Temp

I think the most frequently reason access is needed is when you change the layout of the bathroom and need to change or add a connection to the stack.

Perhaps someone should argue that it "allows the construction of the building to take place" as per 3.3.4 which covers demolition. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-708-buildings-and-construction/vat-notice-708-buildings-and-construction

As far as I can see both stacks are used as vertical drains not just vent pipes. For example the bath in the family bathroom connects to the left hand stack. The two WC and other bath connect to the right hand stack. You might be able to move the left hand stack indoors by running it vertically in the wardrobe of bedroom 4 (bottom right corner) upstairs and boxing in the utility room downstairs. However I think this one would need to be open vented, so up through the roof. Might be possible to put the right hand stack in the top right corner of the utility room between door and wall between utility room and kitchen? Think this one can have an AAV. Edit: Actually this might be in a bit of an odd place in the family bathroom?

Google found this place in Sussex.. https://www.jbarch.co.uk/3d-printing

My news feed says a new place just opened in Preston.. https://www.lancashirebusinessview.co.uk/lancashire3d-opens-preston-plant-109816/ Open to the public.

Just for info the cheapest printer I've seehn is a clone of the Anet A8 made by CTC on eBay for £90. However it needs assembling and some FETs boards adding (£12 from Amazon) to prevent a known fire risk. You also need an SD card and reader for your PC. A reel of ASA filament is about £25-30 on Amazon. So if you have time you might DIY for say £150? However that printer is pretty basic. Most people who buy one end up printing upgrades to improve it or even replacing the wooden frame with aluminium extrusions. Edit: Not sure if that printer will print ASA.

Perhaps get a pressure gauge from screwfix/tool station and measure it? Pressure at our house isn't huge but we needed to fit pressure reducing valves on wash basins to stop splashing. If you do the same make sure they are accessible as you may have to adjust them up a bit after a year or so.

Googling 3d printing services finds loads but to get a quote most want to upload your design. However I found this place that will estimate cost based on dimensions before you have the design files... https://www.3dprint-uk.co.uk/pricing/ I tried entering 20mm x 10mm x 5mm, 2 bodies (whatever that is), qty 10, white nylon and it said £40.

ASA looks like the right material to use. Rigid.ink says it has good UV resistance. As I understand it the design software (the slicer?) will tell you how long the print will take and how much material it needs. I expect they charge by the hour. I doubt the material will cost much. Whole 1kg reel is about £25.

I've been looking at buying a cheap 3D printer if my son is allowed to do a project at school. I won't be offering a printing service but I've been doing some research recently. How strong do they need to be? Strength can vary depending on the material (PLA, ABS, Nylon etc) and the direction of the layers. Sometimes the adhesion between layers isn't great and they fail along the "grain". Might be ok if the hooks are printed laying on their side and load isn't huge. Looking at getting Fusion 360 to do our design(s). It has a free license for experimenters.

Perhaps worth looking at the policy documents cited to see if they mention heat pumps. If the COP of the ASHP is say 3 then it consumes 1kW for every 3KW delivered. So compared to electric rads/immersion heater you could argue your ASHP delivers 66% of the heating/dhw from a renewable source. Aside: Here it says that an EPC doesn't have an option for both "PV and ASHP" or has that changed?.. http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12156

I must get around to measuring the power consumption of our PIR night light. I wondered if the PIR part consumed more than the LED?

Well done Tesco... https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/exclusive_tesco_plotting_uk_superstore_solar_rollout_programme

If you plan to have a combi boiler make sure they check the pressure and flow rate carefully. Not sure if it helps but the water companies are obliged to deliver 0.7 bar (some sources say 1 bar) where the supply crosses your boundary. However it's not clear to me how they measure that. eg is it the static pressure (no water flowing) or while you are running all the taps in your house? If it's just a static pressure it's useless as far as protecting customers.

I'd start with making it mandatory to put PV on new distribution warehouses. We've had many of these spring up along the A14 and they have vast roofs typically around 1 million square foot.

Yes should be fine if it's not a wet room. If tiling the shower area and any of it is studwork wall I recommend using a 12mm waterproof cement board like Hardibacker board. Not only does it stand up to any water much better than plasterboard but it takes fastenings quite well. So if you want a soap dish, or hook for a shower head you don't have to worry about screwing into a stud, it can just about fix anything anywhere (although perhaps not something like a heavy cabinet).

