Nick Laslett

Hi, @Nickfromwales, if I am understanding this correctly, I need to use 9mm insulation on the cold pipes going to shower and taps, etc. Or is this only for Passive House? I think I missed the need for insulating the cold pipes.

Thank you for advice. This is for the whole house. Only 2 small windows on the east, one small window on the south. My original design was to use the original version of the ComfoClime, the new model is too tall. But I wasn’t aware of the ComfoPost at the time, this looks like a cheaper more effective way to add some cooling. So the choice is to do nothing or have the ComfoPost. I think I will plumb it through the UFH manifold as @PeterW suggested in this post. Based on this summer, the cooling demand did not seem to be too great, but hard too tell with so little data.

Hello @LinearPancakes, any update on how effectively the ComfoPost performed?

Hello @Dan F, any advice on the ComfoPost would be appreciated. I’m just interested in using the ComfoPost for cooling, combined with the Upstairs and Downstairs UFH circuits. All the south facing windows have 70/30 solar control coating. My current simple plan was to tee off from the 28mm UFH supply and return pipes, with 15mm pipes going to and from the ComfoPost, with a flow regulator. In heating season the 35° C water temp would not do much, if anything. For cooling in the summer running 7° C water through the UFH and the ComfoPost would hopefully take the edge of the heat in the house. The PV should power the ASHP for this purpose in the summer. The supply ducts have been insulated. I was looking at the ComfoClime 36, but the ComfoPost is a lot cheaper, and apparently more effective. Any advice would be much appreciated. @markharro, did you go ahead with the ComfoPost?

Not sure if the screws will be a problem, as long as you are 12mm in from the edge, it should be okay. Fermacell is nothing like plasterboard, I would describe it as being a cross between cement board and chipboard. It is less brittle and less hard than cement board. The fibres are finer than chipboard, but not as fine as MDF. It does sand nicely and most woodworking techniques work on it. It holds a screw better than chipboard or Mdf. 12.5mm boards can take a weight of 30kg on a single screw. Basically you need to buy a sheet, and have a play with it.

I don’t think it would be recommended, but you could do it. Their Orange Book wants the boards with at least a 6mm gap from the floor. The boards are more water resistant than standard plasterboard, but are still designed to be kept dry, might need to seal the edges or something similar. A 12.5mm board, after FST and painting is easily robust enough to not need the addition of a skirting board.

Looks like Sunamp have a new iteration the Thermino ePlus and xPlus, coupled with a new “Optimino controller, which allows the heat battery to work with different energy sources by using a compatible Optimino key.” Specs look the same, hopefully this is a simplification of the range, as the naming conventions were a bit messy. No new manual available yet. Maybe the electronics have improved with this update?

I’ve just tested my soil waste pipes. Three good YouTube tutorials. Not all manometer kits are equal. My BES one was crap. Horobin with brass connectors was much better. Like this one. https://www.wolseley.co.uk/product/horobin-boxed-drain-test-kit/

Lots of useful info here: https://www.tdca.org.uk/timber-cladding/cladding-fixings/ The Timber Cladding Handbook covers a lot of this topic. This supplier also has lots of useful info to download, which is applicable to other products. https://www.mbmspeciality.co.uk/products/thermowood/lunawood/ I don’t recommend this approach as Cedral/Hardie planks are good enough. But I went with Ash Thermowood. It has all the issues of normal timber cladding, plus you can’t use nails!! Only advantages are dimensional stability and greater resistance to fungus, insects, etc. Go with artificial, unless you really can’t bear it.

I see someone made the same comment on the apps YouTube video. According to the Panasonic website, it looks like the Service Cloud area is where you get better information. Not sure how home owners can get access to this. Does the web portal do anything different to the app. http://aquarea-smart.panasonic.com

I was just looking at stud wall pattress boxes. I have used double boards for my wall construction, so need 22.5mm depth. https://www.ukelectricalsupplies.com/norslo-1-gang-47mm-dry-lining-box.htm Norslo DL147N have 30mm depth I thought I’d post this for anybody looking for this in the future.

@MikeMc, any update on how this went? I see most wall mounts come with rubber washers for the ASHP unit.

Another link to the Canadian paper testing different wall build ups.

Is this the kind of pad you mean? https://londontile.co.uk/genesis-725-wf-fine-white-cleaning-pads/

I have also gone down the Hep20 route, diy plumbing. I was also surprised how fragile the pipes are. I think the Wunda UFH pipe gave me a false sense of security. I was careful with the pipes, but still have a way to go before testing everything. I did manage to ruin two runs of pipe when the drill chuck got too close and burned holes in the pipes. It can be an expensive learning curve with some of this self build approach. No one to blame but myself. I also chose ICF, metal framing, and Fermacell, which all seem to come with there own special problems.

I ordered a bag of threaded plastic caps to put on the end of the Hep20 threaded male couplers. https://www.vital-parts.co.uk/threaded-caps---thc020-1112-p.asp

Previous discussion on brick slips and ICF. Might be of interest. In classic forum style this discussion is not in the ICF section.

This thread might yield some useful details. ASHP section is under renewables.

I just followed the online tutorials. No experience of any alternative software. So I don’t really have an informed opinion. I thought LoopCAD was great. No only does it allow you to design UFH layouts, it also includes heat loss calculations. I was pleased that my heat loss calcs in LoopCAD, were consistent with the output from Jeremy spreadsheet. I’m still a long way off commissioning my system, but will be interested to see how the flow rate and temperature calcs in LoopCAD compare to my actual real world installation.

This thread here might be useful. The forum creates some challenges because it is difficult to know sometimes where a topic might fit. Discussion about insulated twin pipe, not many opinions on this at the time. This discussion also covers pipe sizing.

Wavin have changed the URL for this link. New link https://www.wavin.com/en-gb/catalog/Potable-Water/Plumbing-Systems/Wavin-Hep2O-push-fit/Hep2O-Brass-Adaptor-10x12-PFTM Hope this is helpful.

They don’t all use the same grade of eps. Maybe not really significant, but comparing the different blocks, holding them in your hands, I had a strong preference. Experience with the build method probably trumps all other considerations.

You may have seen this earlier thread on same topic. Like a lot of topics not particularly definitive.

I think with the ASHP being on the same wall as the plant room, a pipe connection through this route would be the more simple option. I have the 32mm insulated pipe under the foundation, and its bend radius makes locating it in the ideal location a real challenge. Air tightness is easily covered. You might even struggle to get the insulated pipe to fit looking at your floor plan.

Sorry to resurrect this post, but just doing my SVPs and this whole angle thing is nuts. If a branch has 87.5° angle then the horizontal pipe naturally wants a fall of 1/23 according to my understanding. But building regs have max fall of 1/40. I guess there is enough wiggle to get a shallower fall. I agree about the silicone lubricant, makes undoing the fitting an actual possible.