larry

I think you are right, does this answer without risking the chocs? https://www.labc.co.uk/news/how-get-it-right-notches-holes-solid-timber-joists. (Which means I guess my notches are currently outside what is now permitted, though holes instead of the notches would have been fine)

Indeed, agreed very much on the plastic pipe front!!

Thanks everybody for such quick responses and helpful advice. This forum is brilliant.

Thanks Peter. Reassuring. I've got some 2 X 4 CLS so could use that instead if likely a better solution? Not any movement or springing. The ends are a bit cut up too in places (more notches, but smaller). Possible that we will put an unvented cylinder on the floor though -if not now at some point down the line-so keen to try and sort out. Not all floorboards will be lifted, I have a new stud wall now running along in the direction of the floorboards. So suspect getting a full length anything down may be tricky.

Hi all In the process of renovating an upstairs bathroom and have pulled out a run of four poorly located 15mm pipes which were notched towards the middle of the joists (so approx a 60mm X 15mm notch). Span is approx 3.2m and the notches are approx 1.2m from one wall so certainly not right in the centre but most of them won't need to be used so feel I should make good whilst boards are up. From various forum based research I had planned on reinforcing with strips of ply both sides of the joist, glued and bolted, as long as I could get it along the span. Was planning to use 12mm thick strips, but on both sides. Helpfully however Wickes has sent me non structural Hardwood ply rather than structural softwood ply that I ordered. The picture shows 3 notches but in total the run is across about 7 joists. Question is, go ahead and use it what I've got, save it for another project (can't deal with the hassle of moaning to Wickes!) or use something else entirely? Thank you all!

Now that is clever, respect!! In the end have plumped for a Vent Axia FH. All quite new so will see how we get on....

Advice welcomed! I have four fireplaces in our house, two upstairs and two downstairs. Downstairs are sealed off with some ply with a ventilation grille built in. Two are old fashioned painted fireplaces as in attached picture. Working on improving thermal efficiency of everything and thinking about the best way to seal the chimney short of knocking it down. I know there are various products on the market, but what works best? Also how on earth do I open up the upstairs fireplaces?

Oh and I have mixed this with a Schulter niche - which does seem to have a slightly different construction. However I can't see it is any more or less waterproof/durable. Used some non brand stuff for a downstairs shower a year ago and it's been fine since then (though the real question I suppose is what it's like in 10 years!)

I had some STS Backer Board delivererd from Wickes recently at £8.50 per 1200x600 sheet. Looks basically the same as Marmox and another non-brand one I've tried, except black in colour. I can see it's no longer on this offer however. Also a huge recommendation for Sikaflex adhesive/sealant for sealing edges behind the boards (before the tape). Amazing stuff.

Thanks again Peter

One other option - I've got a disused chimney in the loft that could potentially be used for either a boiler flue vent or extract/inlet for the MVHR, though it would introduce a few bends and a bit more ductwork. Worth considering?

Thanks Peter. That's helpful to know and reassuring. If I put the MHVR inlet on the left hand floor level (or at least as low as I can get it) and the MVHR exhaust as high as I can get it to the right that would give an offset between the MVHR inlet and the gas flue, and I reckon that would easily get me 1.5m height between inlet and flue. I could actually put the boiler on the right hand stud wall also going up to a vertical flue. Just need to find a gas engineer who's happy to put in a new boiler and tank and is not too expensive in winter!! In another thread I've just found I came across this https://www.heatspaceandlight.com/space-mvhr-ducts-tight-combined-intake-exhaust-grille-solution/ but it sounds like in any case trying to get 1.2m physical distance between them will be a better solution

Thanks Mike though. I'd go with MVHR through the wall if a 1.2m gap between inlet and outlet was sufficient. Are there views on that? As you suggest that creates the biggest gap with the boiler flue.

Of course I now realise I've put the red dot on the photos in the wrong place... Should be a bit to the left!

Hi, I wonder if I could please seek advice. We are installing a whole house MVHR system as part of a wider scheme of works. We have created a first floor 'plant cupboard' where a gas boiler will be located plus the MVHR unit and two of the manifolds (using a 75mm radial ducting system). I need to choose a location for the main inlet and outlet to the MVHR. I have a north facing outside wall which I could use but given the soffits and the height of the flashing of a ground floor lean-to I reckon I could only get 1200mm between the centres of the holes. That would also then mean a vertical flue for the boiler. I could put the boiler on the wall and the MVHR inlets on the roof, but I'm a bit worried then about prevailing winds blowing the boiler exhaust over the top of the MVHR inlets. Alternatively I could place the MVHR inlet on the wall underneath a wall mounted boiler and the MVHR outlet on the roof. However this then puts the inlet and outlet at different planes. I'm not sure how problematic that is. If none of these options work then I'd have to put the MVHR inlet and outlet on a different bit of the roof, possible but not really desirable for other reasons. Advice welcomed!

And... Are these units as quiet as you'd think from the dB ratings on PHI? Would love to hear any real world experience

Ps The 300 now seems available for just over £1400 from https://www.ventilationland.co.uk/brand/94/brink-climate-systems.html currently , who knows what will.happen to EU prices over the next few weeks though as it seems this is a Dutch site with an english front end

Really interesting thread: also come across the 300 via the PHI database, has anybody actually fitted it, and does it have an internal humidistat? And, levo how did you get on getting the pipes down from 160 ? Do you mind me asking what plenums and vents you used? Interested in the soil pipe idea so would love to know how this worked if you ended up doing this