BotusBuild

Nope. Tomorrow I will provide some pictures to show why not - basically the head unit (the silver coloured part in the pic) of this will not fit on the valve (the brass part) of the current fitted valve and you cannot buy a replacement head unit for the current fitted valve

Unfortunately, you can no longer get a replacement actuator for the Switchmaster VA1 mid-position valve ? It all has to be replaced.

The virus is getting everywhere and has finally done for the existing SwitchMaster VA1 ???

That's exactly what I was thinking - may try to take the actuator apart this evening (love to annoy other members of the household!) to see if there is anything I can fix/clean to give it a little extra lifetime

This is definitely new activity - never heard the clicking before, and for "repeatedly" read "for over 30 minutes" - yes I was that patient to wait for it to move from CH/HW to HW by switching off the demand for CH (much to OH's and siblings annoyance!) ?

It sounds like the original (fitted in early-mid 1980's?) 3-port valve on our heating system is giving up. It's a SwitchMaster Midi Valve Actuator VA1. On the outer case it has the 3 positions Hot Water, Central Heating, and Central Heating/Hot Water. This evening, as it gets to the CH/HW position it starts to click - looking carefully I can see that the red pointer progresses and then clicks back repeatedly. There is a white dial and with the aid of 20p coin I can turn it past this position, and all the usual control system magic then kicks into action (good!). So for now I can "encourage" it to do it's stuff by listening out for the "clicking" that coming through the pipework ? Does anyone know if there is a replacement for the motorised part - the actuator (it just pulls off) so that I don't have to drain the system and replace the valve itself as well? I would have to drain the systems as those clever 1980's plumbers didn't fit isolating valves !!!

This has been my thinking over the last few days. I have no need to take on debt to start our build, and I can foresee a situation that, unfortunately for them, work will start to dry up for the competent trades that I might require, and they are therefore more amenable to doing some work on single build plots

Please tell me it happened in slow motion because that is what I am seeing ?

Are there any error messages displayed on the inverter? The power cut may have caused a spike that made the inverter "trip out". Might just need a "reboot". Check the instruction manual

Got my 87.5 (less than 90) and 92.5 (more than 90) the wrong way round. I am wearing the dunces cap for the day But I see that my suggestion of using 45 degree bend has been adopted ?

Erm, if you have a 92.5 degree (more than a right angle) bend at the top "stuff" will surely collect in a small pool. Wouldn't you want all those bends in the marvellous drawing to be around 45 degrees each? Edit: Doh!! Put's on dunces cap and shuffles into the corner ?

Not exactly what you may be after, but https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/fuel-watch/ or go here and enter your postcode https://www.allstarcard.co.uk/tools/uk-fuel-prices/ (You don't need one of their cards)

I'm ready to get power to the build plot. My DNO is Western Power Distribution, and it looks like I am going to need the input of an electrician. Can anyone make a recommendation before I go on the search? Thanks

Is it possible to swap the garage door opening and the 860 length "wall" so the car enters on the other side from the three step?

It is great that this has been raised again in the media, but the big stick approaches espoused here don't work. One thing that we should keep in mind is the impact such measures would have on the poorer sections of society. It would be better to encourage (carrot approach) people to make changes by applying 0% VAT to energy saving measures such as retro-fitting of insulation, or reducing council tax for the year following an energy saving measure taking place (there could be different reductions for different measures). FYI - I have tried everything I can to better insulate my current 1980's house, but have reached the limit and doubt it would get to EPC level D!! Short of demolishing and rebuilding it that is.

That link currently results in a HTTP 404 error

Must be fakes, the S is backwards ?

Got this off fleabay. Will report back in late March after doing some 25mm MDPE work https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Professional-8-PVC-Pipe-Cutter-3mm-to-42mm-Ratchet-Cuts-Vinyl-Plastic-Hose-Tube/223827612905?pageci=f753749a-dc5a-4866-98c8-bb9cc34f0495#vi__app-cvip-panel

Like this? https://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberger-rocut-38-0-38mm-manual-plastic-pipe-shears/48561

I need to cut the blue MDPE (25mm) pipe ready for mains connections, and know that when I get round to putting down UFH pipe, that I'll also need a pipe cutter for this plastic pipe. Does anyone have any recommendations for one to buy - don't need top of the range but something that will last for a single house build Thanks all.

I wonder whether you're allowed to use that method in the UK? Can you combine two of the three defined types (A, B and C in NHBC design document) on the same side of the wall? I'm guessing so as I can't see anything in the NHBC guide to say you can't

Russell, If you put the inverter and a CU in the garage, then you can run just the one cable back to the CU in the house. Stuff you want power to in the garage can run off the CU in the garage

@Conor - re: the ground temp thing, this is exactly my understanding as well. thanks for clarifying that my thinking was not the self-build madness virus taking hold ? Yes, shall be avoiding waterproof concrete. Seems that unless the concrete manufacturer pours and guarantees the stuff themselves, and it's not left encapsulated in something (like it is in ICF), any warranties are relatively pointless.

OK I think that's got the vermin/oil issue addressed ? Thanks for all the feedback. What about the use of insulated raft in basement situations? Anyone care to comment?

My build method choice is ICF walls on an insulated raft foundation (ground conditions permitting). Talking with a supplier of a well known ICF product I have been warned that insulated rafts are susceptible to damage from vermin and oil. This particular supplier is the only one who has mentioned this. This curve-ball has managed to (i) make me question the competence of this supplier as I have never come across this problem in the two year period I have been researching (ii) make me question whether this particular ICF system, by association, is any good (iii) query whether I should just go with strip foundations? Anyone else heard of the "vermin/oil" problem? Anyone seen evidence of this? The other comment from the same supplier was "for a basement there is no point in using insulated foundation because the ground below 1m is a constant temperature". I know that last part of that is factually correct, but I see others on BH using insulated raft for basements, so what are others opinions?