ToughButterCup

Ahhhhha! I'll get me callipers out. Now that's really interesting

What do I want to know? The trade names of the plastic piping: both the white stuff and grey stuff. If you look at the top right of the top right photo, the plastic stuff re-connects to copper piping - but if you look at the radiator that that loop serves, the piping is plastic where it goes into the valve. So for one or two of our radiators on the feed side, the water travels through copper, then plastic, then copper then plastic piping . On the way back it's just plastic. I think our system must have been built by a cobbler, not a plumber.

Hoostun, we have a prablerm. I'll save you the sob story.I need to know what this stuff is. Our local BMW are experts at making me feel like an idiot when I go in and ask for stuff I've never used before. So could you please tell me what this stuff is, please..... It's a loop containing 3 radiators in our central heating system And I think this valve is leaking... What do you think? Any guidance would be most welcome. Ian

Better to travel than to arrive. Well, sounds like you need to start all over again.

She wasn't thaaaaat nice.

Ploughing through the FF (first-fix, first fix) electrics today. Met a very nice lady from a lesser know electrics chain. She likes to say Yesss. Anyway, looking through the catalogue I see Hager do a thing called Klik lighting So, what's more natural than searching BH for reference to it? Nada, nichts, nothing. However, there are some on here who'll know every last detail, every last reason why I should use it, and why not. This is what I was looking at The question is, should I use this system to run my 6A lighting circuits? Ian

Here's the draft checklist for comment 1. Drain runs: must be downhill and straight 2. Spare conduits: draw strings 3. Soil Pipes 4. Copper pipes 5. MVHR runs 6. Hep2O 7. Electrical backing boxes 8. Electricity cable 9. Data and Audio visual: printer, HDMI cables, speaker cables 10. Telephony 11. Socket location 12. Security 13. Fire alarm 14. Normal pipes 15. Door bell 16. Door frames 17. Pocket door frames 18. Stair well: floating / cantilevered? 19. Leave floor boarding unfixed to enable new cables to be fished across 20. Photograph everything, measure and mark with a sharpie as needed ( but not on Plaster Board) and/or take notes. Make allowance for finished floors & walls. 21. Sound insulation 22. Plaster Boarding 23. Support (noggins) for wall hung items such as cupboards, sinks, mirrors, TVs, What have we missed out?

Of one thing you can be certain. They will be in there. If I put a bit of rotten wood in the bottom, they'll tuck in there quite safe and undisturbed. Not like the one that Sid growled at in our living room last week during that warm spell.

Thanks for the help all. Wall mounted, external, but under cover (in our piggery). I'll have a look for the guide marks, @ProDave No need for a grommet or water resistant fitting round the incoming cable I see. Hmmm.

I have bought the meter box. Before I fit it to the wall above the hockey stick today I need to drill a hole so that the cable can be fed into the box. Does that hole have to have some sort of rubber grommet or gland to keep the water out? Or can I just drill a hole the same size as the hockey stick?

It would be useful to include a link to the site of the free download. Here is the wikipedia entry The contents should be treated with care - respectful scepticism even. However at the very least, the links included make for interesting reading.

@Hecateh, it's the testing of the samples which is important. If you know exactly what the constitution of the ground is, then a foundation plan can be written on the basis of evidence. We have some sandstone under our clay, some of it is flaky, but one bit of it stopped the piling machine in its tracks (the very last pile). I can go and dig you some sandstone from our site now and you could rub it in your hands and soon there'd be a pile of sand. Other bits of it would take a sledgehammer blow with ease. Across our field , there's an old sandstone quarry - beautiful hard stuff. A test rig tells you exactly what the score is. Grit your teeth and do it right

That's the top and bottom of it.

Ooooo errrr. Dear me.

