Oxbow16

Hi folks Trying to choose a bath mixer shower... I've found some I like, but I don't tend to like the slider rails from the same brand. My favourites are these: Shower mixer: https://www.homesupply.co.uk/Francis-Pegler-Sequel-Pillar-Mounted-Bath-Shower-Mixer-Tap-with-Shower-Kit Slider Rail: https://www.aqva.co.uk/Bathrooms/107231 But there are others I like, albeit again a different match of brands. So are the fittings for all these compatible? By which I mean: - the hose (where it attaches to the tap and to the shower head)? - the shower head where it slots into the bracket on the rail? Or do I need to stick to the same brands? Many thanks

Hi folks I'm in the market for a couple of wood stoves (or multi fuel, but no plans to burn anything other than wood). I'm very drawn to Dowling Stoves, but there aren't a great many reviews out there. And obviously they do things a bit differently than most stoves you see from the better known names. So I wondered if anyone here has one if they'd be happy to share their experiences? Or for that matter, even if you don't have one but have thoughts about them it would be great to hear fro you... Many thanks https://dowlingstoves.com/

Thanks for the continued great help. I really do appreciate it. Didn't get the chance to check the unit today but will... Seeing as I brought up UFH in my last post, I was just wondering if all boilers are suitable for it? A bit off topic I know but it got me to thinking... I have a Worcester Danesmoor 20/25 (oil). Can anyone confirm if there's any reason UFH wouldn't be compatible with that boiler? Cheers

Has that been invented yet? Seriously though, we have discussed and considered this. But if/when our boiler dies on us we'd prefer to switch to combi, which is why we don't want to invest more than necessary in the current system. Thanks for the thought though.

Hi all I think I'm going to stick with OPTION1 and go for the least intervention and cheapest approach seeing as it's always possible we'll have to get a new heating system at some point in the future anyhow. - Lid. I think I'll see if I can get a new decent fitting lid, although not sure how likely that is. Do lids tend to be "unipart"? If not I'll make one as suggested, but where might I find suitable plastic sheet? - Insulation. I'll get a jacket too. A quick look shows standard types tend to be for a 50 gallon tank, whereas mine is 60. But I'm sure I can hunt something down if they exist. - Cleaning. Think I'll drop some Milton in to be on the safe side. I was thinking also that while the tank is empty I'll give it a scrub and clean, perhaps with a spray or two of anti-this-and-that spray. - Overflow. Someone on another forum pointed out that the overflow should be below the ball valve. Do you think it needs changing? If so, will that involve a whole new overflow, new hole in wall, etc? - Vent pipe. They also pointed out that the vent pipe needs shortening. Will that be as simple as cutting a little off? Thanks everyone and have a great week.

Many thanks for the great replies and explanations. I've got to admit, I love learning about this kind of stuff. Not that I always fully understand it though! If I could bother you with some more questions please... - Is there no way UFH could be added - as a separate zone - to my current system with 3-port valve? 100% not? Appreciate this is a naive question, but can it be on a completely separate feed from the boiler itself, or does the boiler just have a single flow and single return? - The reason I ask is because we're not sure if we're going to have any UFH heating yet or not. If we do go for UFH, it would seem a shame to put in a new 3-port unit now only to have to change it all again soon. But if don't end up with UFH, it would be an unnecessary waste and expenditure changing to two-port units. - Which leads me onto seeing if my existing unit is fixable, in which case we can continue using that until we've decided on UFH or not and then have a new unit(s) installed accordingly. So tomorrow I'll re-read the above, do a little more googling, and watch a couple more vids to see about diagnosing the fault with the unit. - This is more for my curiosity... I don't mean to be thick, but where exactly does the change from 22mm-28mm take place? I'm pretty sure that when I measured the visible pieces of pipe where they go into the unit they were 22mm. I can take a photo tomorrow. So is the reducer/adapter out of site or am I just not getting something (something which is no doubt extremely obvious to everyone else)? Right, that's enough excitement for tonight! Cheers

