SteamyTea

https://www.amazon.com/Does-Anything-Eat-Wasps-Unsettling/dp/0743297261

You only have to run the numbers to realise there is no merit in having a battery power pack at home yet. Maybe one day it will be viable. Just remember that you can, if you shop around, buy a unit of power for about 13p, and if you are storing power, then on E7 it is less than 9p. So take my house that uses 4000 kWh, with 80% on E7, that is £288/year. If these power packs really can last 10 years, that is £2880 installed to break even. And that is assuming they can survive 3650 charge/discharge cycles and deliver a decent amount of power (say enough to boil a kettle). At the moment my storage is a 29 year old, 200 lt water cylinder on the original element and thermostat. It can hold about 10 kWh of energy, deliver power at 60 kW, has an efficiency of about 75% and would cost less that £300 to replace.

Yes, I think it is frowned upon, and the same 1% voltage drop rule still applies.

Too late, but I always buy rolls, so you made the right decision.

Yes, as it is not legible for FiTs, make the DC side long. If claiming FiTs, then put the generation meter as close to the modules as possible.

Here is some data I have collected for my place: Date Temp 01/09/2015 16.3 02/09/2015 15.9 03/09/2015 15.7 04/09/2015 15.6 05/09/2015 15.6 06/09/2015 15.5 07/09/2015 16 08/09/2015 15.9 09/09/2015 15.4 10/09/2015 11/09/2015 15.6 12/09/2015 15.7 13/09/2015 15.2 14/09/2015 15.1 15/09/2015 14.7 16/09/2015 17/09/2015 18/09/2015 19/09/2015 15 20/09/2015 14.3 21/09/2015 14.8 22/09/2015 14.3 23/09/2015 14.3 25/09/2015 13.7 26/09/2015 27/09/2015 14.8 28/09/2015 29/09/2015 14.2 30/09/2015 13.9 01/10/2015 14.6 02/10/2015 14.5 03/10/2015 14.1 04/10/2015 14 05/10/2015 06/10/2015 13.9 07/10/2015 14.2 08/10/2015 14 09/10/2015 14 10/10/2015 13.7 11/10/2015 14.2 12/10/2015 13/10/2015 13.4 14/10/2015 12.3 15/10/2015 13.3 16/10/2015 12.9 17/10/2015 13 18/10/2015 12.9 19/10/2015 12.8 20/10/2015 13.1 21/10/2015 13.1 22/10/2015 12.9 23/10/2015 13.1 24/10/2015 13 25/10/2015 12.6 26/10/2015 12.4 27/10/2015 12.8 28/10/2015 12.5 29/10/2015 12.5 30/10/2015 12.3 31/10/2015 01/11/2015 13.1 02/11/2015 13 03/11/2015 12.8 04/11/2015 13 05/11/2015 13 06/11/2015 13.1 07/11/2015 13.1 08/11/2015 09/11/2015 10/11/2015 11/11/2015 13 12/11/2015 12.8 13/11/2015 12.7 14/11/2015 12.3 15/11/2015 12.2 16/11/2015 12.4 17/11/2015 12.3 18/11/2015 12.5 19/11/2015 12.6 20/11/2015 12.4 21/11/2015 11.2 22/11/2015 10.1 23/11/2015 10.8 24/11/2015 10.8 25/11/2015 11.1 26/11/2015 10.9 27/11/2015 11.2 28/11/2015 11.1 29/11/2015 10.7 30/11/2015 11.2 01/12/2015 11 02/12/2015 11.4 03/12/2015 11.4 04/12/2015 11.3 05/12/2015 11 06/12/2015 11.3 07/12/2015 11.6 08/12/2015 11.7 09/12/2015 11.5 10/12/2015 11 11/12/2015 10.5 12/12/2015 10.9 13/12/2015 10.6 14/12/2015 11.2 15/12/2015 11.1 16/12/2015 11.7 17/12/2015 11.5 18/12/2015 11.6 19/12/2015 11.5 20/12/2015 11.9 21/12/2015 11.4 22/12/2015 11.3 23/12/2015 11.4 24/12/2015 11.5 25/12/2015 10.7 26/12/2015 10.9 27/12/2015 11.3 28/12/2015 11.2 29/12/2015 11.3 01/01/2016 10:00 9.9 02/01/2016 08:00 9.6 03/01/2016 07:40 9.8 04/01/2016 08:45 10 05/01/2016 06:00 9.4 06/01/2016 08:30 9.7 07/01/2016 07:00 9.4 08/01/2016 08:30 9.4 09/01/2016 09:45 9.5 10/01/2016 09:30 9.4 11/01/2016 08:00 9.1 12/01/2016 18:00 9 13/01/2016 08:00 8.4 14/01/2016 07:30 8.3 15/01/2016 07:30 6.9 16/01/2016 16:00 7.8 17/01/2016 08:00 7.1 18/01/2016 08:30 8.3 19/01/2016 06:00 7.6 