pulhamdown

I have been reading the thread on MBC with great interest. I have now been in our newbuild for almost five years. I knew very little about building an energy efficient house beforehand. Fortunately, I found a project manager reasonably locally, who helped design our systems, alter the spec of the timber frame, and supply most of the labour. Without him, I could not have succeeded. We did a lot of the work together, from laying drains, to remedying electrical issues, with me as the labourer. He did cost a fair bit, but I reckon I saved most of his fees through clever purchasing decisions, and innovative thinking. He researched purchases and sourced them, and I spent my evenings purchasing them on the internet. We did not employ an architect, but used Scotframe for our timber frame. Our two joiners, who were the main contractors, were told at the outset, that there would be an airtest at the end of the build. Get it right, and that's your next reference. They did, and very little supervision was required in terms of airtightness. In short, if you have little experience in housebuilding, I would strongly recommend getting a good project manager. I am certainly pleased I did, and have got the house I wanted. Colin

It's not open yet!. But it might get a lot busier when it does! And welcome to the forum, Denki. Colin

It is indeed good news! Thank you both for your quick replies. Yet another example of what a brilliant resource this forum and it's members are. Colin

I've just been and had a look. There are neutral wires in the back box, but they are not connected to the switch. Just sitting there. Colin

Having been in our new build house for nearly five years, I am getting round to addressing the very minor issues. We have at least four rooms where the light switch is outside the room, and therefore very easy ( apparently! ) to forget to switch off the light when coming back out. I have searched for replacement light switches with a warning light which lights up when the room lights are on, and goes off when the switch is turned off. No joy. Does anyone know of any? If not, is it possible to wire in a separate "on" warning light, just as I would in my car. I have no experience of 240v wiring, so would not be attempting this on my own! I am about to use ( yet another ) electrician, and would like to know what is possible. Thank you Colin

I recently changed my electricity supplier from EDF to another of the big six. I gave a meter reading to the new company, and waited. Eventually, I got a final bill from EDF, but the final meter reading was 664 Kwh more than my meter reading. I wondered where they had got that "meter reading" from, so did a bit of homework. Turns out that my meter reading, plus the 664 kwhs came to EXACTLY EDF's projected figure for the year. So, I had been charged for £86.00 more electricity than I had used. I rang up and complained, got no explanation, but was told they would resolve within 30 days. The day after, I received an e'mail, acknowledging my complaint, and the day after, I received a cheque for the full amount. No apology, no explanation, just another final bill. I have solar PV panels, so don't buy in a huge amount from the supplier. I think calling this "sharp practice" is being kind to them, more like fraudulent behaviour. Still, it does show that these companies CAN correct things quickly when the boot is on the other foot! Make sure you scrutinise any bills very carefully, particularily final bills.

Brilliant. Thanks very much. Colin

I'm sure you can. But how?

So, is it possible to establish what the ACH @50pa is for my house from the air permeability figure of 1.42 m3(hm2). I understand that you cannot just apply a conversion ratio to get the answer, but beyond that I'm lost. Colin.

Thanks for that. As always the members of this forum provide us amateurs with great information.

First of all, apologies. I seem unable to select a suitable area for this post. We built a low energy house in the Vale of Strathmore in Scotland four years ago. Yesterday we had a planned power cut. I received a letter from Scottish Hydro informing us that the power would be off all day. No mention of turning off my PV system in the letter, despite the fact that they are also my supplier, and know that I have a PV system. My question is had I not turned off my PV, would current have flowed back into the grid to the detriment of the linesmen? Or does the inverter require mains electricity to operate? Whilst walking the dog, I spoke to a couple of guys who were jointing an underground cable, and asked them whether my PV should be turned off. They didn't seem very interested, but gradually the penny dropped. They didn't know either! Then I got thinking. If I had a diverter taking the vast majority of my excess generation into my three immersion rods in my thermal store, would I need to turn off the PV in the event of a power cut? It is purely theoretical, as at the moment I have a 1969 disc meter which goes into reverse when I generate more than I am using. In a house built 4 years ago. Installed by Scottish Hydro from the house we demolished! So planning for the future when I have to get a more up to date ( but not smart ) meter. I would appreciate info from folk more versed in electricity than I am. Colin

Hi. I have a Hormann insulated garage door and am very pleased with it. No daylight visible, and certainly no draughts. Maybe they are just thrown together for display. The seal on mine squashes up nicely when compressed. I suspect care in fitting is the key. Colin

Welcome. That sounds like a REALLY steep learning curve. Almost makes me feel guilty at how easy our first self build was. Mind you, I don't think we'll be doing another one anytime soon!

Hi. I'd just like to put the other side of the story with a Biorock treatment plant. We installed one in our newbuild nearly four years ago, and have had no problems whatsoever. The only maintenance has been to remove and clean the filter every six months. A really simple operation. Just pull up the filter, on the end of a long piece of rope, jet wash it, and replace. I would certainly have another one if I was to build again. Although, we're so pleased with this house, that I think that's very unlikely! Colin

The fact that the beach just across the road from the house has radio active contamination from breaking up 800 planes after WW2 might just have something to do with it. It may not be a huge risk, but I think the house owners are taking a big gamble. It may not turn out to be worth anywhere near a million pounds Colin

I did, and it was the best decision I ever made. And it saved me more money than he cost. It also allowed me to get involved in the build doing jobs under supervision / helping way beyond my competence level on my own. But, you need to find a good one that you can work with. Colin

I had a similar problem, with a vaulted ceiling. I bought a set of lightweight aluminium warehouse steps. These can be dismantled when not needed, but provide a stable platform to work from. Search ebay for likely candidates. Colin