Mike

It's because modern washing machines use much less water. If they draw what they need from a hot pipe, that's often not enough for the hot water to actually reach the machine - you're starting with cold anyway, while the hot water in the pipe goes cold.

Well that's clearly better than 2,000W. Maybe a motorised valve in the ductwork? I know that Atlantic make one in France - EAN 3416085437711 - so there must be similar available in the UK.

Long overdue, IMHO.

Not something I've tried to do domestically, but here are some thoughts. The initial one being that putting 2,000W into such a confined space may need an alternative solution, if it will really be that much. The AC fan you mention runs at up to 205 CFM - that's 350m³/hr, albeit half speed may be enough to keep the temperature down. But that is going to disturb the operation of a regular MVHR system. It may be OK if free of obstructions, but if you're sucking 200m³/hr past it anyway... As a rule of thumb, an unobstructed 10mm gap below a door is good for up to 40m³/hour. So you'd be looking at a fair sized gap. A dedicated air supply may be a better option - or perhaps fit a mini aircon unit instead of fans, which would work alongside the MVHR.

Apparently they're making a (small) comeback - https://www.building.co.uk/focus/the-return-of-the-clerk-of-works/5090855.article

Only from an office. It's a bit like wearing sun glasses - everything looks normal through the glass despite the tinting, until you see 'reality' through a non-tinted / open window. The biggest downside is that they cut the light transmission into the room significantly, which could make the room gloomy in winter. I wouldn't do it.

Building Regulations Approved Document A requires a minimum thickness of 90mm, so to go thinner than that you'd need Structural Engineer's calculations to prove that it's adequate.

Simply, plywood comes in Classes I (dry use), II (humid / occasionally wet) and III (unprotected externally / frequently wet). The old WBP would now be Class III - it's been that way for years, so someone must have cut and pasted a very old spec. Personally I'd choose 12mm Class I everywhere, since ventilation & tiling should stop the ply from becoming humid / wet in bathrooms, though you could upgrade to Class II.

There's also the option of adding a ceiling fan.

It may help, but at least some aren't suitable for use externally. Conbloc Paint Grade blocks aren't suitable for external leafs above DPC, for example.

Lignacite Fair Face, for one. https://lignacite.co.uk/products/lignacite/

Ignore! Height does play a small factor, but floor area is the biggest factor by far. Doesn't sound unreasonable for a utility room.

Illbruck FM330 also gets my vote.

1. If you use hard plastic wedges, it should be possible to work them out 3. A minimum of 3mm on normal backgrounds, according to BS 5385-1 5. Refer to the adhesive manufacturer's recommendations 6. Personally I'd only ever use a wet saw 10. Draw it out on the walls before starting, ideally with the help of a laser, to get everything arranged as you want it and to make sure that all the cuts are sensible - for example to avoid thin slivers of tile.

Choose a smaller tile? Big is certainly popular, but those are going to weight around 20 to 23kg per tile. That's not easy to handle or lay for the inexperienced / under-muscled.

Looks cool, but will be a (even more of) a pain to clean behind the bath with the screen in the way.

Agree with the above - go all-electric.

The best way of saving money in cut the heat loss, so the first thing to discuss would be what is and isn't possible when it comes to adding insulation, to ensure you'll be doing everything you reasonably can (and there is normally a lot that can be done). Then do similar for airtightness. With those strategies decided you can calculate the future heating requirement and invest in a heat source sized for that future need, which could well be a heat pump. You'll need to supplement with something else until the building reaches that stage (if you install it before then), for example maybe repurposing one of the existing boilers. In the immediate, I'd just spend a few hundred on replacing that annoying pump! You'll also need to consider how you deliver the heat, long-term. My preference is normally underfloor heating, but that's something that you would need planning into your refurbishment & boiler replacement schedule.

All fire doors in all buildings used to require automatic closers. That requirement was relaxed for private dwellings (except between the house and an integral garage, as your BCO requires), but in all other respects a fire door is a fire door. The change followed a report in 2003 identifying that closers were causing over 30,000 finger-trap injuries each year, and that many people disabled the closers or wedged the doors open.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions! I've gone with the smokers, and have found enough space to squeeze in a Zehnder filterbox that can take a carbon filter in addition to a regular pre-filter, if needed.

If the ducts are the right size you might be able to upgrade, rather than starting from scratch. I'm adding a filter box to mine so that I can add a carbon filter if needed, in addition to a regular G4 air filter to remove the dust.

More of a lightwell than a courtyard and, as it's in a historic area, it would need planning permission as a modification to the 'external appearance' - unlikely, even if I could get it approved by the copropriété AGM.

Congratulations - that's impressive in the French system! I'm installing MVHR in an 1840s apartment, also in France, so it certainly can be done. My renovation is projected to score a C for energy use & A for CO2 emissions. In the absence of anywhere to install any renewables, that's the highest I can score.

I've chosen Dewalt for years and haven't yet been tempted to by another brand (for power tools). That includes a main-powered multitool that I've been using today - tough going on some 180 year old oak.

Yes, it does.