MJNewton

Thanks all for the thoughts. I might get the windscreen sorted and just see what they say whilst they're here. I may end up just leaving it as now that a few days have passed I can only really find the scratch from remembering roughly where it is.

I'm worried I could turn something that is only visible to me into something more blatant! Might there be coating issues to consider, or would any such coating be on the inside of the DG unit? This is the internal pane so whilst there's no self-cleaning coating (like there is on the exterior of our roof lantern glass) it is toughened Pilkington K Glass S 'soft coat' but which surface would that be on?

I discovered a 3" scratch the other day on the glazing in our lift and slide doors, and whilst I can't prove it I'm sure our lovely 3yr old daughter might've had something to do with it but I must admit I'm not entirely sure how. I was horrified when I first spotted it (whilst buffing off a hand print) and whilst it really bothered me I eventually realised that the odd cobweb and other blemish on the outside of the windows were far worse and didn't bother me so would should the scratch? It still did though. Anyway, the scratch is easy to feel under a finger/nail and, somewhat optimistically I'm sure, I tried running it with toothpaste but it didn't have any effect. I am nervous about upping the ante with something more abrasive but would welcome any tips/suggestions as to how I might improve/remove it? My wife's windscreen has a small chip in it and I was intending on getting that sorted through the insurance (for £20) and wondered if the repairer of that would be in a position to sort this out too if I bunged them some notes? I know with a previous windscreen repair a small contraption to hold the liquid in/above the chip was used and then UV light to cure, but not sure if that approach would work for a long scratch on a vertical pane? Maybe they've got a whole arsenal of tricks and techniques available to them...

The easiest way to spot if your DS18B20 is fake is by its ROM code as all genuine Maxim/Dallas devices have their 64-bit ROM code (consisting of 28<48 bit serial><8 bit CRC>) reporting as: 28 xxxxxxxx0000 xx Fakes don't have the 0000 in the most significant bits of the serial code. There's further information here along with ways of finding out what family of fakes you might have and known deviations from the spec for each.

If accuracy is important be aware that practically all DS18B20's on eBay and Amazon Marketplace are fakes and so you can pretty much throw the official datasheet out of the window. Worth buying from a trusted source (eg CPC), although of course they'll cost a bit more.

Yes, that's what we've got. With brush seals it obviously can't be airtight but holding my hands next to it when it's windy certainly shows there's no draught coming through. Our house isn't 'air tight' though so we only had to be sensible with how we made a hole through the wall. It is in an open plan Family Room though - next to a sofa! - so even the slightest of draughts would've been unacceptable.

I doubt there's all that much difference between them, not least given many (most?) will be using off-the-shelf components such as the fans (ebm papst being very common) and heat exchangers. That only really leaves control boards and external controllers left to fail which I wouldn't expect to see differences in reliability given modern manufacturing techniques.

My advice is to cancel - regain control of your money. Settle your final bill with Green manually when the time comes. Any credit you might be due will be passed to EDF and they can either credit your new account, refund via a new DD with them or, if you move to a new supplier, send you a cheque. Just been through all this with Tonik and Scottish Power. Took about 3 months to conclude (and I think I was one of the luckier ones) but just let it run its course.

As Rob99 says, cancel the direct debit. It's only their for convenience (and likely theirs in particular once the administrators are appointed).

At the risk of not being any use whatsoever it's usually down to the bulbs, the dimmer, or both... ? Joking aside (although that wasn't actually a joke!) if you like the bulbs then I'd look more into what dimmer you've got. Varilight V-Pro are often recommended as being compatible with a wide variety of bulbs, have a couple of different operating modes and are easy to get hold of. (Make sure you get a V-Pro - they have other, sometimes cheaper, models that aren't necessarily as good)

I recall reading of a patent covering a whole-house heating system consisting of a magnetron in the loft that 'gently' heated the occupants below!

I can't help on the technical front but I did want to say I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your Dad and how lovely a thing it would be to finish what he'd started, particularly when you're not sure how to do it! I could imagine it'd make him very proud!

