SimonD

Yes, but to play devil's advocate, what constitutes understanding at a fundamental level? I know from when I was designing exhaust systems, fundamental understanding didn't exist due to the complexities of the situation and therefore intuitive understanding still played a significant role in design even when using available tools. It's similar to the understanding of finishes and clearances - when designing new things it's common not to know the required parameters which means experimentation and inquiry, and this process can often lead to a rethinking of the how and why. It just depends on the domain really but sometimes engineering is also about making something work without the understanding, initially at least. Blindly following a manual, instructions or a drawing is not really engineering, I agree.

I think we've developed too much of a bias about degrees and the value they actually bring. I've met plenty of non-degree, non-formally trained engineers that will blow the socks of many engineering degree holders in both theoretical and practical knowledge. I also think we've developed a problematic prejudice towards manual work versus the degree holder. I hold a Master's degree, I studied aerospace engineering at degree level (but changed course during the degree as I got bored with the extent of mathematical modelling in front of computers) and then also studied acoustics, thermodynamics and fluid dynamics during a period where I designed exhaust systems. Now I am a heating 'engineer' installing heating systems, gas boilers, doing reparis and servicing part time - I actually find quite a lot of it very rewarding. Now, with all that being said, I do have an issue with the level of training and certification in the heating industry - I think it's appalling. But the problem with that is that is turns from protect to protectionism which becomes counterproductive. There would need to be some careful definition of what engineer actually meant and recognise various routes that can be taken to achieve this. Am I an engineer if I can take a lump of metal and form it to become a useful component part of a machine, whether as repair or new design, or am I an engineer only if I can sit in front of a cad/cam and produce design drawings along with some calculations?

I don't think that's an airtightness product. I wonder whether the installers confuse thermal insulation with airtightness.

I use the Soudal SWS stuff specifically designed for windows & doors - https://www.soudal.co.uk/pro/products/expanding-foam/1k-pu-foams/soudafoam-gun-win-door-sws#v11114 But 4cm does seem like a pretty excessive gap - what is the gap at the top?

It's far easier to build a second wall with studs offset than it is to counter batten as you've suggested. Why was the wall not fully designed for this before the build?

why not just build a second internal stud wall using 38 x 140 studs? Job done.

https://support.wundasmart.com/en/question,64/open-therm

I do 127mm cores fairly often, but by hand and without a rig. Just be patient, and like with metal, run the drill at a slow speed and let the diamonds do the cutting. Depending on how thick the slab is, bring the bit out every now and again to clear the dust. Just double check if the bits you're supplied with the drill or which you buy yourself are for wet, dry or suitable for either. I buy the Marcrist ones and they last pretty well. Oh, and make sure your unit has a good clutch!

I was wondering about this. These boilers have the horrible drum hex with the high temp limit sensor at the back of the top of the hex. The flow sensor is separate on the flow pipe behind/next to the fan assembly. There could easily be a significant difference between these. But to me it seems odd that the error being thrown is essentially a 'no flow' condition rather than low flow. Technically, the boiler shouldn't need an external bypass, but there is no mention of internal bypass built into this boiler. I also wonder about whether the no flow situation might happen as the boiler switches over to DHW and this throws the sensor due to a brief moment of poor timing with the burner/diverter/pump and resultant flow velocity? However, the blocking fault should automatically clear as soon as dhw flow happens and the flow temp reduces, which clearly doesn't happen and the result is cold shower.. So back to either a design or component fault I suppose as whatever causes the fault, it should clear itself..

Yes, very high risk of someone putting a foot down there. Work should be suspended immediately! This I agree with. The standards on quickstage scaffolding are far too well design to shimmy up them instead of using ladders 😁

With the EPH controls you don't need to change your valves as it's managed through the controller wiring. So the 2 normally closed valves stay in place. Not on its own it doesn't. It needs the option diverter kit which has the dhw cylinder sensor - this is what gives you 2 flow temps, but for boiler modulation you then need the Easy control or weather comp.

You've basically got 2 options here. Buy the optional WB diverter kit with a DHW cyllinder sensor and then get a friendly gas safe person to come and fit it. Then you need to add some controls so either weather comp sensor, and/or WB Easy Control. With this option you can only run a single heating zone because the weird way WB have decided to implement their technology means that if you have zones you forefeit modulation and then have to run relay on/off heating. The second option is to get a Nefit opentherm/ems converter from the Netherlands and wire this into the boiler along with an openterm controller. This can then be configured using EPH CH4 combipack control with the CP4 DHW control to provide priority hot water, so 2 flow temps. With this you can have up to 6 heating zones. Now, this is not an official thing, but the Nefit is made by Bosch Thermotechnic, and although it has worked for me, I've found one of two mentions online where it hasn't worked on a specific WB boiler - but I don't know whether this is because it hasn't been wired up properly as these mentions were diy stuff.

