Roger440

Im impressed that your architect, structural engineer, lighting designer and MVHR designer got it spot on. Are you sure thats what really happened? Given the critsism levelled at architects on here, you did well. Designers designing stuff that cant actually be assembled or built is not new. But nonetheless, your heating guy sounds a bit hopeless. Did having a designer and installer not linked to each other not concern you? Lets assume he did it as per spec. Who do you turn to when it doesnt work as planned?

Ok, free electricity is an unachievable utopia. But where we are now is bonkers. And yet, even on here, this month ive seen the statement its too cheap. I know 3 people who have closed or are closing the doors on their business because the energy costs have increased so much. And set to increase more in April when subsidy ceases. Taking to the guy who runs the nearby pub. They are 3 days a week max, and kitchen for 2 hours in the evening only. Simply cant afford more. No idea what he will do come April. Close up for good i suspect. Theres a lot worse to come as more buisness realise they cant cover the costs. And thats before the crazy rates rises. Prob best for another thread. So i would suggest my statement is not out of context. Its just a statement. Does anyone really think that at the current level any good can come from where we are heading? For those who say its too cheap, welcome to a situation where stuff cant be done anymore because energy costs are crippling. Meanwhile, seems everyone elses (other developed nations) costs are significantly less. As i said earlier, pegging electricity to gas prices is an artificial construct whgich the government allows to continue. And no one is challenging. Only Ripple energy look to be doing something, and thats way to complicated. I get that the demographic on here is probably in the top 10% of countries population, and so can probably afford to shrug their shoulders and pay up, but most of the country cant, at least not without a significant drop in living standards. Energy is NOT to cheap.

Im going to ask the obvious question. Given that you are insulating, and have achieved a good result, why install the ASHP when you already have gas? I assumed that you were talking a new installation. Doing so will give you a significant capital cost AND higherf running costs given the price of eletricity.

I ran an automotive workshop for nearly 15 years. Its a nightmare. I did once employ someone good at sorting out electronic faullts. Problem was, he was crap at mechanical work. The reality of a smallish workshop is that we never had enough faukt finding work to keep him fully occupied. He left. A guranteed certainty, was if someone started revving an engine, that meant they had run out of ideas. The bit i could never get to sink in was, if the diagnostics say its, say, a MAF circuit sensor high, error, they just could not grasp that it might be the wiring to it, not necessarily the MAF. They also couldnt grasp that i cant charge for said MAF as it wasnt defective and hadnt fixed the problem. Id say 90% of sensor faults were never the sensor. Except O2 sensors. Or cars running rich, which throws up a multitude of errors, so off they go changing sensors and stuff, when its just a hole in the boost pipe. Glad i no longer do it.

I think you over estimate my abilities. I cant manage to operate my phone. Took me 4 years to find out where the settings button has disappeard too. Anything with menus, and i done. I dont get the fascination with "hiding" stuff. A nice button works for me every time. Its why ive bought my last new car some time back.

Hire a groove cutter and do that bit yourself? https://www.flooriq.co.uk/why-milling/# Ill be doing this later in the year. On a much bigger scale. Im confused. You say you dont want carpet. So thats a hard floor. Which means no screed necessary. You then rule it out?

And im still going round in circles on the roof of the workshop. Though in fairness im too tight to just replace the roof with a composite steel affair. But at nearly £40k, im sure you can see why.

I doubt i qualify as your regular man on the street though. Ive done a proper 4 year appenticeship, both mechanical and electrical. Where i fall over is electronics. If i could do everything i wanted without any electronics id be doing it. As well as being simple, it would be future proofed. As for understanding, a straightford PV installation, sure, but what was being talked about was the intergration of those systems. And ive got enough experience to know that the problems are nearly always at the interface. 20 years on railway vehicles tells you that. Add in multiple sets of software, and now you have a recipe for trouble. With different system interfacing with each other, a change of software on one has the potential to stop the whole show. 5 years after it was installed, imagine trying to unravel that. The kind of person who can come in and sort it out, are simply not going to be available in numbers, especially not in a domestic setting. So, i still say, its not going to happen. Because it cant. For any company that can come up with simple to install solutions, simple enough for the current workforce to grasp, will be able to print money. Sadly it appears every solution requires ever more complexity.

I refer you back to my earlier comments. The majority of those smart enough to deal with the complexities are not going to be found on building sites in all weathers. Its just not going happen. If you have that level of ability, you will use it more effectively elsewhere. Most likely from a desk. And as i said, this problem extends well outside heating. Automotive is exactly the same. The cars have developed very quickly, the people in the trade not so much. Many are completely out of their deptch, much the same as prodave says. And who is "training" anyone these days? Those days are long gone. Maybe "ever" was a little strong, but certainly not in any sensible timescales and definitely not for when starmer turns of domestic gas supplies in 2030.

