Onoff

Until the armed independence uprising and they hold us to ransom over it! 😉

You would like to think that skyrocketing energy prices have made people rush out en masse to insulate their homes, fit PV etc. I bet in reality the majority haven't. Partly its a double edged sword in that that money is needed to pay for the rise in energy costs. Coupled of course with general apathy that the government will do "something". LT will likely curb the increases and spread the payback burden into the future. She'll be popular for a bit. The majority of the country will go back to contended bliss, turn the thermostat up and let all the heat out when the Deliveroo driver turns up. I don't feel so silly I must admit about buying the 6kVA diesel genie now as an aside. As an aside, are the Chinese playing the long term energy game? We all fit and become reliant on PV then in 20 years time can't get panels, inverters, spares etc? Are we going to see lithium supplies used as a bargaining chip down the line. Look at the inroads China is making in South America and Africa. I'm rambling as usual!

Well I'm certainly not in a hurry to get the 9kW body dryer going now!

Onto the solar thermal roof brackets tomorrow now that Summer's over... ... maybe

Doubter, all printed, sprayed, fitted and WORKING!

You'd be more than welcome to but I'm likely working Saturday and Sunday assuming I'm Covid free. TBA.

... I don't think the first link works? This should: https://flic.kr/p/2nJMkws

Using electricity, cos that's cheap???

A video of the gates finally working albeit off a temporary fly lead as aforementioned: https://flic.kr/p/2nJMkws All working but for a pita with a board output that doesn't seem to be working! Anyone else got Chamberlain Liftmaster kit with a CB22 pcb? @Big Jimbo?

Does it take into account the costs upgrading the gas distribution network? Doesn't hydrogen have to be delivered at higher pressure than a lot of our infrastructure can cope with?

So we'll at least have the lights on, to see what's not on our plates!

It is more brittle, less ductile maybe a better term but fine for what you're doing. (I have seen A2/304 used by the seaside and peppered with holes like a Swiss cheese). A2 = 304 as A4 = 316 just denotes the corrosion resistance. Amount of chromium or something. Even if strength grade 70 as opposed to 80 you're good to go with it. Fyi. 3 bolts, 2 on the left are galvanised. First one is grade 4.6, low tensile strength. Second is grade 8.8 generally considered the start of high tensile fixings (you then get 10.9, 12.9 etc). Can be tricky to galvanise or zinc plate 10.9 and above as you risk hydrogen embrittlement. Other finishes are available like cad plating, sheradising etc. Its why car bolts are generally "black". If a fixing has no strength grade treat as the lowest. We discard them tbh. On the right then is an A2 70 bolt, so the lowest corrosion grade and lowest strength. You could just as easily get an A4 80.

A2 or A4 are how corrosion resistant the stainless is. A4 (316) is sometimes referred to as marine grade. The strength will likely be 70 or 80. 80 being better than 70 and roughly skin to an 8.8 steel bolt. Doubt woodscrew manufacturers will quote the material strength just A2 or A4. Found these: M12x250: https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk/Bolts-Screws-Metric/Dowel-Screw-Hanger-Bolt-Centre-Hex-Drive-M12x250-A2-Stainless.html

If you can't get the length you want...You could use a short, stainless dowel screw into the timber ring beam. Then a stainless thread connector and as long a piece of stainless stud as you need coming off that.

😂 Sorry, Covid induced slow uptake here!

I don't understand the comment?

Cheers...but that doesn't ring any bells! 😂 I'm sure you said something about only needing to run a small (2kW?) fan heater in there occasionally during the build, pre getting the Genvex up and running and that in the depths of winter. Then there was some seemingly magical figure that made think wow along with being very jealous! 😂 Was on the lines of it took less energy to heat the whole house as it did a kettle, like half from memory. Was it per hour? I remember it excluded your dhw requirements.

Not sure what I mean, I just recall @Gone West quoting a figure that was semi understandable / relatable to a thicko like me! It was impressive whatever it was. There's a discussion on another forum where the whole passive concept is taking a bit of a knocking by some who clearly don't understand. Just figured I'd chip in with something real world relatable. Quite funny really, comments like "Our friends have a passive House, it looks horrible". Then "You won't get permission to build one in the UK". As an aside there's gems on the lines of "The UK doesn't get enough sun for solar power". I just wish I was uneducated to the concept. Ignorance is bliss as they say.

I'm going to try and start to clear the rest of the veg patch, say a square metre at a time to give the wildlife a chance to disperse. Ready for next year/season or whatever gardeners term it. Got a freebie greenhouse and a couple of brand new, never assembled potting type sheds, one of which might go on there.

As said before Covid is pretty personal for me. It killed my Mum. Dad recently went in with heart failure, came out with Covid. Back in shortly after testing negative this time with a mild stroke. Now he has Covid again caught in there. The Covid is making it harder to treat the other conditions. Plus these batteries are stupid heavy and I'd need my lad to help lift them out of the car.

What if it's the different strain? Anyway I don't want to go near germy people 😂

One for @Gone West. I think you once quoted the average daily (hourly?) kW used in your old place for just heating, can you recall the figure? I have this vague recollection it was less than it takes to boil a kettle?

Once he and I are both over Covid I'll go and get them. Brace yourself for questions! 😉

I've the Lidl version of the 140A inverter arc welder, it's ace. Also got a Scheppach bandsaw from Aldi. More a cut off saw than what we think of as a bandsaw that you push work through. Great piece of kit. Far less messy and scary than the Evolution Rage chopsaw.