PeteTheSwede

Any feedback on the Icon Airflow @TheMitchells? - I need to buy 4 fans in the next few days to replace the cheap and nasty ones my builder tried to install. Thanks Pete

Thanks all. All options would be fairly close to an outside wall, so that probably is ok. I suspect weight issues could be managed. The plumber told me he wants to use a distribution pump on a timer to ensure quick access to hot water. Is that a good idea? This appears to be irrespective of where the tank is located. Do you think the risk of leakage is significant enough to warrant having the tank on the ground floor just for that reason? Thanks Pete

Hi all I'm trying to decide on the best location for the unvented hot water tank, 300l capacity. I would rather it was in the loft out of the way, but the plumber wants it in the Utility on the ground floor. There is also a compromise location possibility in the ensuite on the first floor. Other than obvious access issues, are there particular issues with having the tank in the loft in terms of water pressure or anything else? For context, we will be having wet UFH downstairs, and radiators off manifolds upstairs. One shower downstairs, and a family bathroom (with shower over bath), and ensuite (shower) upstairs. Fed off a normal gas boiler. Thanks for any advice Peter

I had a couple of conversations with insurers today. They aren't particularly useful, but it appears that some (but not all) of the JCT contracts allocate additional liability in some way on the homeowner, which means that that the insurer would need to cover it. They said it would mean your policy would be more expensive as a result. One insurer said, "if you use another contract, we don't need to see it, but if you use a JCT one then we do", which seems nuts since your own contract could say anything. A bit more independent research seems to suggest the insurance position under some of the JCT contracts gives the option of holding certain insurance in joint names, https://corporate.jctltd.co.uk/joint-names-clauses-create-own-problems/ . I wonder if this has something to do with it. The Home Owner version does not, it simply says that the Contractor needs All Risk insurance and Public Liability insurance, and that the home owner needs to inform their home insurer of the work. That seems fairly normal to me. Still pretty confused though.

Hi all I'm due to sign my contract with my main contractor in a few days, and the architect suggested the JCT Homeowners Contract. I've just been told by a friend who has just completed a renovation that the insurers he spoke to to insure his house during construction recommended him against JCT contracts. Does this resonate with anyone? Anyone know why this might be the case? Should we be using something other than the JCT contract? Thanks in advance Pete

Thanks - but if you can get U values that low, with the added security benefits of laminated glass, at a lower cost than triple, why aren't more people selling this? Or are they and I just haven't noticed?

A company has quoted me for "Homeguard" laminated glazing in lieu of triple on some flush pvc windows. They claim U values down to 1.15U, 35DB noise reduction, and various other benefits. It's a 10% uplift on the normal window (which isn't far off what triple would cost). Does anyone have any experience of this glass or similar? Are the numbers to be believed? The glass is 6.4mm clear laminated + 18mm warm edge spacer+ 4mm anealed planitherm. https://www.abbeywindows.co.uk/homeguard-double-glazing-reading/ Thanks all Pete

