ToughButterCup

Apologies to @PeterStarck : I deleted his last post by accident. Sorry Pete... More evidence of my descent into a second childhood. Ian

Thank you.

I thought that. Our tame CSI disagrees. You expect people stupid enough to engage in crime to think logically? Insurers: Loss Adjusters are bastards. The one thing they cannot contradict is evidence: database (list) of all valuables and original receipts

I am in the process of making ours now. Its a series of vertical slats suspended between two RSJs, and faces the viewer in the image below. That corner of the house is outside the heated envelope - at one stage we were planning to glaze it - but its pointless, and expensive. Very expensive. The sexy term for what we are doing is called making a Breeze Corridor (Blame Kevin for that one). The architect calls it a design feature, Debbie calls it her Winter Garden, the retired feminist roofer calls it ' t patiau , I call it fun. I'm doing a bit on it each weekend. If needed , we'll make a scaled down version of that design in front of the two windows to the right of the ' patio' . PHPP points to a small theoretical risk of overheating. PHPP can't make adjustments for a crap first time, eight-fingered self- builder now can it?

Our son is a detective and his other half a CSI. Long chat about this two years ago: the stories his other half has to tell are guaranteed to gross you out within 2 minutes. Take all sensible precautions, but don't disappear up your own Botticelli. Photograph everything of value. Put all the images online and use them as a database for the insurance claim : if possible photograph the relevant invoice too. Cameras are sometimes useful, but no as much people (ie. his mum and dad) think. Get into good security habits: be aware , talk to those around you, watch one anothers' backs. Don't skimp on insurance: read the detail on the policy. If you see a robbery in progress, don't be a hero. Watch, photograph, attract attention if its safe to do so.

So, no ice bucket challenge then eh? Watch this.....

Been going long before the Jurassic son.......

..... it says not to be used at < 10 centigrade. Ambient or the glue itself? Is this a summer-time only glue? Just in case, I've left our tubes cooking gently on the window cill.... Here's the Product Details sheet which implies ambient temperature

Thats @JSHarris key point. I bet there are others. Anyone?

So, is any SunAmp product worth considering to provide any form of heating - water or space in a house? (Trying hard to boil this down to a fairly understandable answer to a very simple question)

For those of us contemplating fitting a SunAmp box, should we SNOG, MARRY, AVOID? +++++++++ Last updated 28th Feb, tea time. +++++++++++ THREAD SUMMARY Core issue: given the concerns expressed in this thread , is a SunAmp system a sensible purchase? Whats the concern? The issue is that one person (so far) reports that the system he has won't recharge until either 50% or 90% depleted. So you could run 48% out on day 1, it won't charge overnight and then day 2 you try and use 65% and it will go cold. ( @PeterW ) ? ( @Roz ) If 'charging' with hot water, then charge management problem disappears : ( @JSHarris ) @PeterW suggests '... simple pump and heater on a dedicated circuit with a small expansion vessel and run at 1 bar ...' The main selling point of the Sun Amp is the much lower standing heat losses than a HW tank. That is indisputable. So it comes down to does this advantage outweigh the extra costs and the extra "difficulties"? ( @ProDave ) So a Sun Amp may have an advantage if you are tucking it down down in the eaves where a taller tank might not fit, but otherwise I see little advantage. ( @ProDave ) There are few, if any, significant issues with the non-electrically heated Sunamps, they seem to work very well and provide a reliable, low heat loss, way of storing heat for either hot water or heating. ( @JSHarris ) I'd be reluctant to recommend the electrically heated Sunamp versions at the moment, at least until they come up with a more sensible controller. ( @JSHarris below) ' ... Why are we debating "work arounds"? The product should just do as advertised! It doesn't!! ...' ( @Barney12) @Nickfromwales joined the discussion; he suggests that errors may well have been made in the specification of some installs - that error source is likely to be reduced by SA's policy decision to have approved installers involved in the specification process. He points to the distinction between USEFUL capacity and ABSOLUTE capacity. He also raised an eyebrow at SAs apparently poor communications flow. However, there is some evidence that SA may not be (or have recently started) applying the Installer Only as Specifier policy in every case. ( @paulmb and @newhome) In respect of Sunamp UniQ units, a clear distinction was drawn by @JSHarris between electrically heated models and those heated by water ( from another source) The former appears to be unreliable, the latter reliable. @JSHarris and @Barney12 both argued that the the 'box' should do what it says on the tin. @Nickfromwales argument is that we should leave the installer to specify the size of the tin. He presents clear evidence of multiple successful installs. And hints that the problem under discussion might well be unique: so far it has been reported by only one person. I've read and re-read this thread now many times. The thing that worries me is that - as written - the problem statement (one instance of the electric charge version of Uniq doesn't work as advertised) appears to be based on a very small sample size : 1. So, @Pete, you first?

I've got one of those too Dave. And I was just about to decide on which unit to order. I'm not known for being decisive, but this thread causes me to do more than dither.....

Nuff said lads?

Expansion - I am told. I'm also told that I should fit the boards after they have been in the house for a while - to acclimatise. Like a fine wine, boards need to 'breathe' ?

Always as well to check. I've heard 10mm....

I'll do that, I agree... Well, that settles it then. Did a drawing to try and get my head round it..... You assume some intelligence on my part Pete. I'll try this with a spare bit of batten : it'll go click when I do that

You mean waste some? Well, I'm shocked. My outrage is not at you Dave, its at my particularly stupid stupidity.

Yes, 22mm, T+G on 400 centres (or less sometimes)

........ because I've never done this before : a dwang virgin in fact. And this so basic, it's embarrassing. First floor board ends between two joists. I need to put a nogging in to support the ends, I think. Does the edge of the nogging have to be in line with the edge of the board ( i.e. 580mm from the other edge) , or can it be placed anywhere between the top chords of the adjacent joists? (POSIs fitted) as long as it supports the fee end(s) of the floor board?

Wooden crate used for slates, and half an old wooden door ....works well . Free.

Guess who gets the blame at our place..... Mmmmm, yes. Right first guess.

Well if I only need two boxes, then it ain't going to break the bank is it? Thanks Ian

Because? Just because it's waterproof ? Reisser T+G groove flooring screws , perhaps? Thanks. hadn't thought of that.....

Hi @JamesP, any special type of screws? Or just 'normal' ones ....?

Would you be kind enough to run your eye over this, please? The list below is gleaned from a mixture of YT videos, the LABC and NHBC standards and several flooring threads on BH : thanks to @ProDave, @Big Neil, @Simplysimon, @Hecateh, @PeterW, @Mr Punter, @Declan52 , @bassanclan @Oz07 and others. I have 46 sq meters of floor to lay on the first floor on joists which are laid at 400 centres: you know, the ones that de-bagged me Since the floor is a structural member, and the roof is on - we are dry, the sensible choice seems to be 22ml chipboard T+G, (although 18mm will do for 400 centers) laid at right angles to the joists, long edges at room perimeters must be fully supported on either a joist or a nogging in any case, noggins must support the short edge laid ' brick-bond ' (to ensure minimal waste and maximum T+G contact) D4 adhesive : gloves to prevent contact with the glue (thanks, @Declan52) screwed every 300mm, screws 50mm long (at least double the depth of the board) and at least size 8s with a 10ml gap all the way round vertical abutment(s) leave a small loose panel in each room so I can fish wires through later (thanks @ProDave) I'm using sheets that are 2400mm by 600mm and my BM is charging me £8.88 / sheet. Missed anything? As every, many thanks in anticipation. Ian (PS, forgot to ask about screws spec: are there any screws that are specially for boarding out?)