Well, good to hear that it at least looks clean. Taste test next... I've just baled some out and made my partner a glass of squash using it. I'll she if she notices anything untoward On a different note, but seeing as we're talking about the tank now, when we get the plumbing work done and the system is drained, I need to have the tank disconnected so that I can change the boards underneath. I'm now wondering what my best option is. Would any plumbers mind giving a rough idea of prices/price differences on the following, to help me decide.... OPTION1 - plumber disconnect pipework to tank, and F+E tank. I will then do the board replacement work. Plumber reconnect all pipework with the tanks in the same places. OPTION2 - plumber disconnect pipework to tank, and F+E tank. I will then do the board replacement work but build a higher platform for the tank for better gravity pressure. Plumber to extend current pipework for new cold water tank position (F+E wold remain in the same place) and reconnect. OPTION3 - as per Option 2, but fit a new tank instead of the re-using the old one (with proper lid, and an insulating jacket, plus the ball valve isn't looking great). Thank you so much

Took a look at the inside of the tank just now, and whilst there I thought I'd take some photos so those with a more experienced eye could say how it looks in the scheme of things. I appreciate not all nasties are visible to the eye though! We've got vermiculite insulation so I think that's what the white floating bits are. The underside of the "lid" has a coating of white mouldy stuff, so I took a snap of that too. Thanks to you all for taking the time to help with your replies.

Hi again I'm on a roll with the plumbing questions today So here's query #2... We've not used our hot water for quite some time, and it now doesn't work. From what I can gather based on what I've learnt in the last hour or two, I think the problem is with the 3 port motorised valve. When just hot water is selected at the controls, we don't get hot water, but we do get hot radiators. Just to be clear, that's with hot water selected to continuous, heating off, and the heating thermostat turned right down. Up in the airing cupboard, I can feel - at the valve - that the pipe going from point B to the cylinder stays cold, while the pipe from point A warms up. The little lever bit doesn't move and stays in auto position. So presumably the valve for one reason or another is stuck and no matter what the controls tell it to do, only port A is open. Does that sound about right? If so, I wondered if anyone could help with the following please? 1. We've got some major plumbing work coming up soon, which will require a full drain down. As such, would it be worth changing the whole unit? I've seen some try just changing the motor, others just the power head. But whilst drained down is it worth spending the extra and just replacing the whole thing? 2. My unit is a Honeywell V4073A1088. The one you tend to see most is the V4073A1039. I looked into it and all I could find is the former is 28mm and the latter 22mm. I presumed that related to the pipes feeding it, but does it? The reason I ask is because I have 22mm pipes and yet mine is supposedly the 28mm version. Which has me scratching my head! 3. One forum thread I was reading stated: "“It explains why you can't use a mid position for your HW and RADS and then add a two port for extra rads or UFH.” Is that correct? Is it a blanket statement? Later in the year we are looking to have UFH installed elsewhere in the house, so I'd be interested to know if it would need changing again at some point. For reference, the quote comes from here: https://community.screwfix.com/threads/motorised-valves-that-little-lever.173511/ 4. Is it the heating controls or the room thermostat which control the valve? Sorry for all the questions, and help with any of them would be much appreciated. Massive thanks! Some photos in case they help:

So that's where I went wrong. Thanks for explaining, I'll know for next time. If I haven't died from Legionella that is Cheers

Ah, yes - some forums do indeed put those time limits on I've noticed. With others you can edit years later. But in the case of the above, I WAS able to edit (if you look you'll see that the @'s have been added through an edit), it just didn't do the drop down choose a forum member to link to thing when I added the @'s.

Ah yes, I usually do but an oversight on that occasion. I've edited it but funnily enough it doesn't seem to work in edit mode.

