Barney12

Yes. This guy is something of a jobsworth it seems. It wasn't the normal guy we've had thus far who has actually been fine. He only works three afternoons a week and turned up in an E Class Mercedes Estate! I've asked the engineer for a comfort letter for "the file".

Rain is still stopping play Plus the building inspector has thrown a wobbly as they've used A393 rebar/mesh not the A252 specified by the engineer. Not sure why 2mm extra of steel thickness is really an issue If all that UFH pipe has got to come up then there will be some very unhappy Irishmen around!

I'm from the same school as your Dad. Big pipe = faster delivery. More pipe = more water, this must be faster. Something tells me I'm wrong due to Physics or summin'

OK, ta. I'm still trying to get comfortable with 10mm, it just feels wrong. Call me old fashioned

So, I'm just planning my first fix pipe runs. Am I on the right lines? Im intending to use a manifold system as others have here as the ability to isolate is so useful. We have a about 3-4bar and 17 ish litres a minute flow. The furthest point is the kitchen which I estimate will be a 20-25m run of pipe. The bathrooms are both only circa 10-15m runs. All basin taps (hot and cold) - 10mm Toilets - 10mm Kitchen taps, utility taps, dishwasher, washing machine (hot and cold) - 15mm Showers (hot and cold) - 15mm Bath (hot and cold) - 22mm Flow and Return for UFH Manifold- 22mm Ta in advance!

Of course!

I did think about it but decided it was overkill. Instead I went for the subtle approach.

Yep, euro plug to euro socket between the pump and controller. The controller also has a Euro plug but the instructions tell you to permanently wire to a FCU.

No. Its more "cheap clatter bang fall plastic tatt"

LOL. Yes, the wife was certain of the colour choice

A few pics of the control unit and pump for those following this thread:

Sent the wife of to BM Bargains for a few bits to dress the outside toilet. Couldn't believe it when she said she had spent nearly TEN pounds!!! Frivolous!!! The centre feed roll dispenser was shamelessly stolen from work. Eye wash station and first aid kit are of course obligatory. Just need to make a small door to hide the isolation valves for the taps and my work here is done

No! I'll add that to my list of weekend jobs! Thanks for the pointer.

Thanks Nick. No one up here until the pour so we should be OK. On a different note; I've just been pondering if it's worth feeding a flow and return pipe into the slab for the lower manifold? Obviously I can route it through the stud walls once they're up but any advantages to burying a 22mm pipe run in two conduits now? Edit: I should add that one advantage is that the run in the slab would be much shorter as in the stud I'll have to go up, across and down to avoid the door openings.

Ref the pressuring of the UFH; I'm not going to bother. MBC are clear it's not required and don't ever do it as standard. That pipe is really very tough, it's appears to have a metal core if I'm not mistaken. I tried crushing an offcut with my size 10's and it was almost impossible to do without a darn good stamping!!

Not a chance. I was quite suprised quite how heavy those slabs of polystyrene are, then with the steel on top it's not going anywhere in a hurry.

Yes a little. We had to cut the site on two levels, then shutter the step to allow for the hardcore (note our spec was MOT1 not clean stone as others have used) to be compacted correctly. Setting out also had to be very precise as there is very little margin for error when you have two levels and 4 90 degree angles in that step I solved that isssue (partly) by pre manufacturing the shuttering to exact measurements.

Well after a week of graft by Brendan, Matt and their lads we have a slab. The weather from Tue has been appalling up here. The last two days torrential rain but they've kept going never the less. Now we we just need a break in the weather to pour the concrete. Its pencilled for Wed but all week isn't looking good according to the forecast

Now why didn't I think of that!!! And I just happen to have access to large quantities of cheap "gun wash" (recycled cellulose thinners).

I've been thinking.......(dangerous!)........ We've got a lot of levels to build up for patio areas etc. Is there any reason why I can't just bury it to save on importing crushed concrete/hardcore? As long as I use the flat pieces it seems to have a quite incredible compressions strength. Perhaps at least 300-400mm burial depth? I guess its its not that environmentally friendly but then we've just put several hundred square meters down for the slab anyway! So al it to more under the ground hardly makes much difference.

Ah but should it actually say:................ "Lifetime of the house, insolvency/collapse of the company/manufacturer or infinity, whichever comes first" Tesla have already lost close to £1b! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/12152605/Tesla-losses-soar-to-889m-but-shares-jump-as-Elon-Musk-forecasts-a-profit.html I personally believe we are due another technology collapse. I know a few people that work in the tech bubble of California and the money being pumped into "one day" projects is staggering. Almost as crazy as their president!! I'm not saying Tesla is bad or are their ideals but can they make it to the shoreline intact? Or did their trunks fall down half way across the river? Yours ever so bright and cheery, ever so slightly dour Barney

Alas in the renewable energy market it's a trend that's very likely to continue.

Hi All I hadn't even begun to comprehend the volume of waste polystyrene that would be generated from the construction of our passive slab. Putting it skips seems crazy (and expensive). I just wondered how others have disposed of it?

http://www.toolpost.co.uk/pages/Grinding_Systems/Other_Sharpening/Sorby_Jigs/sorby_jigs.html

I like that. But then I like all such tool porn