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The boss is not too far forward, it should finish flush with the tiles or a few mm back, if you where to set it in the wall it has the potential if a leak occurred to drip inside the wall. correct procedure Mock it all up dry, mark the length of things to be trimmed get an old fitting that screws in to the wall boss screw old fitting into boss get some CT1 and splurge it around the boss smoothing it off level with the face of the tiles going a bit concave back to the boss let the CT1 dry remove dummy fitting. BINGO you now have a waterproof junction between the boss and tiles, if the arm fitting ever leaks it will run down the face of the tiles not into the wall void.

Pedantic sorts with too much time on their hands. There's forums for people like that...

I think the main reason for neighbors objecting Is that they don’t want anything of any description building there NIMBYs

What do you call "very cold"? My 5kW LG ASHP has continied to heat my house and DHW when it was -14 last night and now at a daytime high of -4. No doubt the COP is not as good and it has needed to defrost a couple of times, but it has not stopped working.

You're calculating cross sectional area, but the surface area of a pipe is circumference x length.

These are great, I live in an old damp house, at the bottom of a damp glen a few hundred meters from a very damp sea..... and use these all the time to understand where I need to ventilate and heat and most importantly at what time of year I need to do this, without these I would be just guessing.......

As some might remember we had a huge hold up last year when a mains water pipe was discovered slap bang under our proposed build. All things building stopped while we did battle with Anglian Water over their extortionate charges to move it. We cleared off to winter in Spain and left them to complete the job. Since returning, and starting the complaints procedure over their £17K charge to move it, we have hit one hold up after the other. Our groundworker returned, eventually, and completed the trenches but then de camped to get on with his other job (farmer). There is a bit of a building boom locally and finding someone competent to carry on where he left off was a nightmare. We, in the meantime, managed to get a local chap to supply the hardcore and we borrowed a whacker plate to flatten it all out. Then we laid the sand which promptly blew away in Storm What'sitsname! We did it again (we are both in our seventies) and then, having found an experienced ground worker, we got the concrete poured. Thank goodness we did because it has not stopped raining since Now the Brickie has been claimed back to a, held up, job across the road! It is particularly galling as it is just their garage/connecting corridor/flat, that is almost as big as our bungalow, to add to the delays. I am not sure whether seeing him working on it is worse than not knowing where his or what he is doing. He is one of the good guys so worth waiting for. I keep thinking about the shortening daylight hours which will get gradually worse along with the weather Keep thinking we should sell up both the plot and the house and buy ourselves a little finished place somewhere.

Probably more so for those historical works. Will also depend on what the Planning/PD rules were then as we all know things have become more stringent as time passes by. I was also thinking if you were going down the LDC route, this may well trigger CIL... something you don’t really want to start getting into. There may also be other policies that come into effect, e.g. impact on any SPA, etc... Let sleeping dogs lie ?

You can also call it in yourself if you think it helps your case, you just need to ask your local counsellor.

Modern classics I suppose... A TVR Griffith 500 that needs partially rewiring, paintwork (fibreglass is star crazed all over the place) and new carpets etc. A Jaguar XKR that needs a fair bit of welding and making good. Plus a rear suspension rebuild.

I think I tried that and the same outcome. I'll try again when the water I want to pump out defrosts. if it happens with 2 different hoses then I know it's the pump.

Thanks all. @markc Maybe the boss’ are too far forward, I’ve got another problem with a different shower head, it’s one pice and threaded so no adjustment and I can’t quite get it vertical. I guess I just lop the end of that as well. @joe90 yep, there is a little grub screw that holds the hand shower bit all together.

Yes, as said above it needs cutting down by the amount of gap you have, I still worry about a push fit (presumably why there is 2 o rings. )? is there a grub screw to hold it on?