20/01/2016 13:30 8 21/01/2016 10:30 8 22/01/2016 09:15 8.7 23/01/2016 07:20 8.6 24/01/2016 18:00 9 25/01/2016 15:30 9.3 26/01/2016 08:30 9.6 27/01/2016 07:30 9.4 28/01/2016 08:00 9.8 29/01/2016 07:30 8.6 30/01/2016 07:30 8.7 31/01/2016 10:30 9.1 01/02/2016 08:00 9.2 02/02/2016 12:00 9.25 03/02/2016 07:00 9.3 04/02/2016 07:30 8.2 05/02/2016 08:30 8.5 06/02/2016 14:30 9.1 07/02/2016 12:00 8.7 08/02/2016 08:30 8.3 09/02/2016 06:00 7.7 10/02/2016 09:00 7.5 11/02/2016 12:00 7.65 12/02/2016 15:00 7.8 13/02/2016 09:00 6.8 14/02/2016 07:30 6.5 15/02/2016 22:00 6.6 16/02/2016 12:00 7.2 17/02/2016 09:45 7.1 18/02/2016 06:00 7 19/02/2016 09:00 6.9 20/02/2016 06:30 6.8 21/02/2016 18:00 7.4 22/02/2016 08:00 8 23/02/2016 08:00 7.9 24/02/2016 09:00 7.2 25/02/2016 07:30 8.1 26/02/2016 08:30 7.5 27/02/2016 08:00 7.2 28/02/2016 07:00 6.4 29/02/2016 07:00 6.5 01/03/2016 06:30 6 02/03/2016 07:00 7.3 03/03/2016 07:30 8.4 04/03/2016 07:30 7.6 05/03/2016 07:00 6.8 06/03/2016 08:00 5.9 07/03/2016 07:15 7.1 08/03/2016 08:00 6.6 09/03/2016 07:00 7.4 10/03/2016 07:30 7.2 11/03/2016 07:30 7.5 12/03/2016 07:15 7.4 13/03/2016 07:30 7.4 14/03/2016 07:00 7.3 15/03/2016 07:30 7.5 16/03/2016 07:30 8.1 17/03/2016 07:45 8.1 18/03/2016 07:30 8 19/03/2016 07:30 7 20/03/2016 07:00 8.2 21/03/2016 07:30 8.2 22/03/2016 07:00 7.4 23/03/2016 07:00 8.8 24/03/2016 07:00 9.1 25/03/2016 06:30 8.3 26/03/2016 06:30 8.8 27/03/2016 07:00 7.8 28/03/2016 06:00 7.5 29/03/2016 08:00 7.8 30/03/2016 07:30 7.7 31/03/2016 08:00 7.6 01/04/2016 07:30 7.3 02/04/2016 06:00 8.5 03/04/2016 14:00 9.3 04/04/2016 18:00 9.7 05/04/2016 07:00 9.5 06/04/2016 07:15 10.6 07/04/2016 09:30 9.3 08/04/2016 07:15 9.8 09/04/2016 00:00 9.5 10/04/2016 07:00 9.2 11/04/2016 07:30 9.1 12/04/2016 08:00 9.2 13/04/2016 08:00 10 14/04/2016 07:00 10.5 15/04/2016 23:30 10.7 16/04/2016 00:00 10.7 17/04/2016 00:00 10.45 18/04/2016 07:00 10.2 19/04/2016 07:00 10.2 20/04/2016 07:30 10.9 21/04/2016 08:00 11.2 22/04/2016 07:00 11.2 23/04/2016 07:00 11.1 24/04/2016 07:00 11 25/04/2016 07:00 11.5 26/04/2016 08:00 10.8 27/04/2016 06:30 11.3 28/04/2016 08:10 10.7 29/04/2016 07:30 11.2 30/04/2016 08:30 11 01/05/2016 00:00 11.35 02/05/2016 08:15 11.7 03/05/2016 07:00 12.3 04/05/2016 07:00 12 06/05/2016 08:30 12.3 07/05/2016 07:00 13.3 08/05/2016 07:00 13.4 09/05/2016 00:00 13.35 10/05/2016 07:00 13.3 11/05/2016 08:30 13 12/05/2016 06:30 13.1 13/05/2016 08:00 13.3 14/05/2016 00:00 13.4375 15/05/2016 00:00 13.575 16/05/2016 10:00 13.8 17/05/2016 22:30 14.7 18/05/2016 14:15 14.4 19/05/2016 08:00 14.1 20/05/2016 07:00 14.4 21/05/2016 07:30 14.2 22/05/2016 07:45 13.7 23/05/2016 06:30 14.3 24/05/2016 07:00 14.3 25/05/2016 08:30 14.1 26/05/2016 07:00 14.8 27/05/2016 07:30 13.8 28/05/2016 07:30 15.1 29/05/2016 07:30 15.4 30/05/2016 00:00 15.7 31/05/2016 07:00 16 01/06/2016 08:15 16 02/06/2016 07:00 16.5 03/06/2016 07:00 16.9 04/06/2016 06:30 17.1 05/06/2016 08:45 16.7 06/06/2016 07:30 17 07/06/2016 07:00 18.2 08/06/2016 07:30 16.7 09/06/2016 07:30 17.8 10/06/2016 07:15 18.1 11/06/2016 07:15 17.7 12/06/2016 07:00 17.7 13/06/2016 07:00 17.1 14/06/2016 07:30 16.6 15/06/2016 07:30 16.5 16/06/2016 08:00 16.1 17/06/2016 07:00 16.5 18/06/2016 00:00 19/06/2016 00:00 20/06/2016 00:00 21/06/2016 07:00 16.2 22/06/2016 07:00 17 23/06/2016 06:30 16.8 24/06/2016 06:45 16.3 25/06/2016 08:30 16.7 26/06/2016 07:00 17.3 27/06/2016 08:00 15.9

BitPipe You should have said you were coming down, could have met up. Which bit did you go to?

