-able with the inner and outer units, and only the small pipes and a cable to drill through a wall. The outputs aren't huge so it's one per room probably.... that is what seems to be the norm domestically and in hotels. I wonder if the different climate types make any difference to spec because they seem to be available here but at twice the price. Not that I'd buy an unknown brand like this.

Thanks for the photos. So it can be done, just doesn’t look as tidy as a collar, but needs must. Brickie two is not returning. An ego the size of England, unable to understand who the client was and seemed unable to read plans regarding door openings and lintels.

Its in the visibility splay in front of their house so not their property. This is the only image I have, showing the pole next to the for sale sign, from which open reach will dig a trench across the driveway in the visibility splay, probably a few feet away from the front wall.

I think, psychologically, that you accept audibility / nuisance of anything that is cooling you down, as I’d rather have the noise than the heat every damn day. I put a 12000BTU unit in my lads attic room and it’s defo not ‘quiet’, but he sleeps through it without losing a wink. If too hot, none of us sleep well, so without a budget for fixed, wonderfully quiet, fixed AC present, this is a very acceptable compromise for the masses.

Very nice 👌

There’s a self-adhesive ‘peel and stick’ detail strip, on a roll, which I applied to these right awkward bastards: LINK Note we added stainless jubilee clips for belt & braces as Radon was v high.

This setback will be pushed to the back of your memory surprisingly quickly. We had an insulated slab laid, which the workers cocked up badly and the whole lot had to be cut up and replaced. Just keep plodding on.

SWMBO made me do some outdoor work! . Anyway welcome back to my youtube channel. Chat not very good at optimising drawcalls. We started with 50k!!!!!. Now down to 1. It needed a word. Struggling with the river at the moment. Hit that subscribe button NOW!