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As i said up there, its not going to happen. Not ever. Its impossible.

Not sure what you are saying?

The practical reason is, lack of enough people with the skills or knowledge to deliver at scale. That cannot be fixed. We have created a situation where anyone that uses their hands as part of their skill set is a failure. Should have studied harder, etc, etc. Add to which, the majority of the people smart enough to understand the complexities of intergrating these systems are unlikey to want to do practical work in often cold, miserable conditions and having to deal with retail clients. This doesnt just apply to this situation either. Anyone that can understand AND install will never be short of work. But its NEVER going to happen succesfully at scale. You are of course correct that the government will force it, loads of companies will pop up, do a crap job and go bust. Leaving the homeowner holding the problem. See recent thread on here. Owner best part of £20k out of pocket with a system that doesnt perform. And thats without strapping on a bunch of additional complications as suggested earlier.

Hmmm. Ive talked before about air leaks past the seals. Is the actually happening? If so, hopefully that can be adjusted out. Sounds like there trickle vent cuts straight through the fancy UPVC sections, allowing cold air to circulate within the frame itself. Thats properly crap, though according to some here, pretty normal. Is this a cavity or solid walled house? The pics suggest that the lower part of the wall is probably quite cold. 61% at 10 degress isnt a great place to be. Why so cold? If you were at 20deg, the RH would drop away and i doubt you would have a problem. So to some extent they are right.

So what you are saying is you are sufficently wealthy that you can afford to pay MORE to heat your house than you actually need to? And thats its sufficently well insulated that a heat pump will work efficently. That is excellent news. For you. Sadly, not everyone, indeed, the vast majority are in that position.

Agreed. Hence my statement. Whats the downside to cheap abundant energy? All i see is people and governments saying its too cheap. Its not. Its the method of production thats the problem So, as normal, instead of fixing that, just drive the price up, make everyone suffer, and do very little to solve anything. Imagine a world where energy was cheap or free.

Shame. Can you not put them on the side of the barn?

What would happen is it would be a disaster. Many people would have long periods with non functioing equipment, that they cant possibly hope to understand. The reality is we wont get to that point as there simply isnt the ability, nor funding, to do this at scale. Dont forget, the majority of the population havent worked out when or if you need to open a window in your house. To the point a child died. Given that the level of complexity you describe, is beyond my ability to understand, and i understyand much more than the man on the clapham omnibus, i will resist it for as long as possible, because out in the real world, there is simply no support if you dont understand it yourself

If you have aa field, are you not better of ground mounting the panels much nearer vertical and getting the best possible winter production and sacrificing peak summer performance when you cant hope to use it all?

What benefit do you percieve? Its certainly not cost.

Its not cheap. And now its even less cheap. I fail to see any down sides to cheap abundant energy. Onlt that current thinking is that way because we burn fossil fuels. If we didnt, wheres the problem?

The second paragraph is the most important one for me. The government is allowing the price to remain artificially high by pegging the price of renewable to gas. Thats an articificial construct that could be removed overnight almost. However, they choose to leave it in place. The question is why. Doesnt take a genius to work out. I see on here, people often saying electricity/energy is too cheap. Cheap, abundant energy is what we should be aiming for, for the benefit of everyone. Why people believe we should deliberatly push people into poverty, i dont know. Maybe you should examine your morals?

Thats good news. No desire to involve and planning people. No good can come from that. 2 seperate 3500l tanks would be ok.

Looking at a rework of existing arrangements. House currently has a 1000 lite tank. This is too small and leaves me at the mercy of the markets. A much bigger one will allow me to pick and choose when to fill. The "internet" suggests 3500 lite max in a domestic setting. I also have a large barn that is used as a workshop (for personal use). So, ideally another tank. The regs for oil storage aree split between, domestic, commercial and agricultural. So the questions are, 1, Does the 3500 limit for domestic apply to the whole property, or is it "per tank" and i can have more than one? 2, Given its a small holding, and the barn is "probably" agricultural, (even though there was no plasnning approval) is it domestic, or agricultural. Or even commercial? 3, Having read all the regs, im none the wiser. 3500 to supply both buildings is not really where i want to be. But can it be 2 tanks totalling 3500 or is it one tank only? Any thoughts?

Thats good news. I have exactly the same problem, O2 in this instance. Like sky, a total waste of space. Looks like i need to change provider too. I have the additional, equally unsolvable problem, of my VOIP work phone not working. The internet is off a 4G aerial. The internet is fine. Circa 30mps. The internet suggests EE block them, which who internet is with. They say otherwise, but plenty of people sayimg the are wrong and they block it. Sadly, this needs resolving ASAP as i cant move in until it works. Like the wifi calling issue, nobody at all can actually give you a straight answer! Short of trying every provider until it does work, im out of options. A satellite broadband set up looks to be next. Didnt want to do that.