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Posts
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Joined
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Days Won
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Everything posted by SteamyTea
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So does my cheap Lidl weather station. And it is spookily accurate. Except for the time, but UTC is better.
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Combined Hot water tank and ASHP - any advice welcome.
SteamyTea replied to cbk's topic in Boilers & Hot Water Tanks
Was it @Gone West who fitted an exhaust air one at his old place. -
Temporary fix to my back door leaking, let us see what it is like in the morning. Already seems nicer.
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Your Home Base Load / Background Power Draw
SteamyTea replied to MrMagic's topic in Photovoltaics (PV)
We seem to be falling into a trap that sudden and extreme rises are the new normal. Heard the same in '73. I think some caution about going over the top to generate power may be a false economy. Though cutting back waste is always a good thing. I could almost halve my 'per person' usage if I doubled he occupancy of my house. -
Your Home Base Load / Background Power Draw
SteamyTea replied to MrMagic's topic in Photovoltaics (PV)
Buy a plug in energy monitor and start a new game at home. For every kWh the kids can save, give them 20p. Will work out cheaper than a PV/battery combo. "A Cornishman is just like a Yorkshireman, but with all the generosity squeezed out" -
Anyone familiar with LPG Continental RF6030 regulator?
SteamyTea replied to Jilly's topic in Other Heating Systems
Looks similar to ours at work. After a few years it broke and would only change over 1 way. Got new one and it is fine. -
Your Home Base Load / Background Power Draw
SteamyTea replied to MrMagic's topic in Photovoltaics (PV)
Check the fridge/freezer in it. I noticed that my consumption was up when the fridge went faulty (gas leak and the compressor was constantly running). If you have TV/entertainment equipment, check that out to. -
Having looked into cloud cover for PV generation at university, short of real time radar, you are not going to get a brilliant forecast. Wind direction and air pressure are your best indicators. Or a battery to just store what is available.
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Are any energy companies taking on new customers?
SteamyTea replied to jayc89's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
It shows how badly thought out deregulating the market was. I suspect at least one large supplier will go into public ownership. -
Reducing accidents for elderly
SteamyTea replied to CalvinHobbes's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
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And ideal (expletive deleted) like me. When I have driven less than a mile from work, I have forgotten all about it.
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That is because it is working like an IR heater. It is not heating the air, just the object it hits that have a better absorption characteristics It is why it does not feel terribly hot when you are standing out, in full sun a few degrees either side of the equator, the rays are hitting your head, which only has a small surface area. 7 AM in a UK summer can feel very warm as the rays are hitting all your body, face included.
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I go for a daily coffee for human interaction. Living alone is great, but going days without interactions can be quite dangerous health-wise. A Macdonald's Single Cheeseburger is only £1/kWh. I stop for two on the way back from my mother's on the weekends. Small treats are quite important in life, the cheaper they are, the better IMO.
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solar shading Microlouvre?
SteamyTea replied to ragg987's topic in Environmental Materials & Construction Methods
No, they just hung like ordinary nets in the inside. There old house had a small, 3 sided, South facing, courtyard that got very warm. The nets were on the French Doors that opened onto a wide passage that ran between the old house and the newer part. Never remember it getting hot inside. Would have just taking a dip in the swimming pool if it had. -
So less that 2 Costa Coffees then. Energy is really still quite cheap. A double quarter pounder costs £4.39 and only has 0.86 kWh in it.
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solar shading Microlouvre?
SteamyTea replied to ragg987's topic in Environmental Materials & Construction Methods
My parents had some solar net curtains in their old house. They worked well and where machine washable. Hardly noticed them to be honest. -
Where is the kWh price heading in 2022?
SteamyTea replied to epsilonGreedy's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
The early 80s recession hit Dorset quite badly, why I went to college. Never thought that financial services would become the local industry. Or that Sunseeker would start to make multi million pound boats. Or Penske would make some truly great cars (was offered a job but it never materialised, so went to Tiga). A workmate, who had been a special FX man in the movies (Ray Hanson) said, "live in a nice place, work where the money is". Not a bad thing to do. I am currently sitting in the sun, looking at an empty harbour. -
Where is the kWh price heading in 2022?
SteamyTea replied to epsilonGreedy's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
No, went to university there, though back then it was Wallisdown college of HE. After a decade away I bought a holiday home in Weymouth. Who would have thought that a decade later the Olympics would have arrived in town. Class mate of mine had a girlfriend whose father was the owner of the Corrie Hotel in Swanage. We used to call her Tricia Yates as she had the same hairstyle. -
Where is the kWh price heading in 2022?
SteamyTea replied to epsilonGreedy's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
Tis since I moved away in 1983. -
I had the same problem with my front door. Took me years to get around to sorting it properly. Now it is water and wind tight. Should have done it when I moved in. Back door has a different problem, going to see what I can do with that later today.
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And improve the bio-diversity score. Yes, works a treat for me, and requires very little capital expenditure. Though I think I am close to the lower bound of what can be achieved.
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solar shading Microlouvre?
SteamyTea replied to ragg987's topic in Environmental Materials & Construction Methods
Can you pick up on the University broadband? I was there last Sunday, B&Q, getting a saw to chop some branches off. -
solar shading Microlouvre?
SteamyTea replied to ragg987's topic in Environmental Materials & Construction Methods
Will it stop you seeing this? -
Reducing accidents for elderly
SteamyTea replied to CalvinHobbes's topic in General Self Build & DIY Discussion
Stair lift is even better. Last weekend my Mother made herself a midnight snack, without waking me up. Brilliant. A good idea from a fire safety perspective, a thumb turn internally would have been best in that case. Sister has been teaching her to lock doors this week. Tieing key to door handle helps. They know where it is, can't drop it on floor, and hopefully remember to take it out of lock. We have a key safe outside. Written the number on a bit of paper and taped it to a back window. Then anyone can get in if they need to, once we tell them which window to look at. -
Welcome What do you actually mean by that, there is no real definition. Cast concrete, steel reinforcement with aluminium window frames can be Eco, as long as you clad it in timber and put a PV module on the roof. And make sure the drive is water permeable, don't want the Rangerover wheels getting wet.
