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The hose doesn't get air locked because the flow rate is sufficient enough to drive the air out. On a radiator circuit the flow will be a fair bit lower and could be insufficient to displace the air, it will take the easiest route and might mean that one of your rads will not be easy to bleed the air from. That said you can probably force the bleeding of it by closing off all other circuits and running each one at a time until the air is out. Personally I think I'd look at fitting the manifold at the highest point, even if in the roof space, then have an automatic vents on the manifolds and remote mount the pump if needs be for space constraints?

Watching some more online videos on LVT: DIY install of click/floating LVT looks very very easy. But DIY installing glue-down LVT does not look particularly difficult: slightly more complicated but not difficult. Given the cost advantage of glue-down LVT and that it is thinner (for UFH), I think that glue-down LVT will be my choice for a DIY install.

I can add a data point that may be useful. It's now exactly a year since I fitted two energy meters to our hot water system, one measuring the energy supplied to the Sunamp from the PV system, one measuring the energy supplied to the Sunamp from off-peak (E7) electricity, for a night time boost if needed. The total DHW energy used was 2,264 kWh. That's for two of us, but we don't really make much effort to reduce our hot water energy usage, other than trying to do some things when the sun is shining and the PV system is generating. Our daily usage works out as an average of about 3.1 kWh per person, which is close to the usual assumption that usage is around 3 kWh/person/day. The PV system provided 1,339 kWh of that, and off-peak electricity provided the additional 925 kWh. We currently pay 8.148p/kWh for off-peak electricity, so our total cost for all our hot water for the year was £75.37 Our off-peak boost is set to turn on at 01:00, which is around the time that the grid demand is at its lowest. Worst case boost would be about three hours, but in reality I doubt we ever boosted for longer than two hours, and the annual average boost time is about 51 minutes, so the boost will pretty much always be within the grid lowest demand period (which also tends to be the lowest emissions period).

Shipping would negate any savings. Cheaper to go to Seconds & Co

as a suggestion, only have a standpipe fitted. if you have a pipe from the house to the toby, they will check everything is compliant prior to making the connection to the main which i didn't realise, not that i was planning to do it incorrectly, but it meant more double check valves, taps and ensuring to correct depth prior to connection. if it had been to a standpipe it would have been quick and easy. if i had only specified to a standpipe they would have checked it was correct and not bothered with what i did, however, as i had specified connection to house and caravan this all had to be checked prior to connection.

@PeterW you never cease to amaze at your all round knowledge. ????

It’s not a smart meter. Severn Trent fitted Landis & Gyr meters in the 1990’s and early 2000’s and these have a remote reader head that looks a bit like a black plastic container lid with 3 lugs on it. These are being phased out to be replaced with boundary box meters that have the whole lot at the isolator point for the meter and the stop tap You need to just lay the pipe from your point at which it enters the house to the boundary where ST identify the connection point, plus about 3 metres. That’s about £1/m to buy so there is no real saving in providing it to ST and also you have the issue if it’s damaged and it leaks (on their side of the meter) then basically there would be an argument as to liability.

The connections don't feel too fragile, but I leave a fair bit of slack behind the plasterboard so i could remove and refit a cable if I had to.

I think the solid stuff is terminated in the punch down patch panels and face plates. It is for the fixed wiring in the walls. The stranded is more flexible and is for patch leads with crimped connectors.

I found an interesting article https://floorcritics.com/glue-down-vs-floating-vinyl-plank/ I think if you are doing it DIY and don't have brilliant subfloors and are looking for an easier fit it's a preferred option. Both showrooms (for different brands) suggested gluedown (which was cheaper) for us and I think gluedown is also recommended more for high traffic/movement and moisture areas and it's thickness which is smaller which may work better with underfloor heating.. Someone more knowledgeable may have some better info than me though... I'm just repeating back what I was told.

That’s a bit better and if you take into consideration coming out to quote, purchasing all the right bits, install and clean up and a wage for two people + the expense of running a company then it’s probably about the best your going to get. If you don’t have the time or interest to do it yourself and can write of the cash then it’s a quick way to get the job done. Simple.

mineral wool batts will typically have a thermal conductivity of 0.035 W/m.K and PIR 0.022W/m.K. Thus 22mm of PIR will have the same insulating effect as 35mm of batt steico wood fibre batts, IIRC with a thermal conductivity of 0.048W/m.K will have the same insulating effect at 48mm thickness

It's normal * to fit a "boundary box" (known here as a Toby) that contains a stopcock and a water meter, at the boundary of the site. The pipe from the main to the boundary box is the water companies responsibility. The pipe from the boundary box to the house is your responsibility. * They do sometimes forget as @AnonymousBosch will confirm.

That would really get my back up. If there was such a huge "extra", they should agree it with you not do it and then tell you at the end. Me personally, I would never rip off a trade, but I wouldn't be paying that. He gave you a price and should stick to it!

The only problem with that is, to get a roof window with 0.83U, you don't have to pay a 'bit' more, you have to pay a 'LOT' more, which means the OKPOL or ECO+ are really good value for money, just factor in the vent blank and all is good.

Yeah it was likely me, company is OKPOL, Sterlingbuild and Sunlux rebrand them as their own. I agree the trickle vent isn't brilliant, hence buying the vent blank, but otherwise these OKPOL are far better build quality than the Velux i've got. A bit more fiddly to fit, more components, but I suspect thats where you're money is going, for easy fit. EDIT: OK maybe not me lol!

