PeterW

Cheers ! My concern on switching is it messes up the "smart" bit so will ask him to justify the switch tbh and go from there.

Having a minor disagreement with the new sparks who was recommended on adding a couple of small (400w) electric rads. MI’s state that they need a fused spur with a 5A fuse, but sparks is insisting they also need a 10A isolator too between the power circuit and the fused spur to isolate them, or a combined switched fused spur. Don’t really want another switch that can be played with as these are smart units so need permanent feeds but is he right ..??

On the plus side the cuts look clean and done with a stihl saw and not just hacked off with a brick hammer !! Are they pointing the inside joints too ..?

@Markca You say the top manifold gets hot ..? OK - take the actuator off the first circuit, and on the far right of the lower manifold there is a white manual cap. Attach that to the circuit where you have removed the actuator, and then fire up the system. If you’re getting a call for heat then the pipe into the bottom of the blender will get hot, the pump will run and the top manifold should get warm. Now turn the white cap in the ‘+’ direction and see if the flow gauge moves. If it doesn’t, turn the cap all the way open, then slowly move the flow gauge - it shouldn’t need much as it is the only circuit that is taking heat. Now check if the pipe is getting warm below the flow gauge, and if it is, you’ve got a flow issue with either the actuator or the flow gauges. If it isn’t, and the manifold isn’t getting warm, you’ve got a blender valve issue. Check and report back !!

Do the actuator heads actually lift or move (can’t see the brand) when the system is calling for heat ..? Whose wiring centre is it ..? Don’t recognise the brand on it …

Looking at a full FTTP install that obviously doesn’t come with a standard landline or breakout for an RJ11. Already have a Sipgate account and number with a soft phone but does anyone have any recommendation for a decent DECT type handset that allows either Wi-Fi or a PoE base unit connection that isn’t £300…

Was thinking a fan - PC type thing - as got a duct into it so can feed in a cable. Did look at how the spiral cellars do it and only issue is getting a vent to the outside wall which is over 8ft away ….!!! If I’d known this could be an issue I would have put ventilation in ..!

Bit of history to this but converted an old inspection pit in a garage into a wine cellar during a conversion. Before it started, the pit was bone dry and dusty even in winter, and is just constructed of hollow 6” blocks with no infil. A concrete lid was cast over the top, and an access left and the insulation and UFH in concrete over that, so probably 200-220mm of solid structure over a box that is 1m x 2.2m x 1.4m deep. During fit out noticed that there was some water (gets 1-2mm max in one corner and condensation on the bottom row of blocks) in the bottom of the cellar and decided to tank using one of the cement based compounds and then add a layer of self levelling and standard floor paint. Walls are done with masonry paint, and yet we are still getting moisture forming on the bottom layer of blocks and also on the floor. Its not from an external water leak, and it’s definitely not from the UFH, and it’s not that much although if you run a dehumidifier down there it will pull water out which I think is just down to if moving through the concrete and the cement joints in the blocks. The trapdoor is pretty airtight and there is no real place for the air to go anyway so don’t think it’s due to humid air getting in or a real difference in air temperatures as it barely changes if the trapdoor is open or closed. Its now annoying as it’s stopping the final bit of what should be a quirky addition and it becoming a wine cellar !!! Given there seems to be little or no hydrostatic pressure, I’m considering parging the blockwork with a 3:1 sand cement and SBR slurry and then using one of the bitumen based sheet products as the cement based waterproofing seems pretty crap. I’ll need to then line it with something such as MR board but can’t think of any other way and it’s now starting to annoy me that I can’t work out what the cause is..!! I did consider the “insulating / condensation paints” but I am suspect as to whether they actually work…! I am wondering if it’s because the floor is a glossy finish and just putting a layer of thin foam and some of those garage floor tiles down may help, but that won’t help with the bottom of the walls. Anyone got any ideas …?

they are about €30 if you look - I think they are the same as the combi one but need to check as it’s bonkers if they are charging that much (probably to stop non-MCS installs)

Use 50mm waste for the ducts with 20mm concrete or self levelling over the top and will be fine. All the bends need to be pairs of 45° at the ends or into boxes that you can get push fit fittings in to. Waste wants to be in 40mm solvent weld but put a Y branch into it and flow the waste into the branch from above using a long bend to bring it up out of the slab. Then on the run add a 45° bend and then an access cap above slab level in case you ever want to run a jet or small rod down it.

Expanding foam (wet the gaps with a spray bottle first) and carefully fill the gaps then cut the excess back with a saw when it’s cured.

Hep2O is universally available as “barrier pipe” which is what it essentially is. There are plenty of other manufacturers out there, some cheaper but I tend to stick at single manufacturer across the lot in case of any warranty issues.

yes as long as you want to buy adapters for all your pipe work as it will be 16mm pipe (usually) so none of your Hep2O type fittings work.

you sure ..?? That’s a monster saving as paying £78 ex for 25m normally !!

Why ..?? Can only really get it as sleeved MLCP or PEX and it’s 4 times the price ..!! Buy some rolls of insulation tape if you are worried about mixing pipes up. Or buy proper tracer tape if you want to do it really nicely !!

There is nothing in a smart meter that can create interference ..? More likely something in your house such as a fridge or another motor that is creating noise.

And it would go up … one thing the state is not good at is running industries such as energy, just look at the mess Nottingham got into with Robin Hood Energy..! I would make the grid / network government owned and then the providers can have a race to the bottom line with unit prices - has no-one clocked that standing charges have doubled in 5 years ..?? It’s added £200 to most bills quietly ..

So that will allow you to claim VAT back as you are demolishing all but a single wall. How well do you know the neighbours..? And has your SE had a proper look at that party wall as I would want to make sure it was in very good condition before you end up one morning with your neighbours wardrobes in the middle of your site …

Dry Ice blasting is great as it leaves zero residue however it can be a bit pricey. Also, it is best left until you’ve nearly finished unless you can carefully wrap your new clean beams as removing plaster from newly blasted beams is a pain …

Turn blocks on their sides and cement 4 together (2 one way, 2 across) and they will spread the load much better.

Dig it out to 450mm all the way across, 150mm MOT1 levelled and compacted then put 200mm jablite or similar poly insulation in the centre allowing for a 300mm ring around the outside. Fibres in the concrete, and build up the external skin in 140mm 7N blocks, insulate on the inside using insulated plasterboard and job done ..

Dig the foam out 5-10mm and use a couple of layers of Easyfill 20 - one to bulk it out and the next to smooth over.

You’re wanting to switch 3 phase from grid to generator ..? What size generator have you got as you’re not going to be able to do that easily or cheaply. This sort of stuff needs specialist backup power engineering - has your sparky agreed to install it ..? I would start with a discussion with Blandons on what you want to do, and then take it from there. 3 phase gennies are not that common, and they do not like off balanced phases unlike the grid that doesn’t care …

Yes absolutely as 100mm is barely BRegs these days !!! More the merrier ..!!

Heat usage will be broadly the same, the decrement / response will be your issue although 150mm of concrete will have 20% more heat capacity than 125mm, so you could run it as a big storage heater overnight if calculated correctly. This is what @TerryE does with his setup.