+1 It should have been zero rated to you so no vat paid and therefore nothing to reclaim. The rules allow you to get work "closely connected to the construction of the building" zero rated (or reclaim the VAT if it's materials you purchased). Para 3.3.4 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-708-buildings-and-construction/vat-notice-708-buildings-and-construction

How are you doing the shower tray/trap? If the tray is going on the floor (no plinth) then use a top access trap. We omitted the insulation under the tray and built a platform from marine ply and treated timber roughly the same height. That gave space for the pipework under the tray. Our tray was very heavy so we made a template and used it to get the waste pipe and base of the trap in the right place (clearance hole in the marine ply). Once happy the trap was in the right place we glued the tray down over it. Then seal and screw the top part of the trap through the tray into the bottom part. Then fit the tube that forms the water seal in the trap and mushroom cap. Very rough sketch not to scale

Putting a restrictor on the outlet of a mixer tap increases the pressure in the tap. That can cause the seal between the body and the movable part of the tap to leak more. If you have an isolation valve under the sink to make changing the washers easier perhaps just shut them off a bit until the flow rate is within limits.

I've had problems with one or two of the wax actuator heads popping off but not the blender as that's a different design on our system. When the loop heads pop off the loop is permanently on.

Do you already have planning permission? Its quite common for them to add a condition requiring you to create the pavement/footpath when you apply.

I have a horrible feeling HMRC might decide that battery storage isn't something "normally incorporated in a new dwelling". If it matters I would try to get a ruling from hmrc. Edit: Perhaps ask the Solar Trade Association. Seems they negotiated the 5% rate when installed at same time as pv with hmrc... https://www.solar-trade.org.uk/sta-secures-tax-win-for-solar-and-batteries-for-householders/

I think 3.3.6 is more about HMRC trying to close loopholes that allowed people to zero rate work on a "plot" and then never build the house or on work done after completion. "Design" services are standard rated as per 3.4.1. So if a civil engineer designs a retaining wall then it would be standard rated. I think if you hired a civil engineer to "design and build" a retaining wall as a package then the lot that would be zero rated to you.

How wide is a wheelie bin?

S106 Contributions Hope you like reading!.. Not that I've heard. There are complex rules that govern the use of S106 payments. Originally they were meant to be specific to the plot (eg your house uses up green space so you must contribute to the maintenance/provision of parks, that kind of thing). However councils got good at bending the rules so they were tightened up a few years ago. There is now a limit on the way many S106 payments are pooled. So for example if they have already agreed five or more S106 to fund the same thing (eg parks) then they cannot set up any more for the same reason. This was meant to persuade councils to move to the CIL. The exception is S106 for affordable housing. I/this might be out of date but there is/was also an exemption/rule for small developments that would normally cover self builders. However the way this has been implemented by councils varies. http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7200/CBP-7200.pdf The Ministerial Statement of 28 November 2014 is here.. https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-vote-office/November 2014/28 Nov 2014/2. DCLG-SupportForSmallScaleDevelopersCustomAndSelf-Builders.pdf That was subject to some court cases which I think ended with the government winning in 2016. https://www.planningpotential.co.uk/news/government-wins-appeal-to-exempt-small-sites-from-affordable-housing-contributions/?id=197 However I have heard that some councils are still asking self builders for S106 payments for affordable housing. See this FOI request from 2018.. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/government_changes_to_the_106_ag To which the reply includes.. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/464934/response/1146352/attach/html/2/Response.pdf.html That basically says that decisions should be in accordance with the Local Plan and that National policy is "not the law". However the reply to the FOI appears to leave it up to councils to decide how much weight to give to the governments Ministerial Statement when writing the local plan. So you might find something in the local plan that is contrary to the Ministerial Statement and/or National Policy. It's also important to find out the status of the local plan. Is it just a draft? Has it been put out to consultation? Approved by the Planning Inspectorate? So what to do if they ask for a S106.... Find out if what they are asking you for is supported by the Local Plan. If not you could refuse to agree the S106. You would then have to appeal any decision or appeal for non-determination. However before doing that you should make sure all the other aspects of your application are likely to be approved. One thing I do know is that Appeal Inspectors put a lot of weight on the Local Plan especially if it has been out to consultation and ratified. So if what they are asking for is consistent with a ratified local Plan you should probably just give in pay up.