Quite a few ways of doing this. I think I would initially dry fit it all and make sure the wall plate and shower arm have equal lengths of the bush threaded into them. I'd mark that then bond the bush into the wall plate so that it is sealed and solid, then I would offer up the shower arm to the bush with PTFE, at least if that side leaks it will be visible and drip into the shower. As I say, so many ways, you could also just PTFE it into both sides, or Hawk White jointing compound or basically glue it in with water and temp proof epoxy or Locktite.

Im guessing the threaded part is over length to cut down as required ... or the mounting boss is too far forward

The human body has no nerve receptors for damp, read about that in Bill Bryson's latest book about the human body. What we can detect is temperature and rate of temperature change, couple that with life experiences, we can interpreted a rate of change as damp. If anyone has got into a cold nylon sleeping bag, it can often feel damp at first, even when bone dry. Why do some people think that measuring and collecting data is pointless. Or do they like to compare themselves to me, 6' 2", West Indian, and very strong. Barbados is only humid on the East side where the plantations are, the rest is a rather pleasant climate.

I can deal with a committee so not the end of the world if it comes to that!

I bought a cheap "dirty water pump" from Screwfix for pumping the water out of my foundation trenches. By the time it had finished doing that it was not pumping very well at all, and a quick look revealed the plastic impeller had just about disintegrated, unable to cope with pumping a few stones. A quick phone call to SF they refunded and did not want the old one back as it was "dirty water" So if you want it for short term use and don't care how long it lasts do the same. If you want it to last, make sure you get one with a metal impeller. I refurbished mine with parts of another pump with a failed motor that I was able to recover the impeller from,

Well, they may or may not be, but worth checking. If you PM me I'll send you the details of the buyer I used to source my EPS - always good to have in your back pocket as unlikely it will be a bread and butter item for a ground worker - also ensures you get the spec and not just any old EPS.

depending on what you're pumping, I would probably go to somewhere like Screwfix where you'd get a no quibble exchange if it breaks

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Generation-6-Samsung-Air-Source-Heat-Pump-16kW-Capable-of-65-C/223765085822?epid=1960183766&hash=item3419703e7e:g:5nkAAOSwzDFb4ddf

Yes, building a timber frame is quite cheap to do. If you had all materials available a couple of joiners would knock a kit together very quickly. Making panels is a fairly simple task for a joiner to do. For ordering the materials I went through my structural engineers plan and measured all that I needed and put in orders with a building merchant. It was harder for me because of the remoteness of my location and therefore ensuring materials came at the right point. Regular communication is critical with all parties. Wastage was pretty minimal (I.e. for plasterboard I had just one sheet over ordered). Timber, OSB can be used later in the build. Some stuff you do end up with spares (like 1/2 roll of membrane) but I can use it for future project like a small shed or a wood store. If I used a single builder, for a big job like a self build, they would order the same materials and take away the excess materials priced for my job for other smaller jobs with other customers. I don't have a background in building and not good at DIY, very much an amateur. The other point you need to seriously consider is that build cost are an important, but if you are borrowing you will need a valuation report at the start and end if you build a house that looks cheap that is going to reduce your valuation and affect your ability to borrow.

No just the opposite. You are trying to find out the overall cause. It could be caused by length of time of occupation, airtightness or many other things but without knowing the level of humidity in each room and how they are being used and are constructed it's just finger in the air guessing. Without knowing the measured level of humidity it's very difficult to say. The human body is very bad at determining temperature and humidity. Putting your hand in hot water or cold water can feel the same. Sitting in front of a stove will feel different to sitting in another room at the same temperature. Some people find it uncomfortable with low humidity and others with high humidity. You need to measure what you find comfortable in terms of temperature and humidity. If you find that you are more comfortable with lower humidity then you will need to install some form of ventilation in the rooms that need it, but without knowing the levels you've got nothing to work with.

It's a bit wasteful as the outer steel isn't doing much. A larger RHS + plates could do the job of both. If it's a cold bridge you're concerned about, you can insert structural thermal breaks (Farrat packs or similar). Also steel on the outside will need corrosion protection.

