Onoff

Good shout. I'd forgotten about those! I see though they're 15mm fittings generally?

You mean to fit a short immersion sideways?

Ah yes the design from Boil-A-Gilf Inc. I've seen some dangerous sh!t but that takes the crown!

One of my MANY envisioned projects that never happened was to make a copy of the TARDIS door at the entrance to the full height eaves space off of my boy's bedroom and decorate a la Doctor Who. Now that would have been a secret room!

Having run out of oil recently I got back to thinking than an immersion would be handy to have as a back up for hot water. The existing copper cylinder that came with the house (nom 1070x450) is "wedged" up under the rafters. There is an unconnected immersion but it's all broken about the terminals. I reckon it's about 17 or 18 years old. It's also the "wrong" side to access / replace. The immersion site right under a rafter. So I thought I'd go grab a new st/st one. (I don't want to move the hot water cylinder or bugger about at the mo thinking about a TS or UVC btw). But I'm confused. There's this one: https://www.bes.co.uk/indirect-stainless-steel-cylinders-1065-x-450-mm-48in-x-18in-160-litres?ref=gs&gclid=CI6d-uH6tdMCFbgK0wod7GYJkA Or this: http://www.screwfix.com/p/rm-indirect-ss-cylinder-1065-x-450/93313#product_additional_details_container They would both put the immersion the right side for access. What's the better make Stelstor or RM? And for the same overall size the Stelstor says it's 160L but the RM 206L? Both stainless. Very odd! Extra litreage would be good.

Find out who your DNO is or water, telecoms etc provider. A pretty detailed PDF will be on their web site ref service trench requirements. Something like this: http://www.swanage.gov.uk/userfiles/file/Documents prepared by Kehr and Tucker/Mains Trenching Guide Colour 2012.pdf

Had an issue with my left knee for the best part of a month now. Was wearing jogging bottoms one evening and noted my left leg was noticeably hotter, guess the fleece material was keeping the heat in. Knee proceeded to swell up about twice usual size and seemingly full of fluid. Painful to the touch, so much so I banged it one day on an open cabinet door edge and it brought tears to my eyes. Felt generally rough with it too and a couple of serious night sweats. There was a little hole in the skin that would swell and I could squeeze muck out of. Even the bones locally were painful. Couldn't kneel either. Nearly went to the quacks with it but didn't. Cold compresses and ibuprofen got me through. Getting better now but a bit "clicky". Don't know what the answer is.....knee pads?

After a bit of an internet trawl the "American" method of choice seems pretty labour saving by basing everything on an 8'x4' panel: - sheet of 8'x4' backing board (no cutting). - batten and screw on say 6"x1" sides - drop in a full sheet of PIR or "polyiso" as they call it. Again no cutting. Et voila, one box ready for adding your pipes or soda cans of choice & glazing. Guessing out there you might get 8'x4' twin wall glazing sheets? Again, just drop into the box supported by battens. Can't get my head around how/if PIR is good at the high generated temperatures.

Assunme you want to heat water? The lightest design I reckon is one with NO pipes, cans in etc! The guys here are playing with what they're calling the Zero Pass Collector. The idea is that you avoid the absorber element being near the glass over the bulk of the panel area thus avoiding losses. http://simplysolar.supporttopics.com/post/the-zero-pass-hot-air-collector-6611426?pid=1280456999 BUT stop and think! Do you really want to go down this rabbit hole?

All this stuff on CDM I've been seeking pastures new! You might like this ref (paddling?) pool heating: http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PoolHeating/pool_heating.htm

Big difference 85 to 165. The smaller is easier to control. No real kickback with one of these: http://www.evolutionpowertools.com/uk/project/furytwin.php But pretty sure the green Evolution stuff is less robust and more "DIY" than the orange range.

If it's anywhere as good as the Parkside multi tool it's a steal.

In my first house, an 1863 terrace, my Dad & I were removing old gas pipes etc from under the suspended floor when I came across a mass of BURNT BONES! I put them in a black sack and dumped them on the counter at the local cop shop. The duty officer took one look and the CID were there within seconds ushering me into an interview room. Long shot is they asked if I would be OK if they took up ALL the downstairs floorboards and were there within a couple of hours mob handed. We weren't living there at the time but it was pretty funny when the then girlfriend (now missus) popped in after shopping to see how I was getting on! One CID lad asked if I'd found a skull yet. When I said I hadn't he suggested he might be able to supply one as he needed the OT. Happy times! Forgot to add that having the floor up meant rewiring was a doddle. Upshot of the bones was that they were deemed too old to warrant further investigation. Seems infanticide wasn't uncommon back then.

I'd like to ditch the 3 mature fir trees in the front garden and have a cedar with a loop around drive.....

This thread is vying for the longest with my bathroom! FFS someone lay a block or something and post a photo!

I usually use the multi-tool or if a run of them the 185mm Evolution so no worries about hitting a cut nail. Would something like this be any good? (Other makes are available!). http://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb689csw-500w-85mm-mini-circular-saw-230-240v/9591P?kpid=9591P&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&gclid=CIv03dDUs9MCFdXNGwodEuIMHw&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CObljdHUs9MCFeEw0wodzb4PiQ#product_additional_details_container

LOL! It's like my drain saga. Just glad I've no gas pipes to worry about too! A little more digging to the right maybe to lose that clay joint to the right of the gas then TWO clay/pvc rubber couplers with your branch coming off? Be 'kin careful with the grinder!

Just some musings on the can air heater type: How to connect the short panes of glass together at the join, silicon seems the obvious.....glazing tape? Insulate the sides or not? The insulation, would scrap EPS, PIR "melt"? Taper at the top or not to "concentrate" the heat?

Rads are indeed heavier and take longer to heat up due to the volume of water. But quicker to build of course as the bulk of the "panel" is pre done. There's a good vid somewhere where someone's done a side by side comparison of a can one like my original one against a serpentine tube design sandwiched between two ali sheets. The sandwich one has the edge by a few degrees.

"Mummy this tree burns!"

In all seriousness this thread will probably go down the route of home brew (pop can based) solar water heating with panels mounted in a line on that South 'ish facing roof. This to simply pre heat a cylinder before the existing hot water cylinder.

She's got the upstairs en suite so nothing to complain about imo! AND the new bath downstairs WORKS! Seems very unreasonable just 'cos there's no wc, basin, heating, lighting, shower or tiles....

More of a "build it, show her the benefits of sustainable energy etc in the hope she might stop living in the past & come on board for the big decisions like EWI, new plumbing and a new roof needed to fix the place"

The avatar sort of hints at issues...

!!!