ash_scotland88

So part of getting the boiler loan we have to insulate the attic, wasn't much of a biggy as we eventually planned to. Thing is we're feeling time sensitive and originally would have been down by us / at our leasure and Home Energy Scotland stipulates it has to be done by a professional or a home report redone once it's done. Most companies appear to only offer spray foam as a solution. I have concerns regarding condensation and ventilation as it won't offer the 50mm gap. What are peoples thoughts? It can't be that bad an option if companies are still going.

Feeling a bit stuck at the moment. Had a couple of quotes, slightly different, one company gave me confidence in them although expensive, but that was partially down to them quoting a day and a half. (200 Vs 450( What they did say was the old electric heating system, if it's still in place they have to test it, so that's another 4 lot fuse box. Annoying as I wanted the new in units in before central heating and don't want to start removing heating before work actually starts. I could just gunho it and replace but I understand and appreciate why I shouldn't. Can old rewritable fuse holder still be bought, I would like the new boiler on its own.

How do SE typically operate? There's various internals walls we'd like to remove. Couple are obvious what they are couple are not. Will they visit and tell you yes or no then only charge for any calculations and certificates, or will the typically charge for a visitation?

Thanks @TonyT and @ProDave I know meters and upto the meters needs to be done by the DNO. When you say test everything to work out if they're radial or ring is that a visual? IE find the socket (or light) that's end of line, and it will only have one set of cables. Or will the EICR report on that? Going to spend this evening, hopefully, emailing some companies that does EICR testing.

Maybe I should get an EICR, you keep mentioning them. ? What I've seen is all neat and tidy, just very tight like they were paying per mm.

Fed up with sparks either not returning or quoting stupid amounts I am now thinking I should upgrade my consumer unit(s) myself. I know I have the skills but not necessary the full knowledge. Hopefully this thread will keep all my questions in one place and I'll try and update this post with my latest question, if a sudden change. These are my consumer units, they are old rewirable. Left first floor, right ground floor: https://ibb.co/9hjqb4Z This (in the pantry opposite) is the main feed and meters. I have two, one supplies the old electric heating only. https://ibb.co/3090VNr https://ibb.co/rwqJbyg The heating one will be removed once we get central heating. I believe that someone from our supplier has to remove the meter. The big switches are seperate circuit breakers (correct?) for each floor. Inside/behind the consumer units: Ground floor: https://ibb.co/48Jrr2Q Left to right: 5A - unused 30A - sockets 5A - cupboard + entrance (ext) 5A - study + lounge 5A - lounge + dinning room 5A - WC 5A- kitchen lights 30A - cooker 15A - garage 30A- kitchen sockets 15A - immersion top 15A - immersion bottom First floor: https://ibb.co/bvSwDNB 5A - unused 5A- south lights 5A- north lights 15A- south sockets 15A- North sockets 15A - shower points: 1.Yes two lots of lounge lighting, big light and wall lights, two wall lights are in with the study. Off the top of my head I can't remember what hallway is in with. 2. It says garage, the garage has no power. I suspect it's the bomb shelter. 3. other unknowns include attic sockets and lighting and what the back door exterior light is paired with. First lot of questions: 1. One spark that visually inspected was impressed by neatness for the age, can anyone see anything inherently wrong? 2. As there are multiples of 1 live entering each fuse, and not multiples of 2 lives, can it presumed that circuits are radial and not ring? 3. As long as I keep like for like, can I seperate or change what is paired together? eg ground floor appears to be two circuits for sockets, can this be separated into two circuits? And regarding the cupboard and entrance lights, can the cupboard be paired with the WC? Hopefully leaving entrance lights (ext) on their own supply. Current plan is to go all RCBO apart from actual garage feed will be MCB, allowing RCBOs in garage unit.

Really? That just doesn't feel right.

I have a couple of musings following on from the above thread, looking to ask those with the better knowledge. I learned that HUE does what I would like: On low light levels on sunset PIR trigger which brings to full light level PIR at two ends of a path Can turn off low light level at certain time, if wanted, but PIR will still trigger. Now my musings: I could test the theory by running out some extension cables, being zigbee I may be ok with distance by I also believe HUE lamps extend the zigbee area with each one. Even if I do this, find it's ok do you think it's worth while installing a 4core cable to allow live switching if it all goes wrong? Regulation wise I know exterior lighting, especially on ground, is suggested to have it's own circuit protected by RCB/RCBO. Having looked tonight it appears one lighting circuit is "cupboard under stairs and entrance". The cupboard is kneel to get in and can't be used for anything beyond storage, entrance is one exterior light above door and one flood on front of house. Once CU is upgraded would this be an ok/allowable circuit to use? It was my original plan to power from the flood but then had in my mind the flood (complete with junction box beside) was linked into an interior lighting circuit.

I was going to ask the same question. Wanting to install new sockets over the coming year(s) and thinking the cost of a cheap one will save time in labour. Are they also suitable hiding water pipes in a wall? Guessing they're suitable/designed for brick and plaster style houses. What about stud walls?

SGN are installing a hydrogen network to run in parrellel with the gas network in a Fife town called Leven. I believe home owners get free connection, parts changed and charged at normal gas rate as part of the experiment. It's interesting stuff, but I wonder if we could top up ours cars from home.

Been able to do it today. Thanks for all the help Broke the push rods, snapped a brass thread somehow. Some issues with the old conduit but will just leave that in place- it's just me that likes to remove old, unused components out of a house. Now just to patch up the old hole. Next, consumer units!... Jokes, it'll be repositioning more lights no doubt. Maybe who knows.