I'm at the stage of telling my contractor what wiring I want put in. I had been looking at Loxone, but my neighbour's Loxone install is costing him £18K and that's too much for me. Ideally I would just future proof and put off the decision by putting lots of cable in, but other than lots of CAT5/6 I'm not really sure what wiring to put in. Current thoughts as follows: Security The easiest answer is something like a Pyronix wireless system. I would however also love to take the opportunity to run wire to each of the doors and windows for sensors as I seem to spend a lot of time running around checking everything is closed before I go out, but haven't decided on this yet. You could obviously do this wirelessly with a Zwave sensor or similar, but wired would be better and probably cheaper. Lighting At this stage, I'm focusing on enabling me to use a wireless technology for lighting in certain places. This entails getting deep back boxes put in behind light switches and making sure neutral wires are available, to simplify putting things behind light switches in future (e.g. fibaro). I have been trialling LightwaveRF in the existing house. Works pretty well although the instructions are rubbish, it's quite expensive and it concerns me that they are a relatively small company and the technology is closed. I think Zwave is likely to be a better bet as you can use it with various home automation systems. Audio Sticking with Sonos. I had ceiling speakers previously and didn't use them. Also, a leak in the room above trashed one of the them. Wifi Will be wiring Cat 5/6 with Power over Ethernet for 3 or 4 Ubiquiti access points. CCTV Will be wiring Cat5/6 for PoE back from 4 or 5 points externally to somewhere central to use with a Network Video recorder or Blue Iris software on a pc. There seem to be a number of decent camera brands out there for reasonable prices, e.g. Hikvision. AV wiring I will have two main TV points in rooms at opposite ends of the house. I was intending to duplicate and centralise all the AV gear under the stairs or in the Utility Room and run HDMI cables to the TVs, but am beginning to think it is more trouble than it's worth, particularly if you want 4K picture quality and decent sound. Normal HDMI cables max out for 4K at around 8m and after that you're looking at fancy stuff like fibre optic hybrid HDMI which will cost you a couple of hundred quid. You're also running speaker cable for 5.1 or 7.1, plus phono lead for the subwoofer, plus CAT6, plus optic audio as back up, etc etc. I think I'm going to put speaker wire in to both locations to allow for surround sound with a local amplifier, but will probably only have full surround sound in one location and use a soundbar in the other. I suspect I will have to live with having some boxes near the tvs. Pete

So I went to the Grand Designs show at the NEC yesterday and spoke to all of the available UFH suppliers about this. A majority were a bit scared of setting up a wet UFH system under vinyl without a probe, and said that Amtico wouldn't honour the guarantee in this case. "What if the design parameters changed?". This does sound like a lack of confidence in their own ability to design the system, but that's what they said. A couple said it would be fine, particularly since the room I am putting it in is north facing. The consensus generally was to abandon Evohome and use one of the other zones systems available that do have a probe (polypipe do one). Even if these other systems don't have TRVs available (eg. Heatmiser) then the suggestion was the run the radiators off a manifold and control them that way. P

Thanks - is that just for the 50mm of foam or the whole brick - foam -brick wall? I had read that pre-1970's retrofilled walls were unlikely to be better than 0.5 for the whole wall. Thanks again Peter

Hi all My 1930s detached house has walls made of brick then a 50mm filled cavity and then brick again. The cavity has been filled with foam at some time in the past (don't know when or what with). I'm trying to work out the U value of the wall currently, so I can calculate the impact of adding external wall insulation. I've used various online calculators, but don't know what to choose for the foam. Can anyone suggest what the foam might actually be, assuming it was done some years ago? Extra points for suggesting an R or U value for 50mm ? Thanks all Peter

Thanks

Evohome can control both radiators and UFH, but the thermostats are air temp sensing, yes. That's the issue I'm trying to resolve. The suggestion I had read elsewhere was that you might be able to put two thermostats "in series", in some sense. This might not be in a physical sense, but would mean that if either the air temp thermostat or the floor thermostat was triggered for that zone, then the heating would be cut. The Honeywell/Evohome website says this on the subject. "QUESTION / PROBLEM Describes the Question/Problem What floor probe is compatible with the evohome system for wet underfloor heating? ANSWER / SOLUTION Describes the answer or the required steps that resolve the issue A floor probe can be added to the evohome system for wet underfloor heating system but the manufacturer of the manifold can tell what type of probe floor is needed. "

Thanks - at this point this is all theoretical and all has to be bought. Just trying to figure out a way of using Evohome (which I quite like) in this context.

I did speak to technical support at Wunda this afternoon, and they suggested limiting the flow temperature, although they were talking about limiting it to between 35-40 degrees, as presumably the flow temperature doesn't translate directly to the temp of the floor covering. My concern would be whether limiting the floor temperature means I won't be able to heat the room sufficiently...