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A couple of weeks back, I noticed there was nothing being diverted to my immersion heater. A quick check in the shed revealed the main inverter was showing "Grid disconnected" further investigation found the 32A mcb feeding the shed had tripped (but not the 16A inverter MCB in the shed) So I reset that and the main inverter powered up again. The cause of the trip was the little cheap Chinese inverter connected to my 2 spare panels had blown. Having failed at just under 2 years old I was not particularly liking the idea of buying another, but there is nothing else available anything like as cheap. So time to take it apart and see if a repair was possible. Inside a PCB mounted fuse was blown and some basic testing found that 2 of the transistors that make up the H bridge that synthesises the output waveform were blown, short circuit. So i ordered 5 of them from ebay from China for £5 They arrived yesterday and i fitted them and cautiously powered it up and it's working again, so this morning I put it back into service. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts before failing again. What I did notice is they were very short on the heat sink paste, with it only applied to one side of the insulating washer, so it's pasted up a bit better now.

put the plumb bob in a bucket of water when windy. string will vibrate but won't swing around

Ime doing it this way, one manifold, and one big benefit for me is I can run each pipe as I get round to that part of the build. Makes sense if self building and living in it as we go!

Can't see why 16 would be an issue.....configure it as two banks of 8 so its not one great long line? I expect I'll be at a similar no. to what you jave.

@Crofter and @Sandybay for info I have just moved across to EDF. No changes to the meters or wiring are required. My heating tariff is 11.49p KWh and the other meter is 12.59p kWh (that’s based on an EV tariff) Standing charge is 28.14p The guy confirmed that they’ve been swapping people from SSE in their droves who have these meter set ups, in particular from the Shetland Islands. He was able to tell me that in the north of Scotland the rate is 11.51p kWh for the heating meter and that the rate for the standard meter would be dependent on what your requirements are (eg I have a PHEV to get the EV rate). You need to call their complex metering team on 0333 009 6980 to get a quote. I look to save quite a lot over the current Scottish Power tariff.

Please tell me what EV I will be able to buy next year for 11p? (I'll get my coat)

Well, they didn’t line up anyway ?

Just as an advisory to those who do go manifold for the ease of isolating individual circuits - always cap the open end of the pipe at the point at which you terminate it, you will at some point turn the wrong isolator ......

ok, thanks guys. I think I understand both methods now. I believe that every house I've ever lived in has had it the way @PeterW mentions as a standard loop (probably why it takes ages for the hot taps to get hot water!). but, even though it's more pipe I really like the idea of having a centralised location for all the pipes to that you can isolate them at one place. I've a feeling that if I get a professional to do the plumbing that they'd go for the standard loop way as it's easier and cheaper on materials and time!

@Thorfun Can run a 22 or 28mm supply to the plant room and then into the UVC Control block, taking the cold off as a balanced cold supply. From there you go to the hot and cold manifolds and then off in 15 or 10mm pipe to each outlet. You can run a standard loop from the balanced cold and the UVC hot with 22mm and tee off to each location with 15mm which is how it used to be done. Nothing wrong with that, you just end up isolating at point of use rather than supply.

It means I can isolate any single thing easily . Essentially there is a seperate cold and hot water pipe to everything . It means no joints . But more pipe and not fun to thread all of it through . I’ve done exactly the same with wiring . So a radial lighting cable and socket cable to each room . For diy ‘er this makes sense ?

Welcome Jason to THE self build forum who’s members are full of useful info on this subject. We look forward to your plans and questions.

Adding this info here in case anyone on a 2 meter system with Scottish Power or SSE with huge bills reads this. I have just moved my 2 meter system across to EDF. No changes to the meters or wiring are required. My heating tariff is 11.49p KWh and the other meter is 12.59p kWh (that’s based on an EV tariff) Standing charge is 28.14p The guy confirmed that they’ve been swapping people from SSE in their droves who have these meter set ups, in particular from the Shetland Islands. He was able to tell me that in the north of Scotland the rate is 11.51p kWh for the heating meter and that the rate for the standard meter would be dependent on what your requirements are (eg I have a PHEV to get the EV rate). You need to call their complex metering team on 0333 009 6980 to get a quote. I look to save quite a lot over the current Scottish Power tariff.

Thanks @newhome. Just had a look at it, the electric tariff is good, but the gas tariff is very expensive. I am considering splitting my electric and gas providers to see if I can get a better deal that way. When I get a quote at the moment, electricity is coming in at around 14.4p/kwh whereas EDF is 12.59, so more than 12% cheaper. But EDF's gas price is 2.976/kwh versus the cheapest quotes at around 2.4p so more than 20% more expensive. My current tariff which runs out in December is crazy cheap - 11.98p for electricity and 2.26p for gas. I totally lucked out when I switched to it.It does have a high 42p a day standing charge, so it only works out cheaper if you are a big user.

Bigger is best !

Toilets tend to have built in isolators so I just run direct to them.