Still building mine.

Try Argos http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2149347.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59156|cid:189934405|agid:18074225845|tid:pla-96619497925|crid:77627770765|nw:g|rnd:17930596787601001801|dvc:c|adp:1o1&gclid=CIqc8sG6z84CFQsW0wodZBMJog I must have been tied (I was and still is). I read this a a rubber roof rack.

Have you tried putting the phone at the focal point of a satellite dish and seeing if you can get a better signal.

No, but as I was paying for a mobile (£10/month), a fixed line with BB for £35/month, but now paying just £20/month with GiffGaff for unlimited downloads, calls and texts, I make that a a £300/year saving. Got to be kept in perspective, I had a dreadful broadband connection and no immediate plans to upgrade the local exchange.

My cheap MotoG has built in WiFi Hotspot software, I can stick it 20 metres from the house and it works well. I am lucking in that I have a decent 4G transmitter less than a mile away. I was over an Joe90s build and it had no signal, maybe my next visit over there I can play with it a bit more (if I ever get invited back, apart to apologise). If going doing the 4G route, it may take a bit of mucking about and an old satellite dish to see what is going on. I also use an free O2 service that that allows me to connect in cafes and other places. May be worth seeing if there is a map of the coverage.

I have gone to 4G and any day now the landline is being disconnected. There are issues with streaming video, but I can live with that (my contract drops to 3G once I have used up my allowance, except between midnight and 8AM), but it saves me £300/year and I can now just take the laptop anywhere and do some work.

My second favourite shop, two books a week is cheaper than a daily paper.

A Marguerite Patten cook book bought in 1981, still earning a living from it. My first PC, earned a living from that too. My Sun bike (got the frame for nothing), many happy months cycling across Europe and Africa on it. Bosch washing machines, they are so much better than Hoover and Hotpoint.

What!!! A grand more than my fridge from Currys. If I cannot afford the best (and I can't anymore), then I buy the cheapest.

Concrete is a composite material i.e. made of many things. It is not unusual to put chopped glass fibres in it. Hemcrete uses hemp fibre, CRP uses carbon fibre, brake pads used to use asbestos, really all comes down to the properties wanted.

If you are quick, get this weeks New Scientist, it has a section all about water recycling.

Or the asbestos fibres that hold is together so firmly

I can understand using polished concrete for a floor, but what is the advantage for smaller areas like counter tops and around showers? I must be easier to get a professional to knock up something from a suitable stone in his workshop.

The rates are here: http://www.icax.co.uk/Renewable_Heat_Incentive_tariff_tables.html Have you looked into becoming your own RHI/MCS installer. The company I worked for fitted a PV system to the bosses house to get accreditation. Was not that costly, and I seem to remember that the cost for an RHI cert was not too much (arond 700 quid). It was 5 years ago, so things may have changed.

That was my thinking at first, it really comes down to the design I think.

And then this: Money, get away Get a good job with good pay and you're okay Money, it's a gas Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash New car, caviar, four star daydream Think I'll buy me a football team Money, get back I'm all right Jack keep your hands off of my stack Money, it's a hit Don't give me that do goody good bullshit I'm in the high-fidelity first class traveling set And I think I need a Lear jet Money, it's a crime Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie Money, so they say Is the root of all evil today But if you ask for a raise it's no surprise That they're giving none away Away, away, way (Away, away, away, away) Songwriters GOAPELE K. MOHLABANE, JAMES RYAN WUIHUN HO

Mafaldina There must be a wealth of knowledge down here about sewage treatment plants as there are loads fitted. Such a shame that there is no way of easily getting the info. Ian I am sure you meant to say the air pump should be in a building, not in the house. If in the house, it will suck out the warm air (which may help digestion) and play havoc with the MVHR, I don't know much about these units (just used to see Klargesters units a lot when I lived in Aylesbury), but I suspect that there is a lot of nonsense said in the brochures. They basically work by agitating and aerating the sewage. So bubble size should not make any difference (within reason) as it is the total energy needed, not the instantaneous energy. So a simple timer is probably all you need to 'clean' each 'batch', think of it as a multiple batch process rather than a continuous process. So air volume x time is the important metric rather than bubble size, which is a proxy for surface area (small bubble, greater area, but less energy). Keeps as many things that have to be changed out of the ground (so all pumps, gears, switchgear in 'the shed). As for shape, spherical or conical, this may make a difference for smaller volumes. Just a case of knowing the sizes and volumes. A sphere will have a greater top surface area than a cone for any given height, volume or in this case, the mass of waste in it.