saveasteading

Can house circuits cause a pump to fail? The previous fish pond pump worked fine, but we estblished that its cicuit, extended from the ring main, was causing random power cuts, with the fuse tripping.(not the circuit but the main house) Turning off the local trip resolved the issue hence we 'knew' where the problem lay. Next I ran the pump off an extension lead on a different circuit, for 2 weeks. No problem. Then i plugged it back into the original and it worked for a few days with no tripping but then it failed. The pump doesn't work. Bought a new pump. It worked for 3 weeks then failed. I've checked all connections and fuses. Also plugged if into a different circuut. Nada. Pumps are simple things i believe. Two don't fail in quick succession. Is there any other way of checking the pump ? Do they fail if there is a fault in the mains supply? The circuit in question seems to be a common denominator in circuit tripping and pump failure. I have not got an intermediate rcd connected. I used to but took it off because it was complicating the logic, and might have been the cayse, being sensitive. The pump is only about 30W, with very small, soft cables.

I haven't met a planner or bco yet who cares / understands.

Gravel works if it is crushed flint, not whole peas. But crushed rock is better. If no size is stated it will be too big and rather random.

As general advice. Sometimes you might want a quick bit of advice from an SE of either 1. The building is obviously a disaster....walk away or 2. I would need to do a more detailed inspection. 1. Does not need a written report, so is half the cost of 2.

It's not a bad arrangement, thinking diminishing returns. If thermalites are so poor when wet, can you keep them dry? Dpc, and bitumem paint? Black will look better too. The thermalites might break along the fixings line, or locally. Can you get the fixings more central, and perhaps not used impact/expansion mechanism? To my costings, insulated rafts are much more expensive. Other people like them.

That's good for most grids of say 50mm. Any bigger just doesn't fit. Colour is just aesthetics. Unless one stone is harder. I have always used white or cream.

Building this to the letter of the building regulations can be limiting. BUT it is my experience that the BCO doesn't know the rules on final disposal, or (like me) thinks they are silly and can be replaced by a ditch or simple soakaway. (The quantity of liquid daily is low). Make sure. For examples, in one case (England) I found that water in a copse simply disappeared, so I pointed the outfall in there.....accepted and works still, or I would hear about it. In another (Scotland) we were building a big drainage field as regulations. Digger driver said he had installed 20 tanks and only ever with a rubble soakaway. So we never installed the second half of the field.

Was it a ground (as in with a grinder) finish with the surface removed and stones exposed? I think you must then seal the surface with a special varnish to make it look bright and cheerful, and to keep stains from soaking in. Even water will emphasise any microcracks, which are unavoidable. Any random cracking would then look awful, so it is quite a skill. So have I. Very useful for not falling through, even with a forklift. I admit never having tried for a pretty one other than by applying a topping of mineral or epoxy....or tiles.

I have used Marsh Industries tanks 3 times, and always sucessfully. Their design advice is straight forward. I like the compactness esp shallowness. The only moving part is a tiny air pump like on an aquarium. The outfall may have to be negotiated but a pragmatic bco should be OK.

I doubt it. The moisture is already there in the ground. It should permeate downwards and away unless there is another source. It's debatable though. If there is a healthy draught through the void it will clear the air, and chill the floor above it.

Another thing is change. Selling will bd easier if it is your own. Neighbours change too. Could get worse. Will you need building regs? And you control the spec, contractor, price, maintenance.

Have you seen any examples? I am sceptical that it is a suitable finish.

Treatment tank on your own land sounds like the optimum. A septic tank could not outfall to ditch anyway. There are lots of sizes, including shallow.

Great advice above. Don't have heebie jeebies. Ask the vendors for any building control approvals and the drawings.

Not really. Piles are for getting through poor ground onto something stronger. Wet clay is usually ok for strength , just messy to work on as @Jilly says. There are lots of solid buildings in The Somme.

It is normal. You are right that it might encourage a crack on that line, but it shouldn't if the concrete is good. And it won't matter anyway. What are the odds of hitting a bar? With isoquick perhaps quite high but I don't know your details. The odd rod being cut won't matter either OR the anchor being a tad less deep. That is an advantage of threaded rod and epoxy...it cuts as required. But a hit fix will be very much quicker.

All the above. And then it is OK to spread a dpm over the whole area. It will stop evaporation and dampness into the void. Shpuld not even be close. Keep 50mm min below the air bricks and dpm. It is a common issue that the ground level rises over decades, (leaves and muck ) even without paving being added.

Do not use short fixings. The first 25mm or so is discounted in calculations. After that it is approximately the square of three depth. So you must keep the depth. The occasional clash with a bar is normal

And report back please?

Do one check. If you have the space, (say 25m or more) Set the machine up and measure the difference between two surfaces equidistant at about 180 degrees. . Then move the laser close to one of them and repeat (one close surface, one distant). . It should be much the same answer, but a few mm out is to be expected. If it more than that, we question whether it is the machine or the method. It is good practice too.

That is my unspoken concern. Using lasers , people seem to think everything will be fine. I've had huge errors by letting them get on with it. Lots of block cutting, as usually the concrete is too high. I'm maybe old fashioned but I like working levels to be pre-marked. eg battens up to footing level, or nails banged into trench sides. (or proper motorway stuff of profiles.) Then they are just pouring concrete, not juggling a staff as well. Or you watch their skill level and do the odd check after hours. The equipment benefits too as it isn't covered in concrete or knocked or driven over. More advice upon request after you've searched the interweb for advice.

Do you see this as a business opportunity? Buy bricks in small batches (but whole pallets as a minimum). slice 2 faces off them. allow wastage sell each on at the same price as a single brick. (I'm guessing here) dispose of centres as hardcore. package and deliver. I'm really not surprised that it isn't commercially viable to sell 2m2 for a fireplace. I have found whole bricks to be much cheaper, if you have the room and details to suit.

I don't know what you will be using it for. Just to say that the seemingly accurate range can wander off if used too casually. The way you use it too. Are there instructions about, for example, equal backsight and foresight? Maybe I value accuracy more than most. Houses are very approximate usually, and mostly it isn't a big deal. Drains not running is important though.

Probably? I would perhaps paving slab or gravel over it, so that it is accessible.

So called specialist installers can be surprisingly ignorant technically. What if the mvhr breaks down? We don't design for that. A serious talk with the plumber or a change of.