ToughButterCup

Naaaah. The electricty, water come at The Piggery - not the house- precisely to avoid that issue. Called Brick shed in the image below. ( Because the Planners might have declared us a brown field site - Psst! need Some home cured bacon?)

Edward, wash your mouth out with champagne. ☺️ Done that already. But it's illegal innit. However ...

And that is what makes me suggets their design could be seen as incompetent.

Here's where I put (the hole for) it, at their request... on our front wall.

The background to this thread is here. Long story short, I maintain their water connection design is incompetent. This thread is about the process of getting them to think about my point of view of view, ask them to re - consider their design and to install a stop tap outside our property. I have written an initial email asking them to make contact. Briefly, the design they insist upon does not include a stop tap outside our property. So, if as is the case here, I need to replace the first stop valve - which- they state should be INSIDE our property, then I need to do a significant amount of work to repair the valve. And that isn't fair, given that it is common practice to put a water stop valve outside new build houses. Heres the design

We're going to have a go at incorporating subtle references to salamanders in our place. Inspired by a present given by @Ferdinand, (a pair of salamander castings) I thought I might make a mold, and cast a lead salamander- I have half a mind to attach one to the end of our ridge beam.

If I HAD inserted a stop valve, then the inspector could have refused the work because I would not have followed the diagram. Same feed, the piggery is closer to the road. They used a Talbot Compression Tool. It forces a threaded connector into the main like this ... once made, this assembly is screwed on top of the main. And that was that, nothing else done - back fill , tea, medals.

And what if , God forbid, the inspector refuses to carry out the work because I failed to follow the instructions given? The desigh is at fault.

It's your attitude I admire...

Hi Dave, No, that image is the valve inside thebuilt in wall meter box. Thats the second of two stop valves. The blue one ( above) is inside our piggery. I stood and watched as they connected my 'tail'. There is no external stop valve. Big, fat, smelly promise. ? Why me? Why?

Yes. 100 %. I dug the ditch, laid the pipe, stopped the end, and that was inspected by the inspector. All OK. Its leaking from the stalk: you have to dig your fingers in behind the blue Plasson valve handle (its hollow) and smear your finger along the stalk to get your finger wet.

Why @Russell griffiths, why does it always happen to me? Tell me, why? This is the approved United Utilities design for a new connection. Before we had the work done, an inspector came out to see if I had done the work as per the diagram. We had indeed. The keen-eyed among you will see that there is no external stop-tap. Can you see where this is going yet? The internal Plasson stop tap (fitted by me) is dripping from the stalk: not much - about an egg-cup full every night I had a mate come round and confirm my suspicion - I thought I was going a bit mad - the valve is indeed leaking from the stalk. The lovely, expensive Plasson valve has a leaky stalk. Easy, mate he said, Turn the outside stop tap off and we'll replace it he said. Aint got one I said. Cue earthy Lancastrian disbelief. Here it is - ever so faint, but here the leak is...... 'Nother fine mess I got myself into eh? Wot's next then folks?

LED lighting track comes in different lengths. .If, to make up the designed length, we need to butt two tracks up to each other, does the joint show at the diffuser? Or is it best to order an exact length of track?

No. It would be sensible, and very simple to fence the worksite off (with HERAS). The reason I raise the issue is - lets say that you decide to go away on holiday, and mindless vandals decide to have a good time in your house - and then they go on to do the same on your worksite. (God forbid) Among the first questions the insurance company will check is whether the site was fenced off? If it is, no issue...... it's identifiably separate. Legally, the same entity may well be covered under multiple insurances: but applicants may only claim on one policy. HERAS is the cheapest insurance against casual crime or tired, over-worked van-drivers. Second hand - £25per panel with a base. You'll need to fit it carefully. (wind)

You've already proved you have grit. So, well done and welcome!

Thanks Ed. .The 'k ' in knapping is silent. Makes the phrase ' caught knapping' more interesting doesn't it? There's Something you won't find @nod doing.

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Self building stresses the parts that other activities fail to reach - but some stress is useful, perhaps vital. The challenge - most days- of doing stuff I have never done before keeps me sane . So I'm planning to do more stuff I've never done before , as long as it is physically demanding. I have thought about making shakes or learning how to lay hedges or doing some stone walling.

Interesting, how does a standard that should be universal penalise small houses? You going to show me some hard sums?

I have two speeds: dead slow and stop. What else is retirement for?

A magnet; inside a metal pole? ? Trip to Amazon in order, methinks.

store my impact driver like this. have a guess where my only Torx driver bit is now? Right. 8 feet below my platform IN SIDE the scaffold pole- Poo

@Patrick your post is one of the most helpful that I have seen. It reinforces well understood research into learning styles. It would be brilliant if we could have someone whose job it was simply to search video resources to help those for whom a video, or an illustration helps more than a screed of text. It pains me to read that you are somehow to blame for not understanding written text. Let me be clear: you are not to blame. I spent many years teaching teachers (serving and trainee) to recognise that not everyone learns the same way. It was an uphill job sometimes.

Exactly. But if you don't try the informal route, then you won't ....

From my direct experience - to add a little to what @Sensus and @scottishjohn say , our next door neighbour simply emailed the relevant planning officer - permission was given by email in the terms already outlined . 4 (maybe 5 ?) years later, because the resident continued to remain on site even after a failed Planning Appeal, the Enforcement Officer finally served Notice to Quit (maybe the wrong term) . The resident now has a further 6 months to comply with the order. As @Sensus points out: this is a much mis-understood area of Planning practice - more honoured in the breach, I think. The take-away here is, if you can get permission via a simple email exchange, do so.