No such thing. The sooner the better. Don't start any work at all on site until you have the exemption, including demolition.

Ahhhh ..!!! Just put the manifold on the floor with the most loops and then drop the pipes for the hallway straight down. Run it all from one manifold, use an actuator if needed and put a stat downstairs.

As always @Russell griffiths solid looking job, if I as doing it all again then this would be how my roof prep work would look. Bombproof

Why don't they give any COP data in their specification sheets? It's pretty clear that they look to be very much like are imported Chinese-made units, albeit fitted with a Mitsubishi compressor unit. Looking at the spec linked to above, for the inverter controlled unit, then it's possible to have a guess at some COP figures: Rated Capacity @35°C Water/ 20°C Ambient 17.0kw Rated Capacity @35°C Water/ 7°C Ambient 13.6kw Rated Capacity @45°C Water/ 20°C Ambient 14.9kw Rated Capacity @45°C Water/ 7°C Ambient 13.0kw Rated Capacity @7°C Water/ 25°C Ambient 9.9kw We can either assume that the above performance is using the rated power input, or that it's using the max power input: Rated Power Input 3.9kw/18.5A Max Power Input 4.7kw/21.3A Converting the performance figures to COP using the rated power input gives (I've highlighted the most meaningful ones, heating and hot water in cool conditions - they don't give any cold weather performance data): COP for A20/W35 = 4.36 COP for A7/W35 = 3.49 COP for A20/W45 = 3.82 COP for A7/W45 = 3.33 COP for A25/W7 (cooling mode) = 2.54 Converting the performance figures to COP using the max power input gives (same highlights as above): COP for A20/W35 = 3.62 COP for A7/W35 = 2.89 COP for A20/W45 = 3.17 COP for A7/W45 = 2.77 COP for A25/W7 (cooling mode) = 2.11 For comparison, the performance data for a Mitsubishi Ecodan 14 kW inverter controlled ASHP is (and Mitsubishi make it clear that their data is based on the maximum input power): COP for A7/W35 = 3.87 COP for A3/W35 = 2.91 COP for A7/W55 = 3.12 So, why does a Mitsubishi ASHP, that uses the same compressor as the Cool Energy unit, perform so much better than the Cool Energy unit? The difference is marked, bearing in mind that the max input power should be used for the comparison. Taking the A7/W35 condition, then the Mitsubishi Ecodan uses about 2.584 kW to deliver 10 kW of heat, whilst the Cool Energy unit uses 3.46 kW to deliver the same 10 kW of heat, so for that condition would cost ~ 34% more to run. The same sort of difference seems to apply for other conditions, although as Cool Energy don't actually give performance figures for either relatively cold air (the 3°C condition) or hot water at 55°C, it's hard to make an exact comparison. The question really comes down to two things. How well supported will the Cool Energy unit be when compared to any of the big name brands? And, will the reduced purchase price make sense in the light of the significantly higher running cost? For a house that needs the sort of heating power output for a heat pump of this size, then I suspect that the increased running cost is likely to exceed the difference in purchase price before too long.

Thanks @Jeremy Harris, very useful figures. Any chance that in 6 weeks or so you could do similarly for Dec/Jan/Feb? Insert obligatory rant that even in the middle of the night incremental demand will usually come from CCGT (gas), particularly on days when the PV hasn't filled the Sunamp anyway.

That will be the cheap ones from Stirling build (and others) https://www.sterlingbuild.co.uk/category/eco-plus-pitched-roof-windows I fitted one in the plant room. You get what you pay for. The finish was not briliant, and the mechanism to close the trickle vent is not briliant. That's why I ended up using Velux and paying a bit more.

This thread confirms my view that basing my home audio system on a 1990's hifi unit and a Raspbery Pi Music box was a sound choice. (excuse the terrible pun)

I got that email as well. I've had my Sonos for over ten years and I've never updated the software and it still works ok. I've no intention of "Trading Up" and I don't want their support so I'll just carry on as before.

Too true. Just because something is possible does not mean it is needed. I am not looking forward to when the FM radio system gets discontinued, though I felt the same about AM not broadcasting my favourite station.

Use isocyanurate, as that's what PIR is. There's no option for entering a service void, but a quick run on that with three layers, plasterboard, 300mm concrete and 150mm of isocyanurate gives a total U value of 0.13 W/m².K, so same ballpark. The thermal resistance of concrete varies a fair bit with density (from about 0.6 W/m.K to about 1.8 W/m.K), and the value I chose (1.2 W/m.K) is around the middle of the range. Using another value from the typical range of concrete thermal resistance would change things slightly.

Is this any help. Stainless mesh over counter batten gap. then 100x25treated batten to take the sheets. Not corregated but it is metal.

That's a good point about collecting crud. However, if I put in BIGT's they'll end up like this with pipe through floor slab (110mm shown here, but same effect if 40 or 50mm):

I drew what I wanted and the kitchen fitter made it from standard kitchen drawers/cupboards and panels. My original plan was to make a stud frame/wall, clad with plasterboard and skim which would have been equally effective,

Just admit it......you’re a stoner. It’s nearly 4.20pm.

Good grief! It was loose wasn't it!

Cerrotex?