LLL

Thanks, compared with fiberglass, I am sure PIR is more tidy and easy to install. Do you leave a gap with the floor on the top to avoid moisture and potential mold?

there is nothing in the cavities. For the loft, i agree the thicker the better, but at the bottom (crawl space), there is nothing below, is it more efficient to add insulation there instead of the loft?

Also, compare with the heat loss from the wall and floor, is the draft (even a small one) much more serious and should be treated first?

Thanks a lot, I am new and very keen to learn. The questions you have asked show you are very experienced. But to add my knowledge, do I need to keep the temperature fixed the whole day to make it more energy efficient? Do we need to make the trickle open in the wintertime as well (I can feel a draft immediately if I open it up)? Also, let's assume I have solved the draft problem (I feel this is not very serious), the cavity wall and the crawl space, which will leak more energy in winter? If the cavity wall is the main issue, I won't bother to do the crawl space insulation. Thank you very much!

Condensation is on the glass, typically at the bottom half of the glass - I have no pictures today, but I can do it in some cold days. These days are warmer, with no condensation. Yes, there is a trickle vent on the top, I typically make it open during the summer time but off in winter to reduce the draft. The thermometre is set for the whole house; I put it in one of the bedrooms, there is no separate control for each room, unfortunately.

thanks, i will check tonight when i am back

Thanks a lot! The fibreglass insulation is quite thick, I think it should be around 15-20cm. I'll have a look at the window seals, but since the windows are relatively new (6-8 years), how can I know whether I should change them or not? Is the condensation caused by the seal and a sign to change? There are too many windows and doors could cause drafts, any way to measure? and how about the walls? I have the Worcester combi boiler and the room temp is set between 17-19 degrees, depending on the time, most of the time I just put it on, only switching it off for a few hours in the night. Do you see it will be more energy efficient if i keep it on at a fixed temperature? This week until Friday, from the HIVE app, it shows the heating is on for 62 hours (I live in the north, so the temperature is lower).

Hi everyone, I live in a two-storey detached house built around the 1960s. It has traditional double-brick cavity wall construction and a crawl space under the ground floor, approximately 70–80 cm high and accessible. In winter, the house feels cold, and even when the heating is on, I feel that the warmth does not stay in the room for long. The heating bills are especially high during colder months. I’ve also noticed that during winter, there is significant condensation on the inside of windows, even though they are modern double-glazed units. Here’s what I know and have already done: The loft is fully insulated with mineral wool insulation. All windows are modern double-glazed, but slight draughts can still be felt in very cold weather. There is an original air vents / air brick on the wall in each room, which I’m considering blocking, as the property no longer uses fireplaces. I’ve installed radiator reflective foil panels behind radiators located on external walls. The cavity between the double-brick walls is not empty. Given all this, I am trying to understand: Where is the majority of heat loss most likely happening in this type of house? Is it mainly: through the loft/roof, via the suspended timber ground floor into the crawl space, through the walls, or through windows and doors (there are many!)? I am considering insulating the ground floor from below by installing mineral wool insulation between the joists in the crawl space, supported by breathable netting. This might be some low-cost solution I can do myself, I believe. Is this a practical and worthwhile solution in terms of heat retention and cost-saving? Or would the benefit be relatively limited compared to other improvements? Thanks

Hello Nick and Dave, thank you for your answers. The boiler came back to work normally this morning. I believe it just dried overnight. Yes, the connection between the pipes is blocked. Last time was the rain water and this time, should be the pipe connection part blocked. I don't want this to come back every year; maybe it is time to look at the pipe and find a solution.

I’m looking for some advice regarding my Worcester boiler which is currently showing fault code 227, which I understand is related to ignition failure. I believe I may have found the cause. The condensate pipe from the boiler is connected directly to an external drain pipe, which seems to be blocked. We had heavy rain today, and I noticed that rainwater has likely backflowed into the condensate line, causing moisture or water ingress inside the boiler. There are some signs of dripping water and dampness inside the bottom of the boiler, although not very severe but i can see water drips in every 10 seconds or so (pictures attached). The same problem happened last year, and at that time it was much serious; the boiler fan was damaged and had to be replaced by an engineer. I watched the engineer to solve the problem. He replaced the fan and then only tried to dry the ignition components, then it worked. This time, I don't think the fan is damaged. I have turned off the power to let it dry out naturally but not sure if that will work. Do you think it might start working again after leaving it to dry for 12–24 hours, or is it likely that I will still need an engineer to inspect it (e.g. ignition electrode, fan, PCB, condensate trap)? Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Baby in the house so I prefer to solve the problem ASAP. Thanks!

thank you very much!

