Nickfromwales

The black neoprene and cheap grey EPS stuff are near identical in thermal performance, which I was surprised by, so I now install EPS internally with wall thicknesses to suit the application. I seldom insulate the cold pipes tbh, as plastic pushfit (Hep) pipe seems to be a world away from copper in terms of condensation risk. Plant rooms need everything insulating imo as the temp differences there are the most adverse, so defo the cold mains supply to manifolds but only in a 9mm or 13mm wall product. Insulating the hot pipes where there is no hot return (in such a dwelling) seems pointless too tbh, so I just put hot & HRC together in the same insulation to wrap them up nice and toasty (25mm wall) and then call it a day after that. Very different advice would be stated if this was a typical uk home with pipes under voids / in cold attics etc obvs.

Drilling the joint and pumping in a ‘grout’ under very high pressure, iirc. I’d left by that time as we were pretty much done. The plasterboards and OSB / cables etc were stripped off the wall for investigations a few weeks prior to our departure, to see where it was coming from and allow various professionals to discuss. IMO the architect was clearly to blame for not spotting (or having any such experience to know) that this was going to be an issue, but when you saw how insanely over “budget” they were at that stage I guess the cards were already on the table with regards to how he’d not ever actually built any of his drawings. I did a huge amount of problem solving for the client, architect and SE, for little to zero thanks, but with the basement I left for them to point fingers with, not my battle, but could have been so easily avoided just by relocating the transitions. 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️. It was already tanked, btw, and the water breached that too.

Kids, say "no" to drugs

It's never too late.

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I came across this on a 4-storey dwelling with a walk-out basement job that I was associated with a while ago. ICF, and a few steep learning curves for all professionals around it (including the 'architect'.....). This had the "change" between poured and laid products, and the results were the sum of zero joined-up thinking. There are so many ways to avoid issues whilst the job is still on paper, just choose well the folk who you trust to advise you and what their ACTUAL experiences are. Needles to say the basement leaked, at the change in disciplines, simply because those closest to the client didn't appreciate how water moves (hydraulic something or other, it's late) but it finds a way trust me! Mixing shuttered concrete and ICF needs a wise head on experienced shoulders. I tried to advise, but was shot down by the 'almighty' as I'm just a plumber.. Good job my pipes didn't leak like the basement did, lol. Was painful watching 2' of water getting pumped out whilst they figured it out.

Nope. Just some basic 'next-level' plumbing from Obi-wank Kenobi for some chap called Darth somethingorother......

If I told you, I’d have to kill you. Nothing personal of course

There may be a dust cap on that, but there’s your ‘drain’ point. Only apologise when you’ve done something wrong 😜.

Some folk will use a slurry and brush that on, then paint. @nod ?

Have you checked the non return valve is clear? These things are a nightmare long forgotten. Phone used to ring with these, and I used to say “no thanks”. Always comebacks and more problems and the last person to touch it MUST be the one that broke it. Feck that.

Looks like you’re in the shit. 💩

One for the ladies, sadly…. @Pocster, just use a wet and dry vac and ‘suck it up’ 🤢🤮

For the cylinder, you could just say feck it and do your own annual inspection. To be clear here, the warranty on the cylinder is neither here nor there as the Telford stainless cylinder will outlive you. It’s the safety aspect and reliability you need to focus on, checks for functionality of safety devices, expansion vessel pre charge pressure, and so on. For the heat pump the monthly fee is just utter BS, but Midea aren’t a big player sadly so they’re just squeezing your nuts I’m afraid. Always best to check who you’re getting into bed with so there’s no shocks when you wake up next to them

Cool. 👌. Yes, anything north of 1bar is ample.

Yes, set the laser to the current highest point. As for the pipes, these just add to the fun! You’ll be an expert by the time it’s all done 👍. You can use either side of the existing joist to make life easier. OCD not required here.

Its just the water / pressure acclimatising, so no issue afaic. Theres supposed to be a duct cap on there to seal it off, when required, but also to prevent dust / crud getting in. The cap is only supposed to be opened until loose and then left in situ for life, vs removed completely. That vent would have come supplied with a metal cap, do you know where it is?

The originals stay put, no need to dig them out, that’s the reason for adding the new timbers alongside. When I say screw at the end, I mean so one end is fixed and the new timber can scissor up and down on that screw eg to allow it to be raised or lowered to meet the laser datum at the far end. Then you fix that new timber there at the end opposite where you screwed it. You then go back to the first screw you put in and remove it, then you raise that end of the timber to meet the laser datum, then you have a new bit of timber that is perfectly laser levelled both ends. Screw that along its length then for a permanent fix, and do the same process with the next, and the next. No need to joist hang the ends, just do the noggins as you say and then between those and the boards being glued and screwed down you’ll have no movement.

On these types of floors I just make the original as solid as possible and then install new timbers alongside the originals (sistering). You find the lowest point (use a laser is best) and work from there, screwing the very end of the new timbers alongside the original and then lifting it up to level it to the laser datum. Your new flooring gets fixed to the new timbers, the originals are just used for support.

Everything after the control group is pressure balanced, and you need every single outlet fed from these, not just showers! Any mixer outlet or device where hot & cold meet each other needs to be off balanced feeds. If the kitchen sink cold is off raw hard water and the hot is via the control group then you need to fit a non return on the hot side. If your mains pressure is above 3.5-4 bar you should also fit a PRedV on the cold feed to that outlet too. Those 3 sets of manifolds are all hots (from left to right) 2x kitchen and utility sinks @55°, then all baths / showers / basins @45°, then 3x hot returns. Cold manifold out of shot but each cold outlet and each hot outlet is on its own run there. Why have cotton when you can have silk

That the stuff from Wunda? Yup, I let out the same amount of chocolate milkshake when I forgot this too, and chopped the end off to connect to the manifold lol.

Plasterer will scrim over that and just flick a bit of skim into that joint before laying on. Chillax. All good 👍. You deserve a medal for that D&D work too, last company I saw D&D’ing were using about 6 dabs per board….. just truly shocking standards.

Agreed, if a bigger house and you want to save on pipe work. But the whole point of radial is to not have multiples of satellite T’s / connections etc, just a continuous pipe from A>B. Where are the T connectors for each room? Wall / floor / access panels? Buried and forgotten about? I’ve no issue with joints btw, I’ve fitted thousand, and will continue to do so happily, just the beauty of manifolds and radial plumbing seems lost if you don’t go the whole hog, imho.

If you need scuba gear then I suggest no more plumbing for you! lol. 😜

Watch your back