joe90

So @Oxbow16 are you still without DHW? If so what are you going to do?

This is it in full leaf (I don’t have a pic of no leaf) a bit shaggy as poplar is fast growing and we are very rural. You could always platt the branches as they grew to make it tidier.

Yes, could not think of the name I will (when it stops pissing down ?). I just planted them about 800mm apart, didn’t use a frame just wound the branches together after leaf fall after topping them at about 8 ft.

I planted poplars between us and next door (only reason is they leave their outside lights on 24/7 facing our conservatory, lounge, dining room). They are very fast growing like willow but yes they are deciduous. I top them off after the leaves have fallen then platt the side branches together to form a screen, just two seasons and it’s almost like a fence.

Just watched it and boy what an awful site to build on (can’t believe they only found out about the sewer after they bought it?), but what a skilled chap and such a hard worker. I also love the double decker bus as a workshop for him.

But with a Solid roof you will not get the solar gain a conservatory does, I did consider growing deciduous trees to give it summer shading, saves me driving to the south of France to get my fix of “heat” ?‍♂️

So @ProDave what did you end up with?, my glazing is double (with coatings) as is my conservatory (not orangry), but the coatings on the conservatory are to limit the sun as everyone said it would overheat badly. we use ours all year round without UFH, the solar gain is sufficient, the floor is insulated and tiles are black. ?

I have done exactly this to two external locations before it enters the house.

I have a slightly different take on solar gain, my south facing large conservatory I was told would overheat badly, but apart from a short time when it gets as hot as it has done these last few days, the rest of the year the solar gain is very welcome, even in cold weather with sun in your skies the temp out there is lovely, in fact we use it to heat the house a lot of the year by opening the bifolds into the kitchen and lounge.

Your dead right (but I am an Ovaltine man!)

???just re read that , not quite what I meant, I meant I have taken the head off and waggled the valve, not that I have given duff info quite a few times ??? @Nickfromwales is dead right ?(as always)

I have been thinking about this, I wonder if @ProDave is talking about the mid position three way valves rather than the diverter 3 way valves. I didn’t want to give duff info as I have done this quite a few times myself in the past. Perhaps just remove the head with no power on, waggle the spindle like Dave suggests and see if it moves any further, perhaps crud inside can be persuaded to shift. Mind you @Onoff valve above only moves a little. Let us know how you get on.

My two port valve is not a Honeywell, sorry about that. Not had one of those apart, I don’t understand how they would be different!!!,!

I don’t have a 3 port valve but found a 2 port and the “5 minutes” sound about right.

Yes, just make it call for heat, does not matter if it’s heating or DHW. just make sure you don’t touch the head, but with its cover on you should be ok anyway, report back……..

Sorry my iPad won’t show me those vids. 1/With the head off can you turn the shaft out of the valve? 2/ Can you determine which pipe gets hot by manually turning that valve?

@mike2016, take the handle off the door and see if the handle or the latch is causing problems? Sometimes aluminium handles cause problems as they are soft metal and don’t make good “bearing” surfaces which grab each other.

And me which is why I paid a decorator to do mine whilst I was busy doing other stuff ?

Are you talking gloss or emulsion?. My decorator used dulux matt white fir our ceilings (despite the fact I had bought another brand) saying it covers better and stays white longer, so far he is correct. I don’t like white gloss so have no opinion.

Are they handles or knobs?, I avoid knobs fir this very reason, plus unless you have long mechanisms you catch your knuckles on the door frame. +1 fir oil or a spray of WD40.

Oh I agree, shame to not use all that water power (whatever method you use). Are they not doing similar in Cardiff basin now? I have similar thoughts, solar panels in my field and/or diesel generator running on chip fat (and refined to run my old diesel car) ?

Thing is, are you designing the house fir yourself or visitors?, as long as it meets regs regarding height of handrails etc, and those living in it are ok what is the problem. Yes blocks of flats/offices have similar. The lightwell is a great idea. (I don’t like dark poky designs).

They would apologise. Just a really good crew, not all builders are bad.

I would not even consider having dot and dab, wet plaster (sand and cement first coat) was my specification from day one.

@Jac in contrast my building team were very good, tried hard not to do no 2,s in my facilities (caravan) unless they had too. Clean and tidy and respectful. (Keeping them happy with many teas and biscuits helped ?).