I tried by hand but it was even wanting to budge, hack saw through? ? Thanks for cable recommendation. I'm wondering what I can use as a rod, old fishing pole... I do hate leaving old unused stuff in but I can't see a way to remove the old conduit without damaging something else.

Cheers. Annoyingly the junction is too close to the floor board for coming out the top, going to have to either attempt to drill through the bottom or through the side. I'd presume it will be 1.5mm twin and earth I'd use, will this be stiff enough to feed through the ceiling? The next thing to plan is how to remove the unused junction that the light is currently in as I think it sits slightly proud of the ceiling. How solid the floor boards are in the attic have annoyed me.

I never appreciated that conduit is such a dense metal. As far as I can tell the conduit isn't being used as an earthing method either. Since I have access to a T round joint can I take the lighting feed/cabling from there? Edit: First picture is the T joint. Picture or oriented wrong but top is actually going "left" to the light with the black, yellow and earth cable. https://ibb.co/VqLYSFw This is an other joint I've found, I think it's going up to the T. https://ibb.co/cgzb17H Both in in line (if someone wants to make an offer on the corner mitre clamps feel free) https://ibb.co/FX8ZvBY Light fitting, showing earth, yellow and black. Same as T joint. https://ibb.co/JyMMGK5 With information of the above why I can't I cut the cables going to the light* and join new twin and earth at the T joint? Essentially doing the same as the 4way joint? * To be pulled out.

Following on from the below thread with @TonyT I am looking to reposition a light fixture, although at some point every bedroom will be moved. They're positioned old school mentality of over windows or where a dressing table used to be, not centre to room. Hopefully the below essay will give as much information as possible. Original plan was to cut conduit to move and trim existing cable to new light position. house set-up: The attic, to use an American thread, is a walk up. Nicely floor board, large void beneath due to joist thickness. At some point in time the odd access has been cut to allow access to the odd junction box but every floorboard is either tacked down or just that old and stubborn, combined with being tongue and grove they are being problematic to lift and refrain from damaging. House is also designed like a story and a half and around the edge of the attic has a kick board around the edge also securely attached to the joists/rafters so starting at one side and removing is not an easy option either. Ceiling is lathe and plaster and has small gap under the joists due to battens running perpendicular. Found one junction box that looked like it would be twin and earth supplying lights. The current light feels like it is secured from above! No visible screws from below and the small movement I can get feels like one screw is on it. Found a T junction which looks like it would lead to the light but this appears to be individual cables, basically from the middle conduits cores are going left and right and at least one running across. I am now wondering what my options are. a) abandon it, this was suppose to be a quick paint and decorate due to old peeling paper and planned guests staying b) wagos where the light is currently and try and run a cable under joists to new light position*. Effectively making it 2.5 sides of a triangle from switch to light c) cut conduit at the t junction, secure with wagos and use twin to run from that position to new light position.* d) cut out ceiling from below to gain access and come up with an electrical and patch up ceiling plan e) something else? I think c is my current thought, but not so clued up with install standards. *either trying to just push the cable in the void or try a magnet and string method.

Well it's needs to bend but strong enough to spring back into shape...

Is 10" the biggest that one can get? I know, I'm such a size queen. Also struggling to find one where the nubs don't fall out.

Cheers, only less than 1% of me doubted that. But I always have doubt...

This is what we have: https://ibb.co/M546dqT That's just a random junction box I've been able to gain access to from the attic. I think the bedroom light is helpfully secured from above but the small movement I can see earth there too and obviously a junction box. No idea on the route of the conduit but as long as I can cut in a suitable place and reroute cable to where it needs to go then I am all happy.

You're giving me all the right answers this evening. I'll try and check tomorrow to make sure it's twin and earth and not just twin. We're doing a quick paint of a room that has peeling wallpaper and I'm wanting to change light position.

Cheers. Hopefully it's running the right way, if not is it ok to leave the cable exposed in the void?

Would both be 32amp rated? Going back to the conduit Q's. Would cutting the conduit to new position be ok? What else should I do? I'd atleast file to smooth to avoid rough edges cutting into the cable, but something says to me this isn't enough.

Even allowing for a second CU it's ridiculous amount, we have an upstairs and downstairs both next to each other. Can these be combined into one? We also have two electricity meters, one does the outdated heating! i think what I get in a twiz about is want to future proof for running power also to the garage. I think 32amps should suffice, for future proofing for a 7kw home charger. But if the garage is protected by 30mA RCDs and the feed to the garage is also 30mA then either RCD could trip and how to get around that? I was on one site, badly planned/designed, that had a 32amp line with two rubber box distros protected by RCD. Fault on a (16amp) line on the final box could trip either three of the RCDs- not ideal in a middle of a forest!

True. Work in events and took long enough to argue that any site networking should be on it's own line and not in with something else, for tripping issues. 21 way 18th edition for £55 then a furth £210 if fully populated. One spark quoted £1880 for upgrading and some bonding work. In my head he would be here for 7days at £200 day rate. An other never came back with a price. Really makes me want to do it myself, happy to perform the work but admittedly struggle to get my head around correct RCDs, MCBs etc. But looking at things now it's almost simplified now with RCBOs and 18th edition.

Yeah wanting to upgrade the unit, so thinking i should wait till then. Although would be nice to get it done for this winter... Some chat from reading up regarding the regs seems to suggest it's wiser to have external lighting, especially path lighting, on its own supply as if it trip it will take that lighting circuit. As with most regs doesn't need to update what's currently there, but refer to previous point as it's path lighting still wiser to install fresh but I believe regs don't specify as a must.