dpmiller

missing the (now rare) very useful Footprints.

singles look like really good value.

Daft thing is that because of the length of the "tails", isolation and protection at the meter box is mandatory. Yup a 16A socket is now fitted, although I did cram a small RCD garage CU in there as well for a degree of protection as I couldn't stomach zero overload and 100mA type S only... Suffice it that the submain could end up with a commando plug on. But only until they revisit to do the permanent connection (at which time they'll apparently want to re-do the earth test, do polarities etc. Apparently.) But at least the earth tested out well. I'd originally got 68ohms on my 50v tester , and on a subsequent retest 51. NIE's full-loop live test from the Head vs neutral came out at 97ohms.

Slowly being revealed and no, the electric isn't on. Blokey arrived to fit meter and made reference to a new edict from management that permanent supply is only allowable after second fix is complete for the whole house, and can I fit a commando socket in the meter box instead? Grr. And the reason? Apparently it's to negate the possibility of someone working inside a live CU. Not much of a spark then, I said...

NXT panels?

a sheet of polycarbonate on the inside?

"In modern competitions the combatants are required to wear soft shoes and stuff their trouser legs with straw for padding " poofs indeed.

they're just planks. Given the number of cuts, holes, and grinder marks in some of ours, rot is the least of your worries...

Cfs can be slow, yes.

Our cable was run in on Wednesday so it's "live to cutout". Meter to be fitted on Tuesday. 35mm concentric really looks tiddly...

^raises hand.

so who does?

Our UPVC frames went in with cleats screwed to the TF, the gaps spray-foamed, and then SIGA window tape installed. It's pre-folded and comes off the roll with the narrow window side ready to adhere; the inner release paper can be pulled off once satisfied with positioning. As we're in NI the blockwork forms a check reveal all round so all else that was needed was a strip of compriband-ish foam between the bottom of the frame and the concrete sill to allow for shrinkage.

conversely our GF is around 145m2 and I've a 12-port (inc 1x for the upstairs bathrooms) although I based this on a pretty conservative design off LoopCAD.

NIE arrived today to connect the official crocodile clips. Only slight issue was the lads had been supplied a cut length of concentric and it was a touch tight for our trench route. We considered playing tug-o-war with the cable but instead chose to fire up the digger and cut a corner off the trench. With both ends terminated off it was a case of "plenty o'blinding and don't forget the tape"; they offered to stay and help but I could tell manual labour wasn't high on their list of priorities on a sunny day... Swapped buckets to backfill, to find the quality inspector hitching a ride. So that's that for now. Meter should be installed in the next couple of days now, we're awaiting some of the scaffold being removed, and the roof is so close to finished I can smell it (but maybe that was just the slurry off the next field...).

whilst we haven't needed massive amounts of expanding tape, what we did need just came from Amazon. What size of gaps do you need to fill?

NIE or their subbie do all the readings over here regardless of vendor and they insist on an occasional physical visit even tho we can enter readings online. I'll tell you tomorrow (hopefully) what kind of meter they're putting into new installs...

As I want all-gas and it has to be LPG I get a very limited range of choices... But I'm sure that Rangemaster/ Leisure/ Belling will all be just fine for us, the current Cannon LPG cooker didn't break the bank and still performs well twenty years on.

why *must* it be rendered? Surely the requirement for render or equivalent is only for solid walls, and isn't required for cavity. A check reveal is required in NI (and Scotland?) though.

Council BCO's local knowledge is good value for footings.

they're a lot thicker.

Not cheap, true; but the tool for the job. It's made to flex and is smooth bore. Convoluted tube is remarkably restrictive, and if it's flexible enough for isolation tends to degrade over time in my experience.

what game?

All our doors and windows cost less than that to buy, installed.

It's just treated as an IDE device.