saveasteading

It is possibly a vent pipe from a storm water storage chamber nearby or beneath. When water goes in it has to displace air, so this might be it.

The top is probably compacted by builders vehicles and containing bricks and junk. After about 300 the effect of wheels is usually much reduced. on the other hand the original ground may be dense , but at least should not have stuff in it. Whether the ground level is similar to the existing, or has been cut or filled, perhaps you know or can establish. Soakaways and french drains work better with depth because there is an increase in surface area, and the 'head' of water pushes water downwards a bit more. That is all theory though. If you can dig 1m down you may see all the layers of new and original ground. you could also do one or more percolation tests for your own interest .(see earlier discussions)

If searching for ways to reduce the flow to the pond, then perforated pipes all the way increases soakaway area. Or just a bit of perforated and the water will escape into the gravel, and only heavy rain reach he pond.

OK I understand now, and obviously you don't mind that gravel area being under water. I would be more inclined to make a catchment up on the higher level, so a big pit, that would be a pond. Then it holds the water, allows half into the ground and half to evaporate with wind or plant respiration, and meanwhile be attractive. Shrubs would help too, in drinking the water and breaking up the soil over time. Failing that, build the french drains with additional pipes to create more void space, tto hold the water. Gravel is one two thirds or more stone, and doesn't hold much water.

And this is your land too?

The tools made of silicon are a different class from the old plastic ones. Nice pack of sizes from SF 'non-nonsense)

Drain off to where? Typically a metre of rains falls on your whole garden in a year. 50m2 of garden becomes 50m3 of water, so it has to go somewhere. Currently it is soaking slowly through the ground or eventually evaporating. Sending it all to the bottom of the garden could become interesting.

A landowner is unlikely to sell land without permission in principle, because they can charge much more with permission. Agricultural land is £10k and acre. With PP it can be an awful lot, (esp in the S/SE £1M or more) Therefore it follows that a field bought on spec is unlikely to get permission, because the farmer will have thought of it already. Nod's way is safe and sensible.

I would say, after the trusses are up. Heavy structural work done and any fixings to the original building are not going to damage your new insulation. Then all the insulation can be done in one operation, and cut in to suit. The corner from pin to yellow will need some attention. Very helpful drawing btw.

Yes, but as the heating water from ASHP is only 30 C at best efficiency , you will need large areas of radiator. Some study required, and look into what sort of space you have available. I think there are cleverly designed rads which will disperse the heat more quickly, but that they are quite expensive. Others on here will know better than I.

The BCO will tell you if there are any specific concerns, in which case you must address them. If it is a standard question the 'always a bungalow' should suffice. Anyway you would tell them that in the phone call and find out what was required, if anything. BCO needs closure in the file.

The water will be cold long after the winter too. BUT is it not simpler to circulate a closed loop into the burn, and to use antifreeze in the loop? Then instruct it to think in K not C and it will get energy out of the burn which will become just a tiny bit colder. How much energy though I leave to the experts on here.

OK so the question really is whether you can use the existing french drain or need additional drainage/filtering for the quantity. How much land do you have? Fancy a pond which might resolve everything and be 'a good thing'

And no project mid-way through at the time? I would show you my workshop if I could turn round in it to take a picture. Have a dismantled, very big, sound-bar filling the bench. Just needs a capacitor changed, but it is a bit scary and a tomorrow job...this last year.

That may be all you have to say, and you can do that yourself. Ahhh, the BCO not planning. So it seems to be a routine question, and a routine answer should suffice. If you have proof to hand it would be helpful to attach it.

There is usually a reason for asking about potential contamination. For example nearby landfill, mucky factories, the history of the site or area. Very often it needs a simple answer such as it has had a house on this plot for 100 years. ie it wasn't previously a garage/gasworks/slaughterhouse/chemical works. do you know the history of the site? what is nearby?

Great idea. A problem with GSHP is that the ground gets cold, unless there is a new source of heat, eg water flowing through gravel. Zoothorn, You have a constant supply of new water. Any idea what temperature?

With floods being such a serious risk in some areas, it is incredible to me that planners allow new housing to tip rainwater into the river systems. Even when controlled, they allow about 5 litres/second/hectare out. That is a lot of water. In my opinion: the planners don't understand it plus it is not their responsibility developers accept the constraint as it allows development where other means wont work. Environment Agency have very little clout Government: don't understand and want to please the developers.

You can't , or shouldn't, connect directly to a stream without permission. This is water that currently soaks into the ground, but would instead be flushed immediately into the stream, then down to wherever floods might occur. It all adds up. So you might need permission. Even if you don't, this is usually down to planners non-understanding or caring. They allow a lot of drainage that could be much better. Going to soakaways is better if you can, and if they work in your ground. Big IFs. It is a planning issue, not building control, in the first instance.

I like French drains as they spread the water further, and have more ground surface area to dissipate into, which tends to work better and is also good environmentally. What is the existing drain for/doing ? Where were the gutters going to connect before this idea? If the french drain failed and water rose to the surface, where would it go next?

It is less than in a change of floor covering. However if that was added to an actual change in floor covering, and perhaps some construction tolerances, it could feasibly become a trip risk.

B and Q has little relation to a domestic situation. On a building that size, if fairly modern, there will be a very big steel grillage near the middle. This is used over a certain size of floor (2,000m2 as a vague memory.) elsewhere there are also multiple crack induce joists, which may have a flexible filler. At the big joint there is a complete break in the floor slab. Elsewhere the crack control mesh runs through the joints. Don't concern yourself with that, except to note that it is 'a thing' that is taken seriously. They are not expansion joints, but contraction joints as all concrete shrinks, and doesn't expand again unless it gets very hot. All concrete shrinks , as yours has done. I don't know the science of your screed, but presumably the heat is forcing water out of the chemical structure that has been formed when the screed was hardening. Water is taken in chemically as a part of the new material, and not all of it has to dry. I'm just surprised this happens at your temperature. The manufacturer should tell you why this has happened and if it will now be stable or expand again when cooling and perhaps taking water back into the chemical structure. The drawing is excellent, thanks. The yellow line could have been forecast, and there should have been a contraction joint near to that point, to control the crack to a nice straight line. The red crack will not stop at mid slab, and the question will be whether it carries on until it meets yellow, dives off at an angle to a door opening, or dissipates in multiple tiny cracks. None are likely to be long term problems once they stabilise. But I wouldn't be sure that have yet. Notting nasty is going to happen, but there is a risk of tiles cracking if the floor shrinks or relaxes back to where it was.

As someone who wrecked a cylinder trying to adjust a connection...these tanks are incredibly thin copper and strong only when full of water. Unless designed for hanging they have to sit on a base (could be a very strong shelf). Spread the load as far as you can.

11 pages on, but as well as helping zoothorn's flue issues we have gone into diy hydro-electrics, torque, nesting birds and ...I can't remember now. Will the next question be as engaging?

It can always be explained. I f it matters to you, then show us a picture and we can try. I am very surprised that the screed was not considered dry after 6 months. Was the area sealed off so that the air remained cold/ humid? My guess (just for fun) is that the 'unexplained' crack is an area of least resistance to the shrinkage that has happened everywhere, and the ufh is acting as crack control...so a place where the pipes are absent , or running the other direction.