Can any help with this? Is it a problem if I just leave it and put the sand and bricks on? thanks

Thanks a lot, I believe you are right. I thought it is big and it shows in B&Q website but it came with same very fine stuff. However the water is not caused by it since if I dig I can see water is just not drain away below the sub base. The below clay is probably the problem. I believe the water it above the bricks of the crawl space of my sun room. Just do know if I just keep it and put the bricks on, can it cause an issue to the room in long term. It will be no water on the top or the pavement since the water can go away somewhere lower from the pavement, but underneath, it is just blocked I believe.

Hi everyone, I’m currently working on hardening a small area right next to my conservatory wall. It was covered by soil and plants. The total area is about 3–4 m². I dug down roughly 25 cm and found the bottom to be quite firm — it seems mostly compacted sand when it was built. To prepare the base, I first added a layer of larger pebbles (about 3-5 cm thick), then covered that with Type 1 MOT sub-base and compacted it. Now it is still 15cm lower than the pavement. However, after a day of heavy rain, I noticed standing water in several spots — still raining. It looks like the water isn’t draining down through the base, possibly because the ground underneath is already saturated or contains clay. Is this a problem? if I just add more sub-base and sharp sand and pave the bricks at the same level as the existing one, will it cause any problem to the room? GPT is suggesting me install a short French drain by using a perforated pipe and clean gravel) to direct the water away from the house wall. But how far and deep should this be? I don't want to make the project too big. thanks

Can I ask how to add the membrane? Are you talking about the one lying under the stones used for stopping the weeds (Option B in my pic) or the one against the wall (Option A) to protect it from the rainwater? thank you.

Thanks for confirming again, I don't see any drainage close to the wall, but the bottom of the trench (which is around 20cm) is sand, which should be good for the water go away. The trench can be deeper if i dig the sand away i believe. it seems the sand layer is quite deep and shoould be good for water draining, is it necessary to add a membrane or pipe?

indeed it is floor timber, there is a crawl space below the ground floor and the air brick is for venting the crawl space. If no concrete slope, will the water drain to somewhere close to the foundation and the well?

Thank you so much both. Can I ask where the DPC is? Is it just above the air brick? To be honest, i really can't see anything different from other layers of bricks. But i do see a row of small holes on another side of the wall just above the air brick -- about the solution, are we talking about making a concrete slope aginst the wall? or adding a DPM against the wall? the upper of the concrete should be 1 brick lower the air block then?

There are some issues with my phone, please omit this one and see the next, which has a picture.

Hello, the plants and soil around my house outside wall are removed and you can see the brick pavement is around 35cm away from the wall and the trench is ready. After checking online and talk with GPT, I plan to use concrete to make a low slope against the wall to protect it from potential rain water, then add type 1 MOT stone as the base, the white decoration stones are on the top. Can anyone tell is this a good idea? There are two types: pebbles and chippings, which is better for this case? thank you

Hello, the plants and soil around my house outside wall are removed and you can see the brick pavement is around 35cm away from the wall and the trench is ready. After checking online and talk with GPT, I plan to use concrete to make a low slope against the wall to protect it from potential rain water, then add type 1 MOT stone as the base, the white decoration stones are on the top. Can anyone tell is this a good idea? There are two types: pebbles and chippings, which is better for this case? thank you

Yes, plan to add this weekend, actually I only removed half of the water from the system since the group floor water was locked inside the radiator, do I still need the to be added? Since before the leaking has probably have all water replaced by the fresh water

sorry to hear that. All are fine now. thanks

Now everything goes back to normal, no leakage, and one radiator used to not warm now also works perfectly! This is the first time for me and I always worry about the situation can go beyond control and water is everywhere. It gives me confidence and I am sure I can change a radiator next time! Your guys suggestions are so valuable and exact - chatGPT talks a lot if you ask, but many rubbish. When you are up to the north, happy to buy a pint for you! Seriously, if I call someone professional to fix for me, how much I have to pay? Just want to show off to my wife today I saved £xxx for the family!

Just read the manual again, seems this is a standard procedure, it says "When the symbol appears alternately with the flow temperature, the siphon filling program is active. The condensate siphon in the appliance is filled"