A 100mm duct with power for a light at the gate, or even electric gate, and local power for the lock mechanism and then pull whatever is needed for comms to the intercom, may be cat5/6. alarm cable is handy as each core can handle 1amp. 8 core cable with conductors quadrupled up to allow for volt drop and its cheap as chips. seriously duct with a smaller chamber at either end for pulling in cables etc will be worth it

Looking at that pic it makes more sense, I think you would end up with a goal post arrangement with a steel with a large flat plate welded to the bottom to take the stone. Two things I think will come into play. Twisting, with the loading only on the front the steel will want to twist of its mounting points the fall of the roof, will zinc go down to that pitch.

Just a word of warning. If you are thinking of getting a new meter fitted steer the hell away from OVO. They are still branded as SSE despite buying the retail arm of SSE last year. We went with what we thought were SSE (actually OVO) to get our new meter fitted after having the supply cable done by SSE. It has been an absolute nightmare They signed us up with the assurance the we would have the meter installed within a week they just could not confirm the date. Turns out they have furloughed a lot of their engineers as well as getting rid of a lot of the support staff. I'm hearing of some people being told it will be months for a new build meter. Not helped by having to deal with a call center in the Philippines who really so not seem to give a monkey's. Also once they have you signed up and registered it seems like it will take weeks to get you switched over to another supplier. In the end we had help from someone in SSE Connections who still had contacts in what is now OVO. It's an absolute sh*t show and I would advise you to go elsewhere.

Couldn’t get this one as tight to the wall as I would of liked . So squeezed a load of ct1 in there . Guessing that will solve the issue and minimise any movement. Good old CT1 ?

We looked at installing the ASHP away from the plant room but after some thought decided not to do it. If you intend to use the heat pump in reverse for cooling in the summer, then you'd have a bit of a problem. Assuming it's a monobloc ASHP that is. If you are cooling then the pipes from the heat pump to the UFH manifold will be full of cool water. When you switch to wanting to heat the DHW, all that cool water will circulate through the heat exchanger in your DHW tank before any hot water comes through to heat the tank. At least AFAIK! If you have 20M of 50mm pipe that's a LOT of cooling of the DHW tank that's going to happen before it starts heating. I know from experience that using fatter pipe seems like a great idea in pressure terms but can cause issues. When we built our extension, I put a 22mm pipe from the new boiler room to the kitchen sink - it takes twice as long as it should to get the hot water in the sink and of course there's quite a lot of wasted heat after you've turned the tap off. Simon

I'd try shopping around. A few years ago I went through something similar and the Planning Consultants fee was £4,300. It was for a new-build house in the green belt in an AONB (in Wales) and involved them preparing 2 planning applications and an appeal. (I did the drawings and they did all the paperwork). I regularly do planning applications myself but I knew that I didn't have the necessary expertise with this one. We would never have got PP without the consultant. It's probaly the best £4k I've ever spent in my life.

I have noticed that if I use the A/C in the car, during certain times of the year, after it has been parked up for a while, mist is on the screen. Usually happens in the summer after I have been at work for a few hours in the evening. It is because it is at the same temperature and humidity as the ambient air and there is no liquid water in it to evaporate.

Yep, though I did BSc and a MSc in acoustics at a different uni, so I'm a scientist, rather than an engineer ? I know people that went to Southampton and it's a good course, real shame he cant get into the labs at the moment

Where are you based? That will have an impact. Don't forget the flue is required. Plus the van, tools, insurance, experience .etc I just had my mums done by my best mate. It was 1450 fitted, for a 28kw Alpha ETEC including flue ( 2 actually as I messed one uo cutting it) and filter. That's was mates rates though would normally be £1800-2k, full days work.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me will give you the correct answer, but just a couple of things in the mix. what about a larger pad stone, make it insitu? then steel will be correct height, or cut a small bit off the first course of blocks and run a course of engineering bricks. Regards James

Whenever I have repaired blown nail bumps in plasterboard I put a plasterboard screw in either side of the nail, about 40 mm away from it, then knock of the blown plaster and give the nail a wee hit with a nail punch and hammer to reset it.

