saveasteading

OK. So I specified a rwh for our own office development. Try it on yourself principle before recommending to a client. I forecast a 10 to 13 year return on capital. There were about 30 occupants, us and tenants which is rather different to a house. It paid itself in 4 years, because I hadn't thought about the sewage saving ( sewage quantity is based on water supplied). BUT I haven't included electric supply to the pump, or a replacement pump or future maintenance. Also, the duplicated pipework cost was a guess. Sustainability? How much carbon in manufacture, construction and operation? Hence my logic that you don't do it for a house not connected to the sewer.

So you don't have a sewage bill. That's half the advantage of a domestic rwh gone. You can put a tank on or in the ground without connecting to the house plumbing. That's my current plan. A 3m3 underground tank is about £400. Plus buts at downpipes for everyday gardening. That should result in little or no bought water for garden or car washing. I'm wondering if an ibc can be buried. £60 for 1m3.

And put a timer on the pump so it doesn't fill the tank in the night. All more cost though. My philosophy is: If you connect to a foul sewer then rwh may be worth it because you save water and sewage costs. £/m3. I have payback figures for commercial but not domestic. Otherwise the capital and maintenance cost is too much. A replacement pump costs hundreds, and the electric power is a bit of an unknown. Do harvest water for the garden and send the surplus to a pond or soakaway.

Design 1 is simplest but there is a very big load off the stair trimmer, carrying over to the wall at 2 points. Needs a check. Design 2 also needs support across the gap. SE time.

I wasn't aware of that. Can you refer me to it?

I guess it uses energy so gets a down rating. I've met the people who create these programmes. They didn't understand the real world and their role was to create the system and earn fees....ditto air tests which only they could do for a few years. Mh business rented the breaam programme for a while and we played with it. Lots of anomalies but they wouldn't change them.

That isn't really a soakaway that would require 5m as the water will drain slowly into the ground and can't wash it away. The amount of water is small and it is spread over the length of the pipe. If I was your Engineer then I would be able to write a letter to satisfy the bco. (subject to knowing and being happy with all the details). Plus, if necessary, you could change the perforated pipe to solid and it is just another drain. Even for a rainwater soakaway pit I got leeway for 4m once, but that depends on the ground.

Possibly an old version of the program. We built an office block 15 years ago with ashp and got a D, because the program at the time marked us down for using electricity. The very same building, assessed last year got a B because ashps are now 'a good thing'. Very slow learners at BRE but they got there. So do ask them to look for any input errors. It can be ticking the wrong box.

Are you saying the manhole or soakaway is the issue? Have you lifted the cover? I'd expect to find a pipe in and out. If you push a drain rod along, you should find the soakaway distance. Probably where you guess. It's worth getting a pair of lifting keys as you will be doing this often. If it is a rainwater soakaway then the 5m rule applies, as it is the movement of water in the ground that is the concern If it is a manhole it doesn't. Sounds sortable. More detail please. What's in there? Distance? BUT you say foul soakaway. That would be illegal and so a very nasty thing to have on your land.

how does the neighbour access it, and what is its use.

I expect it will be this stage. But whatever they say, take photos at every stage...really boring ones showing the whole area and closeups eg the hardcore before dpm ( compacting machine in action or background) and that the dpm is lapped and taped. Keep them safe til sign-off. As a bonus you will likely find yourself referring to some of them later.

Eureka. The overflow is leaking as I latterly suspected. Then some of it runs along the angle strengthener to where the photo shows, confusing the issue. So the tank is filling and the inlet is dripping overnight...dry in the day when I have looked before. Access isn't easy but about to venture in. Plan A I think will be to convert all to mains and throw these tanks out. That will be a proper plumber. Only a few appliances run from these tanks.... 2 x wc, and one of our 2 hot water tanks.

Yes. The door and the corner. You will need a brick pier or a steel column. FYI, an RSJ (rolled steel joist) is a fairly lightweight category. You will need a UB ( universal beam), probably about 300mm deep. My gut feeling is the cost is about £450. Add column , fabrication erecting, perhaps foundation. £2K? @Gus Potter and the other SEs on here.... could we consider plating a very big timber on that cross wall and flying it across the space to pick up 4 or so joist ends. or bolt a steel channel there? Al joists then parallel to the stair opening.

Depends. I've had fancy 2 part stuff in commercial garages, specified by well known marques, and it was great but hideously expensive. For family garage businesses we tried the cheapest floor paint from their trade magazines. Tt wore out eventually along the repeat wheel routes, (thousands of passes) and simply needed a local touch up every 5 years. So it saved them thousands.

No. And crack? It's in the dark, presumably made for the job, and feels flexible still. It would be a lot of work, especially as my improved loft ladder (one that doesn't disappear under me), restricts access for part sizes. I may check again whether there is any problem when the tank is full. Perhaps a leak from the overflow.It occurs to me that this may have been dribbling for a very long time. I had the other tank leak, sorted it, and didn't look again. Maybe this was always adding to it. It hasn't come through the ceiling in that time, but i think it may have mostly evaporated until yesterday..for who knows what reason. Today it is tamed, i've used a hitech system of a bucket under the dripping point, a hole in the ply deck and a string to encourage it to that hole. No ordinary string though.... a piece of fibre optic cable....that's the hitech bit. What is the pressure relief pipe for? the one that loops over the tank. I know what hey do in hot tanks, spluttering and splashing hot water. Is it the same for cold but more as a precaution than ever really spitting water? As a precaution I could bend the float valve down a tad. Does anyone have a clever method of doing that in situ?

Was discussed earlier. it is a single brick wall, and no knowledge of foundations, but unlikely to be adequate. Plus the beam would be about 350 deep which isn't wanted. So probably no.

Ours was farm accomodation and was free with the building. Using as a site office. So not in great order. When I gutted out the folding bed and some other boxing it showed its years of use by way of dust and droppings. So yes, do a big clear out.

So they don't loosen when a joist bounces or rotates. I expect joiners perfer the speed of nails, so must use these. Screws don't pull out. If the joists don't move, due to noggins (or dwangs) I can't see a problem. It might need an Engineer to say so to the bco if questioned....Best ask bco before committing.

There is a leak from a big cold tank in the attic. It is all up on a gantry to maximise head, and very difficult to access. I can't definitely see the source, as it spreads over the ply deck, and seems even to be a couple of areas. I can't see any leaks from connections. Annoyingly the drips appear to slow and stop when I am observing....that might be some clue. What I have see is a dribble from the metal strengthening strap. Plus I think I saw a drip from further along that moulding. Do tanks fail? The tank was not full. I perhaps have to stop all household use and check overflows. ( I previously found that the adjacent hot header overflow had never been sealed. Same plumber 30 years ago). The overflow pipes are pointed down into the water. Is that an intentional thing? Photos. 1.The small tank in front is the hot water header. Behind are 2 large cold tanks, linked....one shared float valve, each with an overflow. 2. The linkage between the 2 tanks and the metal strap. Dribble stain visible on the right tank.

Use screws on whatever angle is possible or with a right angle drill attachment. Precut service holes in the joists: mass produced outdoors before lugging them in.

No. Not if you keep to the rules of size, position and spacing. Later we can sort that.

I've checked, and the word seems to be less offensive than I thought, or than it used to be.

Ask them. it isn't a standard process.

245 x 97 @ 300mm cc from john james. They don't show any closer cc.

It is almost solid timber!