SuperJohnG

Welcome, and congrats on living the dream. I holiday in France (not this year!) Over the other side though where all the people with big boats go, albeit we are staying in Caravans and not suleryachts. Never been to the West Coast fancy at one point.

Most of these questions are only getting asked as I have learned loads from yourself and others before who have done the same and posted here. Hopefully I can feed plenty back also once I have that stage complete. I am trying to get organised ahead of time, I'll kick off early January and need it all completed by 29th if possible as Scottish Power coming to full power through duct into slab and connect power. Currently planning 7-10 days off but struggling to get time, I've a very demanding job and actually carrying 23 days into next year just due to being too busy! Its tight, butni have listed all steps and will try head off any issues (learned from here) in advance. Still a relatively high possibility of minor melt down remains...? Got picked uo today, should arrive at my mates farm (3 miles away) on Monday. Wohoo. I'd think so, likely won't make a bit of difference in reality. With the thickness of the slab it'll distribute just fine. He did say that he was super focused finalising a very important clients drawings too...can only presume its yours. ?

@LA3222 I had a chat with Tom at Tanners, so all fine to run through the thickening in parallel as long as you have good spacing. The main point for the note is that they don't want banks of pipes running there such that sufficient concrete couldn't flow round about them and hence then when loaded theoretically there wasn't enough concrete support (I.e. you'd only be supported on pipes) then there would be a risk of the bank of pipes crushing. Handy info for anyone in the future hopefully.

@LA3222 This is what I have in my drawings (literally sharing at the same time). I read it that you can still do it, but just not run 10 pipes in parallel with the thickenings. I might check with Tanners.

Mega surprised at that. I hadn't seen that in then drawing at all, that would mean no UFH from 600mm in from the edge of the internal walls. Seems a massive area to lose? Great @joe90 makes sense now. I might put a couple of my pipes underneath some walls to make it easier.

Thanks @joe90. Was yours in slab or screed? I might do the garage loops underneath the plant room walls to make it easier. But would be interested to understand if I actually need conduit. By reverse serpentine do you mean spiral? (I think you do but just wanted to make sure it wasn't double serpentine).

I finally got around to getting a design from Wunda for this, it was only £50quid deposit at the moment. See below and attached for my version, vs theirs. Main differences being they done seprentine and I done spiral - I had read sprial was better for even heat distribution. Any comments on this? and is it something that willmake a huge difference? my reason for asking it is seems it would be easier laying the serpentine then the spiral. I will be laying these in January outside in a rural plot in Scotland. Likely cold wet and wanting the easiest option if it makes little difference. Second thing being, they have hugged the walls ridiculously tight, especially in the hall which makes no sense as I wanted to use the transient heat there rather than another loop. Also I don't see the value of hugging the walls, make for a dangerous point considering that's where screw will be put into slab. Think they have missed it here. Any feedback appreciated to help me tick this off the list, thanks. Theirs: Mine: ufh final.PDF 01054 John Garrat PIPE LAYOUT - A1 (Custraw Road).pdf

I woukd have thought it was better to drill then into some wood. But maybe thats the norm? I am possibly being over cautious, but ots not something we woukd ever do from an engineering manufacturing point of view. I double checked on the air vs foam u value. And I might be wrong in the not being worthwhile here. But I cant see it adding much value as the thermal conductivity of the steel is so high.

You shouldn't ever drill holes in sealed box section. Water gets in and rusts it from the inside out. Filling it with foam isn't going to do anything either. Its air inside it, which is pretty much the same thermal conductivity as insulation. So no win here. Adding insulation around the outside of the steel will help for sure as will properly stopping any rust in its tracks by rubbing it down and painting. However also...don't get too worried its not going to rust and fall apart any time soon.

Welcome and defo sounds interesting. Only from my own reading here but this sounds some alarm bells. Why do you want to avoid ASHP? Solar panels - great but no Feed in tariff available Batteries - good but technology not quite there yet and expensive. Electric boiler - no COP? Solar evacuated tubes - ok in summer, but nobody really getting any use in the winter, hence that electric boiler will be working hard. I've not built yet ' due to break ground in jan. I'm going ASHP with some PV if I can afford but thats onky out of the goodness of my heart for the environment its not a cheaper route.

