Tom

I think looking at "heat" or the temperature of the air is oversimplifying how we find our environment comfortable. I'm reminded of that recent GD episode where the chap tried to build a completely passive house, insulating the earth around it to act as a thermal store, he said that even though the temperature of the air was lower, the warmer walls radiated heat and the actual comfort of the space was equivalent. The same could be extrapolated to the effect of windows on the heated space - a warmer triple glazed one radiating heat (or at least more than a double glazed one). Likewise the draughts/convection currents that would happen against a colder surface.

I'm planning on using tung oil - you?

We're planning on using this - reuse the cladding boards already on one if the barns and char them ourselves. The end result, if diy, is going to be quite user-dependent I suppose, and definitely less forgiving than paint. But get it right and I think the charred wood is supposed to be far longer lasting.

tank connector?? https://www.diy.com/departments/floplast-push-fit-straight-waste-tank-connector-dia-40mm/152672_BQ.prd

Thanks all. I'll make sure the sparks is happy with everything.

static

So we're moving our consumer unit etc out of one of the barns that we're dismantling ready for our build, and at the same time will put in a new run of armoured cable to supply the caravan. I have an electrician coming to connect it all up, but I will be putting the cable in and want to get all the sockets etc that I need. I'm trying to find the right sort of hook-up socket for the caravan that I can fix to a wooden stake outside. Would this do?: https://www.toolstation.com/industrial-socket-ip67/p31599 Ideally I'd like a weather proof socket next to it to so that the builders can plug in stuff that they might need, but can't find an all-in-one unit. Is IP67 sufficient? Thanks all.

Right, a big thankyou to all that have given advice, big thumbs up to ProDave and Onoff. I managed to isolate the fault by splitting the ring in to smaller sections and have bypassed this with a new length of twin and earth. After discussion with Onoff looks like I could have just left it as is and in essence used the split ring main as two radial circuits, but would have needed a few new MCB's so that the rating of the wire didn't exceed the rating of the existing MCB. Anyway, running the wire was a simpler solution in the end, so all working again now. Thanks everyone. To anyone in a similar situation and testing for a neutral/earth fault - remove both ends of a ring main from the MCB when testing the RCD...

...but of course all that risk is factored in to any fixed price contract (to an extent), so you will be paying for it either way. Though with a fixed price you will DEFINITELY be paying for it...

Good point Conor. I think splitting it up into chunks as you say would be far more sensible. I will have another think - we're meeting the builder on-site tomorrow to discuss.

Agree this is a good idea, but how would this work in practice on a time+materials basis? What's to stop the builder inflating their time costs to cover for this? Is snagging only something for fixed price arrangements?

Thanks onoff, have I not got a neutral/earth fault based on the tests so far, and I'm assuming there is no way to find where on the ring main this fault is?

Checked all sockets and can't find anything. Unfortunately the cables run in the walls so can't check them. Just typical this happens a day after moving in, I guess must be us moving around or plugging/unplugging things must have shifted something. Is the only option now a new ring main?

ok, just tested and continuity between neutral and earth (0 ohms) and no continuity between live and earth/neutral. I guess that's what we expected?

Hmmm, a multimeter and one of those screwdrivers with a bulb in it and that's about it! Would it be worth investing in one of those plug-in testers https://www.toolstation.com/socket-tester/p82826 - though TBH unless there is a fault easily accessible in the socket there is no way I'm going to start pulling the walls apart, so might as well cut my losses and just run a new ring main under the caravan. I just wonder if there is something I'm overlooking though.... Absolutely nothing plugged in - so what else could it be?