Good grief. i just looked it up. Someone actually went and did it. Still though, you can’t just blame houses for all of society’s woes. It could have been lovely.

We had to install ground gas measures in a new build in 2011. In our case the identified gas was methane coming from a deep lying bed of peat about half a mile away. We simply used the same methods as one would for radon. Basically a membrane over a sump with a pipe leading from under the slab and venting to the atmosphere. Unable to recall the standards quoted but Building Control and certifying engineer were both happy enough.

The LDC application fee for an existing use is the same as that if it was a Full application. I’d therefore say you’d be looking at £3696, i.e. 8 x £462.

Welcome @ToughButterCup will be along and reminisce soon.

The installation price difference allows for this in the running costs. For the week or two a year that they underperform from specification (if it is an MCS it should be no more that 4 days a year), supplementary heating is used. You really have a problem with ASHPs don't you.

Nails used to be normal to nail plasterboard, screws are a modern innovation.

ground source don't suffer the same as ASHP which stop working/produce tepid output when its very cold.

Use a cheap ASHP to provide the bulk of your heating, with oversized radiators if UFH is a no-go. You can fortify this with an in-line electric boiler to boost the flow temps in December/ January and mothball it when not needed. Similar running costs to LPG when you compare holistically, and zero pita to install / own / service / maintain ( plus no dragging big bottles around ). If you have 150mm to play with, then an overlay system Link over 100mm of insulation may just get you through, but the more insulation the better of course. These retrofit UFH systems typically utilise a higher than preferable flow temperature, when using an ASHP, so a design heat calculation to work to will be paramount before being ‘advised’ any further.

The heat loss only tells you your space heating requirement - from memory you plug in your desired year round inside temp (say 20o) and you'll get a w/m2 value. This is what your heating system needs to inject to get the required temp on the coldest day of the year so helps you size the system. If the house is well insulated and airtight, MVHR etc then you'll probably be looking at a low temp UFH system with additional underfloor (electric or wet) in tiled bathrooms for comfort plus towel rads. If your house is going to perform very well, you likely don't need heating in bedrooms as convection will circulate heat in the house - note MVHR does not significantly move heat around, it is intended to ventilate and minimise heat loss while doing so. Domestic hot water (DHW) is a function of how many people in the house, how many concurrent baths and showers there are likely to be etc - more a consideration of storage (UVC vs Thermal store, and litres stored) plus acceptable recharge time, cost to run etc. If you are on mains gas and want to continue with that, you'll have a nice efficient boiler (e.g. greenstar) which will deliver hot water for DHW and then mix it down for the UFH. If you're all electric then you may use an ASHP and follow the same plan or target it at the UFH temp and consider a means to boost for DHW - Jeremy used inline electric impulse heaters. Others have used Willis heaters etc for their hot water generation and timed with PV generation or E7 etc. Plenty of more knowledgable people will now come along and polish what I've said

Try this for local weather. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/historic-station-data

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Do people get hung up on the u value of an element, when it’s all about good details and getting the whole construction right. My icf block walls come out at 0.22, yet I think as a whole structure the house is excellent. Good walls, good roof, good floor, good windows, good air tightness, and a brilliant builder turns into an excellent house.

OK so let’s start from the beginning. How big is the house..? How old / insulated / windows (DG..?) How big is the heat pump..? How big is the hot water tank ..? need to understand all these to start with, and then you can start the sizing conversation. One thing I would say is twin 50mm is very large bore and you may struggle with flow rates with standard pumps - this could cause problems. If the 50mm is already in and buried you may find it being used as a very expensive conduit for a smaller pipe.

You really need to do a “heat requirement “ calculation. Part of this calculation is the insulation level and airtightness. Do you have access to mains gas as this might be a more realistic running price wise for a “standard” house.

Celotex / Kingspan / Xtratherm style foil faced boards, joins taped with self adhesive aluminium foil tape as a vapour control layer. https://www.toolstation.com/aluminium-foil-tape/p81953