Great, thanks for that @Nickfromwales

Thanks @StormyTea - from StormyCoffee... And thanks @Nickfromwales - from Maxalsofromwales! Would the immersion get it to that kind of heat? Or is that not a simple question to answer!?

Aha - that makes sense. Thanks for explaining. As for the tank, it has a lid of sorts.... A sheet of chipboard to be precise! Cheers

Thanks @PeterW Do you mind if I ask - out of curiosity - why just a couple of buckets?

Hi all For various reasons, we haven't used the hot water system in our house for a couple of years. It's a vented system with a tank in the loft. I want to try it out now but wonder whether there could be any potential problems from Legionella or anything else potentially nasty? I don't know whether the fact that the water has never been heated over the time means it is not a breeding ground for anything dodgy? And if there is a potential for nastiness, will heating the water in the cylinder make it all safe again? Or is the best option to run off enough water so that both the tank in the loft and the cylinder have fresh water in them (I'd rather avoid that but if it needs to happen then so be it). Many thanks

Thanks @markc A few folk on another forum seemed to think I should be more hesitant and think twice about removing the render. But I've since had someone come round to take a look... He said he thought all looked well, that I should continue, and that removing concrete render and re pointing in lime was a good thing for the fabric of the building. I think I'll therefore continue, but any other thoughts in the meantime from forum members are welcome. Have a great weekend everyone.

Thanks @markc Yep, I'm aware of asbestos and had a lot tested for it, but clued up might be pushing it! It seems there are two layers of the mortar, which shows up in the middle photo rather well cos of the flash. So I'm thinking it was base coat of mortar, second coat (scratch coat), followed by the plaster skim as you suggest. Sandblasting I think would be a bit on the heavy duty side and I'd prefer to DIY it if I can. Will look into compressor/needle gun. What about one of those wire brush things attached to a drill? Could that be effective or too abrasive? More generally, could removing it cause any problems? Sorry for the potentially stupid question, but could there be anything structural about it seeing as it is so thick? The floor joists go into that wall, and they're already undersized. Could removing it (will be doing the same in the room below) weaken the joists by removing an inch or two of support? Thanks a million.

Thanks for the quick reply. Tbh, I'm not certain. The thin front layer is pinkish, and the thick backing is grey. To my untrained eye is seems like sand/cement with thin plaster finish. There's no fibrous material and I wouldn't say it is lighter than it looks. The sack fulls I've been removing are plenty heavy enough We had quite a lot of things tested for asbestos when we moved in, but the walls weren't one of them. If memory serves, I think I looked into it at the time and was told it was not worth testing. I've adding some photos showing a close up of the plaster/ and sand/cement(?). I've done some with the flash on and some with it off. Thanks again

Hi all I'm making a start on removing the thick plaster, etc on the internal walls of the old part of my house. I can't be certain, but I think it would have been applied in the mid-1970s. It's really thick in places - up to 50mm/2 inches. I'm hoping to clean the stonework up afterwards and re-point (with lime) if needed. Prefer the natural look, and love the history of the place. Prefer a cold bedroom too before anyone mentions insulation ;) While working the hammer and chisel, questions have been coming up in my head... - I'm curious as to why the "scratch coat" (is that the right term?) would have been put on so thick? - Can anyone tell whether it is basic sand and cement or something else? - Might it have had some kind of damp proofing element? - Are there any downsides to removing it (I appreciate something will need to be done where the ceiling meets the wall)? - Any tips on how to clean up the front of the stonework easily? At the moment I'm just using a wire brush, but hoping for a less labour intensive and more effective solution! Any comments most appreciated. Cheers

The Secretary of State for Education?

Hi all I'm removing this old stove from the house and would like to know a bit more about it. Has anyone seen one before? Anyone got any idea what model it is, or any other info about? I presume it's just a burner, but it does have a bit of what looks like gadgetry in the bottom section. So not sure if there's more to it... Photos below and more available. Many thanks

Bumping this for any thoughts please? Many thanks