Nice one! Good to get some clarity here. For reference I spent last week completely reconfiguring a system with a massively oversized boiler. This was a 30kW WB system boiler which I got modulating using opentherm controls with a converter and now working on PDHW with the opentherm controls rather that the WB diverter. On DWH set to max boiler temp of 82C it would sometimes get to over 90C as the cylinder reached target temp and the diverter valve closed and the system then relied on the bypass only for flow. But never did the boiler block as such, just tripped the burner as would be expected.

Hmmm, I'm still not sure why the discussion is still going down the route of dumping heat to the central heating system and boiler short cycling as a result of this. The intermittent behaviour being shown at the boiler is similar to the symptoms of a blocked dhw plate heat exchanger. The boiler shouldn't be programmed to use the CH to dump excess heat when calling for DHW heating as that's the best place to dump the excess heat. Another similar process is when testing some makes and models of combis in service mode maximum output. Whilst the diverter valve switches to CH for this test, you also need to run the hot water taps to reduce instances of cycling during those tests as that provides additional cooling. The fact that WB are trying to blame a CH system design error on a system that is working to within the operating parameter of the MIs is just total nonsense. If that were really the case then said knowledgeable heating engineer should be able to reproduce and demonstrate the issue to the customer. The WB engineer has kind of already admitted the problem. Now, redesigning, the heating system to be able to handle some excess heat on the occasion it's required may be a way to remedy the boiler design problem, but I would not be confident this would really be the solution simply because the error appears to happen on switching over to DHW, so any excess heat within the hex is an internal boiler issue and wouldn't have a pathway to CH under these circumstances anyway. If the problem was indeed caused by the CH side, we wouldn't be seeing it occur on such an occassional basis given the system is running at max temps anyway. Remember the symptom is no hot water provision at all. So the solution I think is for the OP to go back to WB to fix the problem properly, or sort a replacement because it's simply not fit for purpose. If the boiler has been supplied and fitted by the heating company, there is a fair claim to them to get the problem sorted out rather than the OP. They will probably be better placed to talk to their rep and technical support to resolve the problem. Personally I'd be asking for a different make of boiler built by a manufacturer that approaches boiler control and modulation more sensibly.

Example conversation when BCO visited to sign off my pre plaster inspection (yes, I know yippee!): 'so you've got the egress windows for the guest annex, that's good...on boths sides, that's perfect. Oh, and you've installed a fire alarm in the area, that's good. Oh, and you've put in a fire door, that's a good idea, we didn't ask for that. You know you'll need intumescent strip and if the door is 30min, the wall will need to be 30 min also. Oh, plaster and skim, that's all fine then. Good job' I only accidently installed the door opening in the direction of escape...

Yes, I think the article is generally saying that they're wanting to modernise house production - but really they're just talking about pre-fab houses like the ones you can already get from a good few producers across Scandinavia and the rest of northern Europe. I love the terminology: 'learned to get humans and robots working together" as if the robots are social beings that need encouragement, or maybe they just needed protection from jealous humans? The other bit is: " After a home is trucked to its final destination, "Electrical wires and plumbing are installed in both floors and walls as they're built," according to the article." As if those doing it already haven't thought about that and actually constructed the panels with the services already in there. Mind you, by the way they're talking, they'll be getting billions in investment.

Sounds a bit like my story and I'm sure many others too - it is pain that needs offloading! But what irks me is when a desk jockey doesn't believe the BCO and it goes round in cicles.

I think you've got that spot on.

Ours hand drew everything - even did a had drawn colour rendering for planning committee. Not quite revit but definitely full of life 😁

Thanks, yes, that bit I know but they only provide vertical adjustment. I need to reduce the side gap between leaf and frame as it's currently more than 6mm with the bottom gap being less than 4mm. I have noticed a couple of grub screws on the inside of the hinges facing the door leaf but not sure what they do, if anything?

I have a set of French doors. As they are on the first floor, it's only now since installing the bridge deck that I've had proper access to them. Unfortunately the doors are slightly binding at the top. So I've gone through the process of making sure the whole frame is level, plumb and square. Finally, now that I have nothing else to look for, I noticed the gap on one of the doors between frame and leaf is larger at the top than at the bottom, but I have no idea how to adjust the hinges, if I even can. I've attached a photo of the hinges and gap. Can anyone help?

I think that's actually like a lot of things south of the border too - you just need to demonstrate competency. But you have to be careful here because the interpretation in law of a 'competent person' is developing towards a meaning that a competent person is only one who is registered with a competent person scheme - this is indeed the case in gas, for example, and I suspect will be the case for things like G3 and is moving towards this with electrics too.

You would only be able to self-certify the work if you become a member of a competent person's scheme. If you are trained and get a certificate of competence you can do the installation but it must be certified by building control or someone else.

Just call them and ask to go on the course, then you'll know for sure

Yes, you get a lovely little competence achievement card from the awarding body with an expiry date on the back. I never carry both cards, just my Gas Safe card, even when it hadn't been updated. But if you're concerned, you just need to call gas safe to check on the installer. They will confirm if they're registered for G3.