jack

Interesting. I'm really surprised that building regs allow this, but I guess I've learned something!

Not explicitly, but I use PoE for the access points mentioned above. Definitely need to think about this if you want cameras, too. Consoles would be the obvious one if you or your children use them. I believe Sky boxes can use ethernet too (and I'd want a hard connection if I were streaming UHD), plus if you want a Plex-type box or DVR, that's another connection. I think two is the minimum unless you know you won't use any of these things.

It may be that this particular BCO is giving them a break for whatever reason, but no way would I rely on opening a window for ventilation (and nor would I expect most BCOs to allow it). No in-room ventilation is even more concerning in a properly airtight house.

We have CAT6 all over the house, partly due to home automation, but also for fixed devices. So our TVs, console, my work computer, the hub for our solar panel controller, the printer, two wireless access points and a few other bits and pieces are all hardwired. Wireless is pretty good most of the time, but before I finished the structured wiring, we used to get the odd connection drop-out, especially with the printer and one of the TVs. Always infuriating having to sort it out, even if it just involved a reboot or re-entering a password. I don't think I've ever had a single connection problem with any hardwired device. Personally, I'd run at least two and better yet three CAT6 cables to any place you plan to have a television, one for where you believe you plan to put a printer, and one to any place you think you might like to have a wireless access point (for a large house, having two such points will generally improve everyone's wireless experience). The wire itself is really cheap, and you don't even need to terminate it at first. Just leave it coiled up in the wall, and keep a clear photographic and measured record of where each one is. Install each point as and when you find you need it.

You need to have some sort of penetration through the envelope, whether it's inlet/outlet ducts to the MVHR or ducts between the MVHR and manifold. You may need to insulate more ducting but it depends on layout.

It'll have very little impact on overheating unless you install some sort of cooling coil (driven by an ASHP). It does help slightly when it's very hot, by helping to maintain any temperature difference between inside and out. That can be useful if you're using aircon, in particular.

That surprises me. Is that based on your own experience?

I've lived with MVHR in a well insulated and airtight house in the South of England for 5 years. If I were building again, it would be the first thing in my list of essential things I'd include in a new house. If you haven't lived with the air quality, it's hard to explain. I don't know where people get the idea that you can't open windows, but it seems very common. MVHR is at its best when it's very cold or very hot outside, which is when you probably don't want your windows open anyway (I mean, you can still open windows in that case, but you're going to make it less pleasant inside your house). If you have lots of glass, you really want to think hard about how you're going to keep the house cool. MVHR will help a bit, but really you need to find a way to reduce solar gain, and possibly to cool the house with aircon or the like.

I used it the day before yesterday while on-site at a friend's self-build!

We have an internal meter (SSE installed) but frankly I'd have preferred it outside in a kiosk. We periodically get meter readers dropping by, and we need to bring them through the house and into the plant room to read the meter. I'd much rather be pointing them to an external box.

That search string will work in practice, but for future reference, the full syntax is to add the following to your search term: site:buildhub.co.uk You don't need to add the whole address - Google will limit the search to domains having the string that you specify after "site:". Even site:buildhub is probably accurate enough.

This one? https://evonestop.co.uk/products/qubev-ev-charging-unit-type-2-socket-32-amp-7-2-kw-ip65

They use WAY more water and energy.

Also, once you're at the maximum flow temp, the temperature difference between that and the water in the tank will approach each other, so energy transfer is slower.

Exactly. I thought about trying to integrate ASHP usage with PV production, but it's very difficult to do well, and the potential cost advantages are limited given the relatively low electricity bills of the house overall.

Yes, 5 year old 5kW Aquarea. I had a problem with the pump giving out after about 3 years. No explanation for why it happened, but we replaced it and everything's been fine since.

Higher pressure pump = higher flow rate through smaller pipework. Higher friction losses but possibly lower heat loss through smaller surface area of the pipe. Also, smaller pipework means less fluid, which could add up on a very long run.

Yeah, it's crazy down here. A couple of families we know have looked into buying and it's £1500 minimum, for nothing special. Over £2000 if want any sort of basic pedigree. I couldn't believe it.

Exactly that. He said a lot of them were talking about treating themselves after not having a holiday last year and likely this. He mostly works for people with Very Big Houses. The sort for whom a £50-60k outdoor pool they can only use a few months of the year makes financial sense.

A friend of mine builds and renovates pools. Since Covid started, he's gotten so busy that he's had to stop the renovations and focus on new pools. He's also stopped quoting because his pipeline is full to the end of next year, even with new employees on the books. I told him he needs to up his prices.

Do they both have a cooling mode (if that's something you want)? We have a 5kW Aquarea, and I know that at the time I bought them, only some were officially capable of reverse cycle operation. My Aquarea is 5 years old, but came with the basic controller. I seem to recall that the smarter controller was a lot more expensive, but I suspect things like app-based operation and control are more common now. Worth checking.

I think it's worth noting that we talk a lot on here about Passivhaus levels of airtightness and insulation, but there's a lot more to the Passivhaus standard than that. Things such as specific controls on cold bridges, modelling of various types of energy use, and other issues like summer overheating are sometimes considered generally by self-builders, but the PHPP software requires strict, quantitative attention to these and many other factors. Certification also ensures that the as-designed house is what is actually built. I think some believe it's just a desk exercise, but you need to show with ample evidence that what was designed and modelled was what was actually built. This adds a time and supervisory overhead, because someone needs to be involved in documenting everything that's required, which itself requires continuous knowledge of what's going on - and coming up - on-site. Personally, I think PH certification is more than just a rubber stamp. Certainly, given two houses with similar airtightness/insulation values, but one with PH certification and the other without, I'd go for the certified on every time. How much more I'd pay is a harder question to answer.

We had nothing but grief from Freecycle and ended up giving up on it. The last straw was trying to give away a coffee table for free on the express basis that delivery was not available and then still having people asking me to deliver it several miles away for free.

My wife sells cheap stuff on Facebook, because it's free and often very fast due to being local. It's rare she's waiting any more than a day or two to get rid of something from the moment she lists, and there's no need to muck about with postage. The downside is that it'll only sell if priced very keenly, but for a lot of stuff that's fine.

If you can get the suppliers to arrange installation, that's usually the best way to go. That way, if there are any issues, there's no question about who's responsible. That said, many people have had nightmares with supplier-provided installers. If you go this way, I'd push very hard to meet the team who'll be responsible for the installation, and to speak with previous customers who've had that team install their windows.