Ordered my Kore foundation yesterday (from Ireland). €9718 Was going to do BACS payment...but at the last second noticed the exchange rate being given of 1.05 from bank of Scotland.. Quick change to credit card and paid using that (no fees) and you get the mastercard rate at that point of 1.1. Point of the story £420 better off. Happy days

This is good to know. I'll have SIPS so no expansion joint. Then battens and then render board (knauff aquapanel). Did you just do 600 centres in the vertical battens? Which would pick up the studs and then suit a 2.4m board? When you mention the moisture resistant boards. Do you mean the render boards? (Just so I know I'm mot missing a step here.

Its a good question, @LA3222 was advised and used screws for his roof battens. There was guidance from the manufacturer that x amount of thread had to go into the insulation to provide the correct mechanical fixing for the roof battens. I'm thinking it may be the same here and ok. You just want to ensure really there is no relative movement between the SIP panel and the battens but also ensuring the required mechanical grip is there, which this should do.

Ive not got any expansion joints shown on my drgs either currently, which is render on renderboard on SIPS. Id prefer not to have them also I've not quite figured out how to ensure I avoid @Bitpipes scenario as SIPS only have splines which will be further apart than battens spacing. I'd be interested to see how others mount their renderboard whether its horizontally or vertical.

This thread seems to jump quite far ahead fir a simple question. I have a gen 2. It works fine, it benefits me in now I can see all my consumption historical and live. Hence can switch things off. It hasn't affected my tariff and it isn't variable. I am on the same rate I would have if I didnt have one. I don't see why there is so much contempt for a wee device that automatically sends away your figures...

Its likely about managing them then. If you have the info to hand, you just manage the life out of your advisor and make sure they are pushing it on every day. That is how I have dealt with most people so far where I am relying on a 3rd party.

My childhood home was oil-fired central heating, house likely 400-450 sqm. We had a 10'000L stainkess steel oil tank.. (it was actually a milk tank). We used to fill it when it was 10-15p a litre. A few years ago I was offered the house by people who bought it from us as a first refusal. I quickly done the calc for heating oil....which then was around 70p...and realised I couldn't afford to live there. ?

Buildloan are part of buildstore. I ditched them very early on due to their exorbitant fees and numerous bad reports. My own initial experiences were that they were slow to respond, nobody gave sound info, took ages to get back to me. The front end of their business at first contact is clunky and doesn't work well, once I got a few layers down their actual financial advisors were OK but still high fees remained. In the end - I went with Ecology, low fees, straight talking and easy peasy to deal with. Once I decided to fully apply, it was around 8-10nwerks getting approved and could have been quicker if I got stuff quicker. Id allow at least 12 weeks no matter who you got with from application to getting money in bank..

These figures seem pretty low.... I'm 24'650 kWh for the year (estimated by my supplier - but I double checked and ita accurate). House is 90m^2 internal area. So 274kWh/m2/year which seems horrific compared to others here. Bearing in mind, this is my current house that we live in, which is a 1975 thermaltite block house with brick outer skin, no insulation in walls. Insulation above upstairs ceilings but cold loft. Air bricks in walls, family of 4. Thats all our gas usage for heating, hot water and cooking. I'm looking forward to living ona SIPS house with insulated foundation...

I always switch every year with Uswitch. But hadn't in the last year as octopus was still coming back the best deal. Maybe need to check again.

Yeah that's updated live costs, I have a gen 2 smart meter. Its a fully burdened cost and hence includes standing charge. But gas is it 2.8p /kWh. The standing charge is part of a gas cost regardless as you have to pay it.

This is good info. And defo helpful advice, you've got to take it in realtive terms though. I'm sure it's a very big house though isn't it? Also - cost for gas seems off...I just checked my meter and got the following...and I'm with octopus.

@LA3222 I think I was the same as you and was under the impression that it was better to have an indirect buffer (sure that was covered in another thread!). Same as you I was thinking ecodan pre plumbed, but I'll spend a little time pricing and understanding the system a bit better with pre plumbed vs built system. But regardless of ease. I think the hard work has been done here, a little bit more development on a final design and it'll be there and then you can cost a built system and also get the value add for selecting a cylinder which suits like a 400l if required. Nearly there!

Amen. I for one have used them on my build,very helpful.

So there is 110mm high temp soil pipe available?