Big Neil

Thank you all. Most helpful

Air Source.

Bang on Jack - thanks - So not even if the second hand air was vented out side but drew from inside. Interesting, thank you. on an unconnected topic for fear of cluttering the forum with even more of my ridiculous topics, in terms of heat recovery, is there anything to be gained from collecting heat from waste water. seems if you're constantly draining warm water from showers, dishwashers etc, that's also a bit of a waste?

so absolutely no benefit then? Any drawbacks?

..welllll that fan thing. Would it work better to put it inside a double garage so the air it was drawing was - i guess - warmer? At least on winter days it would cut down temp difference due to wind chill?

IN that particular instance I was actually thinking of getting around your charge issue. I've no idea what the required capacity would be, but i literally just mean as a vessel to heat water into, to drop the charge level below 50% to allow it to accept the excess PV energy. I guess it's no different in some ways to just running a hot tap constantly, but it would be there nice and warm at least for a while, for your use. To summarise then - electrical setup aside; cold water along mains pipe, comes into house, hits (in this example) a cold water manifold and is diverted not only to outlets but also through the sunamp unit. Assuming this has charge it will heat the water passing through it and is then diverted on to a hot water manifold (ugly functional or @PeterStarck art installation type), where it can then get diverted to whatever source requires it, be that a shower, hot water tap, washing machine or whatever? Always preferred Penelope Keith more. I'll be honest, her, Helen Mirren, Felicity Kendal and that Blonde Weather woman from the BBC get my nod any-day over the current lot of champagne barbies... anyway - pipes and whatnot........

So practically speaking, with current systems, not that much difference relatively speaking in terms of efficiency assuming correct design for the intended purpose. To use you as an example Mr Harris, given what you knew at the time you got your current SunAmp unit, was space the primary reason for going to a PCM (Phase Change Material??) system as opposed to an insulated tank? Could one actually use both systems in tandem to effectively minimise any losses further, particularly in a case where one has PV but no battery storage? Actually, with the mammoth bulging case thread in mind, could you use a tank system to dump some of the capacity from the sunamp given the 50/90% issue, in order to them utlise the excess PV better? Also to clarify, is system not for heating, but just all water outlets?

sort of like the range in 'The Good LIfe' you mean? and Sunamp hot water is for all hot water required other than heating yes? so showers, drinking water etc etc

Probably kick myself for not reading the rest of the comments first but i think this answers it. So in the element in a tank example, there is an efficiency leak by heat loss, whereas in the sunamp case, chemical magic stuff happens which can then be magicked around again later to heat the water just like a boiler/heat pump does? This about right?

i can't piece together an understanding from the various threads on here, useful though most of them are

So i've been reading with interest a number of the threads relating to various heating setups and pieces of equipment (the bulging case thread is frankly a little confusing but makes sense to me after a fashion). I've got to admit though to not really understanding what a heat battery like the sun-amp is or how it works. So i know that if you have PV on your roof or wherever, you can use it to say charge a home battery backup. I know there are also cylinders which whilst filled with hot water primarily heated by the boiler/heat-pump etc, can have a coil in there which can keep the temp of that water maintained by having power to it diverted from either a PV setup or mains supply. So I guess there are two questions. Given the setup i have (poorly) described above, what is the need for a dedicated heat battery and how do they work? layman's terms please where possible

What where who when???? What current discussion?

Thanks for all the answers. I'll look at FOX blocks later. Unlikely i'll be able to get down your way before Christmas, but thanks very much for the offer. Just trying to arrange a site visit for a thermomur build somewhere up near me in Manc-land at the moment, so should be interesting to see.

well if not quicker - then certainly 'another way'

Aside from having the pain of getting to the inside every day, could one simply build the forms up without leaving the relevant holes for windows and doors, then just cut them out afterwards. Pre-pour obviously. Seems this might be a marginally quicker way of doing things.

Zonts and Zuckles sound like something you'd find in a secret room at Willy Wonka's Factory. I can't wait to get home to a computer that works and see what they are...

There's a thread somewhere on here someone knocked up. Very useful. Attached are from polarwall Price list 2017.pdf Price list PLUS 2017.pdf

Right - so no more oxygen - no more rust (broadly speaking). Correct? I realise it has a much higher cost, but has anyone used basalt as an alternative to steel, on the basis of it's green credentials?

So I think it's probably accepted that one doesn't want metal inside of a structure, particularly within a concrete part of it such as foundations or walls in icf, to rust, correct? well in that case why is it that whenever i see a picture of rebar, be it panels or cage, it has a ayer of rust on it, and this is what goes in the concrete. Will this not rust inside the concrete? Also, those little plastic stands one puts underneath to keep the bar away from the insulation/ground underneath. Does this not potentially create a path for external moisture to get in and rust the bar? I realise this is a ridiculous set of questions.

fair point. Has anyone got any pictures of the method you describe in use. Just can't picture how it works in my head

Was thinking of placing them after the first pour which would be to joist bearing height, then the props for the first part could be taken away anyway. Metal end caps for the end of the joists - jobs-a-goodun.

If i've read correctly about PPC then it might be more accurate to say, that IT is a halfway house to cemfree. www.cemfree.co.uk - which doesn't seem to be working at the moment - is the website for it - part of the DAvid BAll group. If anyone can actually understand the technical bits then feel free to enlighten me

I was trying to express the hole in the wall for the window itself, and at what point across it's width, the window should be placed. INdeed it does - thankyou So essentially the only factor which changes is how much ledge you have either inside or outside of the window itself?

On that front then, have you considered sponsorship. A community facility - low on budget... I would have thought a British company supporting that sort of thing might be worth something to them in exposure terms.

Well to be honest I thought the silly suggestions had stopped, sooooo.... Reinforced Glass top so people can look down at the spectacle and taunt the littleuns by putting cakes on the top where they're juuuuust out of reach. Another serious suggestion though - You know them Cylindcrical wine cellars you can have dug in, well dig the hole as if for one of them, install the stairs and everything, then when you're done with it as a kiddy pen, turn it into a beer cellar. I don't know what this club is you mention, but make it a Beer club, and bobs your uncle - ready made clubhouse...