Vijay

I've run 2 extra ducts to the front entrance for gates etc. but wondered about more just in the walls around the house

Has anyone ever put in extra ducts though rising walls for potential future cables/pipes? I don't mean lengths of ducting, just say old pieces of 110mm drainage pipe though the wall and then blocked and capped off, so you have an entrance point below ground if you ever required it? I'm just trying to future proof anything I can before the first course of ICF gets concrete poured into it. If anyone has, at what level did you put them? I was originally thinking of under the B&B floor level but that is almost pointless and a lot of effort to get a pipe or cable through?

A lot to take in and put to the various suppliers of RWH systems - especially what nasties are potentially in the water and how their systems remove them. I'll update when I get more information

Apparently before the area was developed, there was a small woodlands there. Since all the topsoil has been removed and the area is clay, any rainwater or even light drizzle sits on the top for what seems like ages - so I can't see letting the rainwater go into the ground as a viable option????

So how did they want you to get rid of rainwater?

The roof is quite a large area and that water will not go into clay. Yes the excess water from RWH goes into a soakaway, but the idea is surely that what goes into a soakaway is mimimal as the tank is a buffer. This is another reason I would like to go down the DIY IBC route, you can simply add another 1000k litre tank if you wish. Do you guys not think it's a matter of time before water prices increase like every other service?? So how else do you get rid of rainwater from a large roof in clay, a lot of soakaways??

Costs and payback are something I will obviously consider, but a 10 year payback site fine with me as I hope this will be my life home. How else could I get rid of rainwater in a clay area from a large roof??? So with pipes through walls, how would you make them as airtight as possible and also limit the cold bridge? I've also thought, I'm building in ICF so is it an idea to bring the pipe up inside the concrete and then through the outer skin of the ICF? Then there would be no cold bridge or air tightness issue?????

I like that idea of hot water too, especially when I own a dog who loves mud and water lol

I wondered the same

Absolutely no idea yet, hoping to go down the IBC/DIY install as I'm pretty sure bought systems are horrifically priced in terms of payback Than plan is to use it for gardens, car washing, toilets and possibly washing machine too, so will use a fair bit

I wasn't too worried about freezing as I would do the same as you and insulate them within the duct. I'm already doing to the water pipe under the B&B floor With RWH, my initial thoughts were to have a large water tank in the loft which is supplied by the outside buried tanks. The neighbour apparently has a 4000l tank and it ran dry (they look to be keen gardeners). There is a lot of roof and the ground is clay, so probably gonna need a 5000l+ tank(s) which overflow into soakaways. With an internal water tank, I assume the tap supply pipes would all be internal and go through external walls then (for external taps)?

I've finished running the MDPE pipe into the floorspace (which will be below the B&B floor) and from reading another post, it occurred to me I possibly need to think about external taps at this point. I'm more than liked going to have RWH so this might not even be an issue. Do you guys normally do the pipe runs for external taps in MDPE and bring them up on the external wall, or do you do internal pipe runs and bring them through the wall? I'm just thinking of airtightness. Cheers Vijay

what was the mortar for, laying slips?

Also depends on how far you are from your site. I live an hour away which isn't a bad journey but with the absolute morons on the motorway, it gets stressful - it's definitely not needed when your day on site hasn't gone to plan.

But they've already done the drawings and calculations and emailed them to me previously, so a little too late if I just wanted to go elsewhere.

Just annoyed me as it's a stupid way to deal with a customer who is at the point of ordering

I've found this with a few floor beam suppliers, they want you to place an order before they give you a final price - surely that can't be normal or the correct way to do business. I've been dealing with one supplier who has been fantastic. Now I have final measurements taken on site but before they look at it, they have replied saying to place the order and then they will get back to me if the price has changed. That's madness cos once they have my deposit, I'm screwed to what ever increase they see fit

That's what I always hated with window fitters. You buy a well made insulated window and then installers seem to think it's OK to leave gaps all the way around and cover it with plastic trim - so it all looks nice

Cheers guys. I'll speak to the engineer who did the site visit and arranged for the ducting to be dropped off

without a water tight shell, B.T won't install a conenction

What do you guys in Caravans rely on for internet connection, mobile data?

No, looking to locate them where it's just pedestrian. How much earth would be needed over the top?

Nope, it's thanks to that post that I'm looking at IBC's!!! Was just hoping there was an easier way than a concrete box............................. What stops it filling with water, I assume some sort of drainage at the bottom?

Damn, I was hoping to be able to get away from making a big concrete box in the ground Could an old concrete shed be used, the type where it's in panels?

I'd be looking for clear ones, just wanted to know if they could be buried as they are