Just got to the bit in the book where Jobs launches iTunes and stuns the World with the fact that Apple can and do offer the whole package from software to hardware to distribution. Lots of competitors wondering how the Hell Jobs pulled it off (read genius / force of will imho). MS & Sony who in theory had the means to do similar, try & fail miserably. Bloody long read mind.

Thanks very much @newhome, That's great information for me, am going to phone them straight away, that's a significant saving over SSE.

In which case you won't need any magic/app to control powerall and you won't care less about the API I was mentioning is lacking. Tesla will control battery instead.. Which Tesla Tarrif: - 11p once that doesn't need a car? - 8p one that needs Telsa car? In our case given we'll export more than we import over the full year, I assume 11p would make most sense. (not that we have car yet)

There is a LABC warranty scheme. Still expensive.

I would recommend engaging a qualified electrical engineer/electrician that can review this installation with all the actual detailed data. Given the range of cable sizes and potential costs, it is worth spending a little money to reach the optimum size, underwritten by a qualified electrical engineer/electrician. As usual, everybody is trying to help and giving an honest opinion but none of these opinions may be relied on because they do not have the actual data to work with.

Well from the Mac list it is Lobo, short for what the users have, a lobotomy.

Tesla deliberately make things simple for their Apple users.

B*llocks !

There's square ones and round ones. I prefer the round ones. I have these as does @AliG who put me onto them: https://www.doorhandlecompany.co.uk/excel-hardware-precision-bolt-through-magnetic-tubular-latch-18364/ He also has concealed hinges. Something else for you to want after! ? https://www.doorhandlecompany.co.uk/concealed_hinges/ A mate has just fitted these throughout, I don't like them. Are cheap and look cheap: https://www.morehandles.co.uk/eurospec-magnetic-tubular-latch-tlm50.html

I can thoroughly recommend - although do not under-estimate the time commitment if you are self-building. I just finished building a 'cabin' down the bottom of my garden for working in. The work/home separation that is provides now is so valuable for me, wonder how I survived so long with out it. Building it myself around my work and other commitments was - honestly - extremely difficult. A sensible person would take time off rather than squeezing it around work! Wrote a wee blog about it the build if want to read more: https://www.donaldmcintosh.net/blog/cabin

It is fairly risk free to do type C. You lose a small amount of floor space as you have to build a metal stud wall inside the membrane. If you line it first with OSB you will not have issues fixing things to it. You need to form a sump and install pumps in it. I would not spend the extra money on waterproof concrete and external tanking if you have internal as well. Some on here @Bitpipe? have gone without the internal membrane and had it fully guaranteed.

I think you have to make an appointment to visit an apple store to get anything looked at by their jedi masters.

@ProDave and @Onoff sorry I didn't realise there was an apple store in aber! Im sure an 'essential shop' so bound be open.. wobbly table.. that's pretty obscure/ over my head as intended Im sure. [sorry ProDave.. I meant to put @Declan52 not you, & I cant undo it!] Giggle on at me.. no prob admitting I'm a total idiot at new ipads (& wm's) & building stuff compared to y'all. thx zH

Tend to be used on potable supplies so that you don’t get leaching into drinking water of the other compounds in the brass. No point unless you’ve got very acidic water in your heating system which the inhibitor would go some way to resolve.

Thanks Russell, The garden is on a noticeable slope away from the house, with the new extension needing to be 1-2ft higher then the existing house (provisioning for 2-3 steps in the entrance hall). There are also a few contours within that slope as well. Architect confirmed all would be required for the planning app.

Octopus installed my 3 phase smart meter for free in Barnsley - i already had the cable into the cellar but no 2nd or 3rd meters.

Wall mounted toilets so you can mop under them. I believe rimless are easier to clean. Keep wood/laminate away from sinks and baths in bathrooms as they will blow and are hard to clean without damaging the surface eventually. So no laminate countertops and bath fronts. Gloss kitchen cabinets show fingerprints, however they are easier to clean and less likely to stain. My kitchen designer says not to recess the induction hob as dirt builds up n the 2mm gap around the edge. She is adamant that they should be mounted proud of the worktop. A sink wide enough to take a full oven sheet flat in the bottom of it. In our old house the sink was narrow so things stuck out at an angle and you couldn't steep them. Avoid very square cornered sinks - the corners are hard to clean. We have a white silestone sink in the kitchen, it gets easily stained, although cleans with Barkeepers friend, but stainless steel gets easily scratched. A waste disposal so you don't have to collect rotting food for recycling. A full splashback in kitchens/utility room and not an upstand. Washable paint I guess would be a cheaper alternative. Water based gloss not oil based on woodwork as oil based turns yellow faster. Walk in showers to avoid all the various rubber gaskets around doors that need cleaned and look horrible after a few years. A mistake we made - do not get rough surfaced, stone looking tiles. They are a nightmare to clean. Big cupboard in the hall or somewhere else if you tend to come in via he garage or back door for coats, shoes etc. Otherwise they end up lying all over the place. No carpets, especially light coloured. My wife was insistent on light carpets in our last house. On the stairs they looked knackered after a few years. The edges turned grey as they never get as well cleaned as the rest of the carpet. Two dishwashers if you have the space.