Other than changing filters every six months I don't go near it. There is obviously the installation aspect to consider but that's a one-off.

Telescopic support rods like these could be useful to pinpoint the squeeky bits. Not only can they be used to brace different sections of joist/flooring to see if the noise goes, but can also be used to flex sections from below to see if you can trigger the offending parts.

Good question. The kit is the easiest to answer as I've everything in a spreadsheet - £1440 for everything down to the last screw (well, almost). Labour though and consequential costs is virtually impossible though. I did all the work myself and dread to think how many hours I put into it - whether that be real work or planning (procrastinating). I can't even give a ballpark figure... 50 hours? 100 hours? I really don't know. The consequential costs is tough one too as I took a ceiling down for our new 'family room' and replaced a stud wall to hide some ducting. These required new boards and then skimming (plasterer did the skimming) but I was pretty much doing this anyway so it didn't really add to the bill. But, yeah, I love the system and would definitely fit one again. Would I pay someone else to retrofit one? Probably not in all honesty as the costs could spiral and would a builder spend six hours routing a single awkward duct like this idiot...?

I'm wondering how the house is getting pressurised though if the intake vent is barely pulling a tissue...

Okay that's good, as retrofitting MVHR really is a long list of jobs! We open our windows far less than we used to, but it's perfectly fine to do so. Whilst you can have all manner of controls you can still keep it running 24/7 anyway as there are still benefits to be had even when the windows are open eg more thorough ventilation, dust/pollen collection, slight cooling/freshening effect in hot weather etc. Running costs are minimal - we're drawing 15W in continuous background rate which works out at around £20/yr when used 24/7/365.

They're just engineered joists made from timber with an OSB web between them (left pic below). Due to their inherent strength they can span longer distances than conventional joists and you can knock huge holes in them if required (bracing can be required in some circumstances). If they're pozi joists (right hand picture) then you really are laughing! I wouldn't bother. If it'll be a DIY job then you'll soon learn exactly how your house is built - indeed you'll end up knowing more than the builders!

I retrofitted MVHR into a 3-storey 2007 developer-built house and whilst it was doable it was hard work as I didn't want any visible boxing in! I was lucky in that the house uses I-joists which happen to all run the right way (I had to go through one but that wasn't too difficult), the top floor has a dressing room and walk-in wardrobes so was easy to run pipes from the loft-mounted unit down into the lower floors, and I was extending the ground floor so ripped the ceilings out to make ducting (and everything else) easier. We've now removed the extractor fans, foamed up the trickle vents and haven't looked back - it's superb and would highly recommend it if you're prepared for the sleepless nights planning ducting routes.

If the extract fan isn't running howcome you can feel a strong flow out of the external exhaust vent?

Have you checked the right ducts are connected to the right ports on the unit? All too easy to make a mistake with the supply/extract/intake/exhaust nomenclature. Even more confusing when symbols are use instead!

I don't know if I dare admit it but we've got a Persimmon house (built 2007) and it's constructed very well. I've seen practically every nook and cranny having worked on it, extended it and retrofitted MVHR. I'd like to think I understand a fair bit about house construction and techniques having renovated a few properties over the years covering practically every aspect so I don't think I've got a warped sense of what's good and bad. It was a show home though, so perhaps as mentioned there might be something in that. That said, I've also noticed that every show home we go in these days (my wife's a big fan of noseying around these things) always disappoints us in terms of size and layout, and in some cases construction, so perhaps there's something else behind why ours seems fine. I'd never defend Persimmon based on what I've heard about them, but I'd certainly defend and give them due credit for this particular house they've built.

It wasn't so much the user manuals, I thought they might have design guides. I'll have a look later.

Indeed, but the reason the specific model is worthwhile knowing as manufacturer instructions generally override general regulations and so really cannot be ignored if they say where vents should be sited (noting that the regs are silent on the subject).

Absolutely, and I wasn't judging. Indeed I'd be lying if I said similar thoughts wouldn't cross my own mind, even if I subsequently ruled them out as 'tempting but not quite right'!