MrMagic

I guess from a layman/simple-person like me it's surprising! I've got Tigo 'optimisers' on the panels, hence the panel level monitoring, so it's not so much of an issue.

O/T but thought it would be good to share the impact of shading...it really is shocking just how much of a difference it makes.

For security guidance in general (inc CCTV) the 'official' police guidance can be found under the 'Secured By Design' initiative - https://www.securedbydesign.com/ They also have design guides for homes, commercial, even one for self build... https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/design-guides They are worth a read... one take away from them is that PIR lights are basically useless and they now recommend well designed dusk-til-dawn lighting focused on key areas and face illumination, not dirty great PIR floodlights. For CCTV specifically also check out the ICO to make sure you keep yourself the right side of t'law. https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-using-cctv/

Probably about 40miles from @JSHarris and was an 'average' day here....although saying that, looks like I crossed the 1MWh mark today, small victories. https://pvoutput.org/intraday.jsp?id=69928&sid=62139&dt=20190720 Oh to have more roofspace, less clouds and a neighbour without trees!!

+1 for visible IR LEDs... it worked a treat deterring an unwanted visitor in my garden.

Inserts... buy a boat load of inserts! The packet always runs out just when you need them...

Thanks all!

@JSHarris @NSS @PeterStarck - Whats your running costs like on the block salt based systems? Rough £/month or number of blocks used etc. Any tips on where to buy etc. Seeing the picture of the Sunamp heater in the other thread and looking at my kettle... I think I need to do something about it!!

As above, I had some paving laid and the chap did a full bed and on top of that used WOPC (white portland cement) 'just in case' to reduce any staining... this was on a light coloured paving. Is there a place you can loose the stained flags? Under the bins / table / plant pots ?

Thanks all, so a range of 41 -> 200w. 41w is a tempting target.. Time to break out the meter plug and start hunting those watts! Will post back any major finds.

Hey all, I was looking at power graphs for my home. I've killed or optimised most of the major loads already (A rated appliances, LED lighting everywhere etc) so I'm now starting to work through the background loads. Heres an average overnight, with the A/C running. Minimum power draw was 183 watts. I was wondering - what do other peoples homes draw overnight? MM.

Good luck @JSHarris I believe most install guides recommend vac’ing out for 15 mins and then holding it for an hour to verify tightness. have a google around and see if you can find the service/install guide for your unit.

@JSHarris - Exact same units... mine are the 2Kw version (1x standalone, 1x 3 way multi-split) Can't fault them. They seem very efficient as well - the 2Kw one seems to ramp to about 700w at power on but then settles down and purrs along at about 400w when the compressor is running, and negligible when just circulating. Outdoor units are pretty much silent, theres a 'quiet' mode button on the remote that reduces them even further. The only time they make any noticeable noise is when the compressor stops, the fan ramps for 20 or 30 seconds before shutting off.... but as you already have a ASHP, you'll be used to all this.

I have exactly the unit that was linked earlier (CPC) which was 'DIY' fit (and then later serviced by a Fgas engineer) as well as 4 fitted units in the house. The compressor is pre-charged and holds the refrigerant based on a maximum pipe length that can be found in the instructions. The pipes are just normal A/C piping and are reasonably soft so you can bend as required. I would caution, you get what you pay for here... 1) Strictly speaking this must be installed by an Fgas engineer 2) The purging method is bonkers.. but thats how the chinglish instructions tell you to do it. Vac-pump would be much better and would help confirm the joints are tight 3) My unit is still working but sometimes it seems to have a funny-5-mins. Turning it off and back on again solves this 4) The DIY fit ones take power from the indoor unit - most other systems take power from the outdoor unit 5) The 4 indoor units - pro-fitted Mitsubishi - have worked flawlessly since install I'm sure you have the skills to do the install justice but I'd go for a more recognisable brand (Mitsubishi, Daikin etc). At least then you have some options for servicing/parts in the future. As far as I'm aware a lot of the outdoor units now come pre-charged... Heres some pics of the 'no-name' unit... And the Mitsubishi units..

I've used the online https://viewer.autodesk.com/ a few times and works well. One tip is that if your DWG doesn't have units set up correctly, theres a tool in the viewer that allows you to set the scale from the drawing itself. Provided you have one known good measurement on the drawing, you can choose that, tell the viewer what that was and the rest of the measurements will be perfect. Only downside is that they automatically purge your drawings after 30 days if you're not using it, just login again to reset the timer.

@Patrick @lizzie Heres another similar build, few more 'in progress' photos and parts list as well - https://blog.making-spaces.net/2019/06/16/how-to-build-your-own-garden-building/

Slightly OT but it will be interesting to understand the cost per room of a ducted fan coil+ducting+grilles+pipework+thermostat+labour etc Vs a mini-split. This probably warrants a thread of it's own but as I'm not planning on installing anything soon, would be good to just understand an approx cost from @Nickfromwales for the above job. For comparison my most recent mini-splits were approx £1000 per room all in.

@Ferdinand To rearrange channels, select what you want to move (i.e so it has the white box around it) then press the * button on the remote. It will bring up a menu with a move option. For yesterday and really - catch up is available via the UKTV Play app and live I think is via the TVPlayer app (subscription may be required) Seems UKTV have just pulled thier channels from TVPlayer according to https://support.tvplayer.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025349832-CHANNEL-CHANGES-UKTV-Channels-no-longer-on-TVPlayer

You can access more Sky content via Sky Store & Now TV Apps. Really like the Roku boxes, got 2x express and one stick, they all 'just work' and support all the on-demand services. Use them more than linear TV these days.

Something like that..!

Our good friends at Wagner have also been along and worked their magic on the roof...

@Patrick - apologies I don't check in here too often! Rough costs - probably around £2000 all in Structural timber - £20 - I found a local bungalow that was being 'scalped' for a loft conversion and just took all the timber from it. Great, slow grown, straight old timber. Doubled up a few for floor structure strength OSB -~£200 - 18mm OSB to roof, 11mm OSB on all external faces, 9mm OSB internal wall lining, 18mm OSB floor Windows / doors - £500 - New, found on eBay Roof - £200 - EPDM - kit brought online included upvc trims Insulation - £200 - Celotex to roof and floor, 100mm rockwool in walls and then 'spacetherm' blanket Heat pump/air con - £500 - eBay Footings - £200 - Hand dug, approx 1.5ft deep x 1ft wide 'ring' beam, 1 course of concrete blocks laid on side, 1 course of bricks that you see above the grass Cladding - £200 - Rough sawn 'gravel boards' from local timber yard, breather membrane and battens behind The ethos was to keep it good but cheap, use off the shelf items from builders yards etc. I didn't take many pictures whilst we were building it, heres the few I can find...it was built as 4 wall frames which I bolted together then added a roof and a floor to. The floor joists rest on the concrete blocks with some DPM and treated with creasote (the proper stuff, not the replacement rubbish) Obligatory hole in ground... Foundations... Blurry people doing things with power tools... Nearly there...

@Onoff top marks! Thanks for taking the time to write up that super detailed reply.

Howdy folks - Looking for some advice on how to finish the front edge of a shower recess. Done a load of googling but no one seems to tell you exactly what trim shape to use to make these things or they are US results where they just use stone. Basically I've got some usual, white tiles with unfinished edges on them so some form of trim needs to go round the front edge so they aren't exposed. I'm sure this is one of those things that once someone explains it'll make perfect sense. Any help (and ideally a diagram) would be much appreciated!!

Heres my finished set of gates with decking infill... really happy with the result