What is the cold mains pressure / flow like? I've done plenty of UVC installs where there is only a 15mm cold feed to tap into, and they worked fine. You just need to understand that if you have multiple cold devices running when you want a shower, it'll be a less-than-amazing shower. That's all

I used Local Authority BC Great value for money The warrantees rarely payout and would push the blame back onto the self builders

I don’t mean open chrome webpage. I mean download the app from the App Store. If you want to clear your cache and web history: Open the Settings app. Tap Safari. Tap Clear History and Website Data. Tap "ClearHistory and Website Data" under the Safari tab in the Settings app. ... On the screen that pops up, choose Clear History and Data.

Warranty providers are the highway robbers of modern development imo! On our last big scheme Premier Guarantee were the provider and their A rated contractor cocked the whole thing up and went bust half way through. We sorted out the mess made of the 'completed' flats (50 or so) and built the rest to a decent standard - they decided to charge a premium increase os £190,000 - total joke. We have used Build Zone since and, while they are a bit tardy getting the certification out at completion time, they have generally been ok. Interestingly, their self build warranty for mine cost less that the commercial policies for the other plots albeit that is with my company (which has a rating I suppose) doing the works. I don't know if anyone has ever tried claiming against any of these people but I did have a claim for a client in the 1990's against the NHBC and it was a total nightmare - took years to sort. A bunch of chancers tbh (like the entire financial services industry!).

Nhbc won’t do a private warrantee Though there are plenty that will We took a Protec as we new we would sell within the ten years and most of the lenders have them in there top three Some of the lenders won’t accept an Architecht cert HSBC being one As Joe has already pointed out A warranty is not worth the paper it’s printed on Though if there’s another lockdown it may come in handy if the shops run out of toilet roll

Finally (well about two years after the conversion was completed) I've managed (to find someone else) to trawl through the hours of video to create a 12 minute time lapse of an old barn on our family farm to holiday cottage conversion! See here https://youtu.be/xJuw4Q1SYrs We remain indebted to BuildHub for the support (mainly with the Sunamps) - thanks all

Nice soundtrack too??????

Yes, efflorescence, basically moisture moving out is carrying with it soluble nitrate salts, most likely sodium nitrate. It will brush off but is forcing off the paint heat will do this on its own even if water is not getting in through the top. cracking is unfortunately expected and will be due to thermal movements, building in lime with lime render would solve most of the problems.

Don't most designers have tie ups with manufactures/suppliers and other related industries. May be worth you looking into that income stream.

Welcome ..! Research away and ask lots of questions too ! And we like photos here to show how it’s all coming along .... lots of photos ..! ?

Right so far. Long may it last. Welcome. Ian

I approached an ID but they wanted ££££s and all the products they use were ££££ which adds up to many £££££. 1 | Would you ever consider hiring an interior designer? Why/why not? YES 2 | What would you consider hiring and interior designer for? DESIGNING INTERIOR 3 | What do you think an interior designer does? SEE ABOVE 4 | How much do you think an interior designer costs? £10,000+ 5 | What would make you want to hire an interior designer straight away? YES 6 | Where would you start looking or researching for a designer? INTERNET 7 | What kind of project would you think is too small for an interior designer and how large do you think the project needs to be in order to hire one? NA 8 | What kind of price range would you expect to pay for an interior designers service for: a) a large project (ie. a whole house)? SEE NO4 b) an online/low-cost design or help with just one room? £1,000

Thank you SeaSocks. Our poorly built 2 bed bungalow came with its problems accumulated over the years with poor extensions, narrow entrance via stairs, narrow doorways and corridors, split level flooring, damp, mould and flooding to name a few! We did a major renovation to make it habitable. A structural engineer's inspection and report confirmed that it is not feasible to extend upwards due to the poor foundations / construction. It made sense to start again. Plus we will benefit from VAT relief. Everything went really well throughout the pre-application meetings and feedback was positive from the PO and the team which advised to change the materials etc throughout each stage of design. Unfortunately the PO left just before he was due to make a recommendation for approval - the new officer recommended refusal on the basis of loss of bungalow and street scene. I am convinced that he didn't visit the site and see that every single house is set back and different in terms of style and materials and that our property is dwarfed by two large houses either side. In fact this is the only single storey bungalow left on this street amongst large 2-2.5 storey houses. Interestingly, the council acknowledge that the design is of high quality in terms of design and materials and that the street is full of large houses. We have no TPOs and not in a protected area, so hopefully the rest will be straight forward. We got there in the end! Good luck with everything.

Try Glasgow Brickyard I can’t remember prices but they have a good selection

I was gunna say, get your disc cutter out!

Dogs Cats Children Avoid all these and your home will remain spotless!

... actually, she HAS suggested that! . When we first got it she says "oh, once the house is built we could keep it and maybe have the odd weekend away with it" - 2 weeks later she's fantasising ways to blow it up! I think it's safe to say we won't be keeping it