Nickfromwales

On one’s own, more like!

Stiebel is expensive, but after being hands-on with the installation, commissioning and setting to work of it, I am very impressed. The controls system(s) are VERY comprehensive, and it benefits from temperature blending ( mixing ) sets which allow pinpoint accuracy when delivering cooling. The AHU can get water as cold as 10°C whilst the UFH can get a steady 15-16°C, simultaneously. I have designed this house with an ethos of “prevention not cure”, so the A/C unit will likely not get much use. If necessary to cool that one 2nd storey room, then it is there to perform a task that it is not sensible to ask the whole-of-house MVHR system to do. Nor would it be capable, ergo it was something I mandated in my turnkey M&E “solution”.

For the domestic heating and cooling I chose Stiebel as it shows a COP of 6 by design, for this particular uber-low temp dwelling. Stiebel don’t ( iirc ) do an AC unit. The pool just needs a ‘dumb’ ASHP so I will choose accordingly based on service / reliability / longevity. I chose ( will finalise my choice ) for the units based on merit / suitability and what will serve my clients the best.

Yes, that’s the foundation assumption. Self ordained lunatics bend this rule and try to justify that there is a loophole they can negotiate around. Idiots.

No idea on price, but they’ll quote for you without issue. Build time = bloody fast! One project was 300m2 2-storey, double attached garage, loads of steel / open spaces, 5.4m vaulted ceilings in all 3 bedrooms, parapet / balcony for each bedroom. From a hole in the ground to a finished structure in 31 days ( broken up by a few weeks whilst the concrete cured ). Unbelievable pace. And I got that AT score down to 0.27ACH. MBC guarantee 0.6 or better as standard with their turnkey. Factor in peripheral costs savings downstream of their departure when comparing costs. They leave the build pretty much ready to plasterboard internal / clad externally. 👌

( TBD ) A2W ASHP for the swimming pool and pool hall space heating. A2W ASHP ( Stiebel Eltron ) for domestic space heating and cooling ( via slab plus Brink Air Comfort AHU ) and a Mitsubishi split A/C for the 2nd storey ‘studio’ room. 👍

The linear ones look a million dollars imo. I've only seen these recently, not sure why, but I'm now specifying them for a lot of clients, particularly where there is a more contemporary "sharp" feel to the room / space. I have always thought the generic valves look outdated and utilitarian, so these are the next best thing afaic. A bit more work, but I think they're well worth the effort.

Guesswork, and wrong, I'm afraid. This is where the self-install "competent" people fall down. You can kill yourself, that is permissible and you won't get prosecuted posthumously, but, you cannot cause the death of others, and that includes your unsuspecting family members. So, unless you live alone, and have the only key to all the doors, and can prove no innocent 3rd parties will suffer from your mis-adventure, you CANNOT work on gas in your home. End of.

You know when you've said or written a word too many times and you forget how to spell it, well that was me. Done. Head fried. I've looked back at previous posts I've made, and I have changed to draft, instead of writing draught. Spell check / predictive text is undoing all that my teachers installed. OK, all sorted. Back to the thread please!!

Ok, lets get down to the real crux of this issue..... My bloody spell checker says draughts, not drafts. Now my brain refuses to tell me which one is right. Cutting out draughts from older homes Energy Saving Trust https://energysavingtrust.org.uk › Blog 11 Jan 2022 — Draughts come into your house through gaps and cracks. First, look for any obvious gaps – visible light under and around doors and windows is a ... Now that's from the EST, and that's how they spelt it. SO! Lets have this out before we go any further plz. I need to know.

Ah. That picture shows more depth / detail. That looks like a sole plate. What is the depth of it? Prob say screw a plasterboard to it and leave it there if the walls been built up off it. Sooo many bloody daft / weird things done by our predecessors when building, it’s hard to keep track. Plasterboard, ( MR ), and plenty of screws.

If you want AC in an airtight house ( as I am currently installing for one of my ( PH+ ) clients ) then you do NOT make any holes to atmosphere. I chose a split AC system with a compact external unit, F-gas lines through the house, and a fixed internal unit to heat / cool that is room-sealed ( with a condensate drain ).

I've worked alongside MBC TF on a few of their turnkey PH foundation and guaranteed airtight frame projects. I'm very impressed with what they offer, how quickly the house goes up, and what the end results are ( I got one in at 0.27 ACH which they said was their best result in over 7 years of trading ). TF is very good to get exceptional scores with, but cellulose-blown vs SIPs is just a hands-down winner for me. The sound seems to travel through rigid insulation walls vs cellulose filled frames, and the decrement delay is about as good as it gets. Certainly meant the M&E side was a lot easier and I could spec MVHR to suit the AT score, which also translated into a massively reduced heating system spec. Choose well, as a fabric-first approach will defo pay huge dividends.

Same here. Never use 40mm for a shower, 50mm is night and day better and offers a decent bit of space for a natural air-break too.

Nope. Chop it out, replace with plasterboard, and do it properly Plaster and wood = no Bueno. The likelihood is, that it is not very well secured so will have a bit of movement, and plastering over it will end badly. If you're tiling why not cut this out, clip the cable back, and apply a bonding coat or rough it back in with some sand and cement 'compo'? Needs to go. 👉

Yes, sorry. I use the few holes they provide for initial fix, to clamp the timber > Sikaflex > metal sandwich together. Get things plumb, and then blast a few more in ( where they need pilot holes making ) for belt and braces.

Similar outcome.

They had one absolute clown in charge of the gang I was around. Chap called Charlie. Sharp van, blunt tools. Rude, clueless bellend with zero interest in quality or diligence. Had to stop him fire boarding all the steels in a single compartment dwelling. Thousand of pounds worth of completely unnecessary work that he thought was a great idea. He’d even convinced the BCO to get on board. Ffs. I had a quiet word with the BCO, and a not so quiet word with bellend face. Needless to say, that “extra” didn’t go ahead. If you choose these idiots, then expect the worst.

I always elongate the slots to leave both thread holes exposed. They’re both covered by any pan, regardless.

Dennis would be snapped up in seconds, if anyone could convince him ( all they would need is a custard donut tbh, he is cheap lol ). Great guy, excellent work ethics, and a walking multi tool. Hopefully he left shrapnel-free and paid in full. Anything less would have been a huge insult to his hard work and dedication.

I wonder who will check for duplicate images.

Never blame the staff, always blame the manager? If any of my subbies didn't do something properly I put it right myself, gave them a bollocking, and wages were chopped to suit. I chose relatively well throughout, apart from some who were more tortoise than hare, but tolerating poor staff is a choice. If you pay good money, you'll get great staff. Doesn't sound as if the money reached the lower ranks.

👍 Don't drill into the plastic components They're tight to the frame in places!

Maybe contact the NSBRC and see if they have anything?

Defo do not convert! Traps will go onto 32mm solvent weld pipe like a tramp on a kebab. 👌.