A very warm welcome from all of us here. You are doing what I didn't have the guts to do. A few steps too far into what, for the family, they would call the unknown. I am afraid I can't answer your question. But I can encourage you to be persistent. And the first step there might well be to network widely among those who have built with your chosen method. I for one would be very interested indeed to see how you get on. I have been fed a TV diet of straw-bale builds: but the details interest us here. You might notice I have tagged your post (just below the title line). That's to help others find your posts - all part of the service.

I don't know the answer to your question, but this is where I get my advice from The employee who answers the phone (perhaps used to now) seems(ed?) to have an encyclopedic contacts list. She listens well.

@Redoctober, you have five decisions to make. Hosting Volume of information you want to publish Blog platform Data security Domain name Hosting: you can disappear under the weight of guff written. Answer the next three questions and then decide the host Volume: text only, but video and photos hosted elsewhere (YT Vimeo FB} ? Or everything on your space? Video eats space, images too Platform: WordPress, but look at the smaller ones Security: EMEA Domain: purchase your own, or do you mind being part of a subdomain? ( redodoctober.wordpress ) Cheap, cheerful: sub domain at wordpress. Balanced cost with security, look at @TerryE or @JSHarris or @ProDave 's example. Once you get one you'll want to add bells and whistles.

The issue is the depth mismatch. Got through to the right person late this afternoon; and she said to taper the trench. So that's what I started to do. Until I found the end of the hockey stick.... 800 mm down. ? I'm not getting used to doing stuff for the first time anything like fast enough. Need a break I think.

ENWL (our Network Operator) is coming next week to make the connection, and I thought it would be useful to go into some detail about establishing the supply connection in terms of what a self builder needs to do before fitting a Consumer Panel. I also have a couple of questions. I have already done all the paperwork necessary, and paid the fee. There have been two pre-inspections on site: but things have been a bit fraught recently, so I'm running behind schedule. I need to dig the trench this week. My principal concern is to do it once and do it right. I need to dig the trench over our land to meet up with the incoming trench from across the road. How deep should it be? ENWL used to provide a guide for making connections, but, as is often the case, large organisations don't maintain their hyperlinks, and so the hyperlink is dead. However, I found the correct one here. (accessed November 2017) Quite why such a document should be found on this type of online resource ( but not the DNO's site) baffles me. The document may well be out of date. The DNO guidance says (on footpaths or verges) that low voltage cable should be 450mm from the surface. But that crossing a road, it should be 600mm below the surface, So, I need to dig a trench 450mm deep plus 150mm (the low voltage cable diameter), but the cable across the road is 600mm below the surface (plus the diameter of their ducting) So there's a mismatch. I only need 3 meters of ducting across my land. (it's less than that from the road to our piggery - where the meter box will be)

It's very moving to read posts like these. When the phrase thats not today's problem as in is used , it puts my own insecurity and stress sharply into perspective. And maybe other peoples too. My experience tells me that it takes a high level of persistent stress and anguish to get to the point where just getting through that day is counted a success. Thanks for posting @lizzie and @Moira Niedzwiecka, I am sure you can count on our continuing support. Have an appropriately modest man-hug. (each) Ian

A really elegant way of navigating that minefield . I'll commit it to memory.

Its really easy. Big-ish photocopy of a map showing the relevant features , mark your plot and anything else needed. Send to the Land Registry. Software? Pen and paper will do fine.

Listen to what both have to say. You are about to create a team. All three of you need to listen to one another and draw the best out of each other . That dynamic takes care and emotional intelligence. The biggest issues occur when there's imbalance: technical understanding and style of communication are the commonest worries. At some stage you are going to have to trust someone to work with you. Before that can happen they will have to work to earn that trust. In working towards it, all any of us can do is create an environment conducive to listening. Not easy, and not quick, needs hard work. I forgot to say welcome

General hilarity in the pub last night.....when someone suggested that in effect this gives me permission to close the road any day I choose. All I need is a few traffic cones. Its so very tempting, very tempting indeed.

And that's what we found. One way or another (DIY or Utility company) , the cost is (was) painful.