NSS

You can see it at the following Google map co-ordinates 41.852128,3.064063

We had 40+ knot winds and torrential early last week (you'll have seen the news of flooding in Murcia) and I guess it must also have a wind sensor as it tilted to horizontal and rode out the storm.

Would happily have obliged Dave, but it's in the property next door to the one we've just been staying at so couldn't access to look. Impressive watching it pan and tilt all day long though.

Total of 30 panels (6kW) tracking the sun and heating the covered pool in front of it.

Now you do

... see it

Not sure, but the installer definitely checked the hardness and then adjusted the unit to suit. I believe it was something to do with the volume between regenerations.

We have a Twintec which I thought to be pretty much identical to the Harvey, but ours can certainly be adjusted for degree of water hardness (and indeed was by our installer).

A little late with this update but we had three days last week when the outdoor temp reached 31C so I ran the floor cooling (15C input) for 4-5 hours on ech of those days. Seemed to work well (combined with the SageGlass) and kept it very pleasant indoors with the floor surface temperature hovering between 20 and 21C.

One of our (many) planning conditions was that we could not occupy the property until we had a completion certificate, so I think they'd have found it pretty difficult to charge us Council Tax before then.

Planning decisions for new builds across South Hampshire (and some other areas) have been on hold now for several months due to concerns about nitrate levels in the Solent and the increase in blue green algae as a result. Various mitigation schemes are being discussed (Portsmouth City Council are even looking at creating massive Oyster beds in the Solent), but it seems like there's little chance of a quick fix. I was speaking earlier today to a small developer who has effectively been on gardening leave for the day past four months, with his current project at a complete standstill (land purchasedn planning app submitted, but no idea of when it may even be considered). One more thing to check if you're looking at the ideal plot - is it in an area where nitrate neutrality will be a pre-requisite of any planning application (assuming they'll even consider it!).

It's not just bedrooms that are classified as habitable spaces. We had to have one "means of escape" window in each bedroom, study, main living area and utility room. We chose to have opening windows in each of the bathrooms just in case the MVHR extraction struggled to deal with what @JSHarris describes as "malodourous" events ?

The Plant Room. We ended up putting more in it than we originally anticipated so it's a bit cramped when you need to access/service anything. Can't swing a hedgehog never mind a cat!

?

Still working my way through the leftover timber from our build. So far it has provided the framework for our raised deck area, base for a log cabin, base for shed, base for pyramid greenhouse, garage and shed shelving, and veg trug (see below). I'm now at the point of inventing jobs to use it for, such as the hedgehog house!

For someone whose opening statement said they were not very experienced in DIY, looks like you've done a pretty professional job ?

Hogwatch update: Night 5 and a regular pattern is emerging as our prickly friend has arrived each night sometime between 10.40pm and 11.50pm, and then passes back in the opposite direction between 4am and 4.50am. Last night it ventured inside the house for the first time (lured by a few mealworm). No sign of the badger since the first night.

Mrs NSS is asking if she can come and visit, please ?

We're definitely not rural. The boundary of our plot (effectively a back garden plot) is bordered by a total of 8 other detached properties. Nearest 'green space' is a graveyard about 200m away. We also get foxes, though not seen any in the back garden for a while, and knew we had hedgehogs visiting but the badger was a real shock - not least because Mrs NSS woke me screaming "BADGER, WE'VE GOT A BADGER" at 1.15am this morning!

Seems that Badgers will eat Hedgehogs so I've had to deploy a couple of coppers to guard Hog House.

Yep, I'm just amazed we've had visitors so soon.

As Roy Scheider once famously said... "We're going to need a bigger box" Cabin_08_19_2019_1_17_44am.mp4

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Cabin_08_19_2019 12_02_20am.mp4