saveasteading

Another thing learned today . I hadn't heard of this. From a quick read up, this would be ideal for the face of the wall, but not underground.

OK thanks. Understood. But if I have a cable that clearly works, including the switch, can't I simply find a nice condition part of it in the attic and join a new cable to it? I appreciate it's not perfect or professional, but will be much better than what is here now, for the interim. And circumstances do not permit pulling down walls and ceilings at present. I have spoken to a couple of really sound electricians and they want to spend thousands on exploratories, tests and rewiring. And of course I'll still end up putting the swa in. My interim switch idea was partly so that I can do this diy bit, while ensuring it is ready for a proper job when funds and circumstances allow. ie new swa cable 25m fixed to post and wall. Switch. Short (7m) cable from switch into house, joining to the existing in a new junction box indoors. That will be much easier to handle too than 32m swa. Then later the link from there can be surveyed and completed. Which doesn't resolve my original question ..what is the outdoor switch called? 3 wires in, 3 wires out I assumed. Or it is live in and out of the switch, and join the neutral ends within the box? I've looked at screwfix and other specs, and instructions within the switches I have already, and indeed they throw around the terms switch/gang/ way/ pole as if they are interchangeable. @joth thanks to you too. The circuit you show doesn’t apply as my existing is a simple switch. But I think you havd provided the beginnings of an inkling of how L1 to Com works and doesn't go bang.

Here is the existing treble switch. Very congested, so I hope you can "read" it. To complicate it, the left hand switch is 2 way. AND in turning off fuses i find that the right hand switch, the one that does the floodlight in question is on a different circuit to the other 2 switches. And yet I only see 2 cables.... over to you Mr Electrician.

Pictures show the existing cable up the wall. Should that be swa into the house or will normal cable in a duct suffice? I will take the internal switch face off ...but isn't it simply going to be 3 cores heading off into the attic which are either on or off? I will ask annoying questions later about gangs, switches and poles... it seems unnecessarily confusing. Eg 3 gangs means 3 switches. But 2 gangs means... not 2 switches but what you said

Ok, so i put in swa with a junction box both ends. Are you saying that i should also use swa from there into the house? I'm happy (prefer) to keep the switching simple, so either switch works independently and both have to be on for it to work. Being of simple mind I like to connect 3 cores in and 3 cores out (or 2, and link the earths) but will take instruction if there is a better way.. What is such a switch called? Double pole double throw?

Thanks. And you even anticipate the reason for doing this. There appears to be a fault in the underground cable as it fails in wet weather. It must be 30 years old and prob put in by ultra-amateurs / as cheap as possible. It used to work a 250W floodlight but is only about 30W now with a replaced light. I suspect the underground cable is domestic, indoor, 3 core, so intend to replace it with armoured from the post that has the light, to the house wall. Here I will put the new switch. Perhaps good practice also dictates a junction box? I could just join the existing cable but it has been in the sun and weather for decades. So I then intend to take a 2.5mm domestic cable into the house and there make a new connection (it is in the attic so easy to access and adapt.) I would encase that outside cable in ducting. Tracing the existing indoor cable back to the indoor switch is likely to be very convoluted and messy. It is a 3 gang switch at the front door, operating the lobby, an adjacent outdoor wall light and the distant light which is the issue. Just one of these

I have an outdoor floodlight. The cable is on the outside wall and there is a normal indoors switch inside the front door. I want to add a switch inline on the outdoor wall, to make it easy to switch off the light there. I find I have suitable external switches in my box of bits. For wiring there is one connector in and one out. So do I put live wires into them, and join the neutrals inside the box with a connector ? One of these screw over the end ones, or a connector block? Ditto with the earth I assume. With indoor light switches there are connectors for every wire, (in and out , in basic terms) so I'm confused why external switches should be different.

It is worrying indeed. Fortunately we Engineeers (capital letter but not a protected title) include quite a lot of overdesign for unforeseen loads, including idiocy. Hence the ceiling has deflected but not fallen down yet. But a certain amount of intelligence and knowledge is expected of any trade, and they are liable and must not only straighten the ceiling but ensure that the roof remains strong enough for wind, snow, storage. They should be getting either the original designer or another to report and advise.

What thickness is agreed. I ask because I once had a drive dressed. He quoted an inch but it was half of that....his excuse being it was an inch before rolling. He had to go to buy some more, and formally cursed me after I paid ( in full). And what specification? Is your sub- base laid to the necessary fall, so that thd tarmac is all the same thickness?

If anything, in this hot weather it will dry too quickly, and that causes weakness and cracking. 5mm of pure water would probably evaporate.

I did the turning over and regretted it. Mine is Roca. I removed the rubber washer, cleaned it, reversed it and refitted. What was a strong trickle was improved to a slight trickle. It could be stopped by jiggling the flush to give it another chance to reset. So I bought a new washer and it's fine now. It wouldn't be a big deal but it's such a fiddle fitting in there....and I dropped a very particular connecter in and lost it. (Expanding plasterboard plug to the rescue). My ongoing concern is that the washer 'mates' with an outlet that may get mucky with lime but is unreachable.

Doors about windows will do all the air movement you need, in dry weather in June.

Does it not say " or similar". Perhaps your application stated this model and the planners are simply repeating it. They cannot make you use a particular model if another can be shown to work as well and meetscrequired standards, so get looking at the other options. I'm surprised. Water in equals water out in quantity and rate, doesn't it? I'm puzzled at why it should bubble noisily.

Plus, assuming you've been a good customer, that also gets through to the new trade party. Bad customers will be a constant worry. Will they pay and promptly? Are they nagging? Chatting? Do they want free extras along the way? Recommendations work both ways.

Often said but never by experts. This would only apply with thick concrete with far too much water in it (so that it flows for the builder's convenience but also greatly reducing quality.) ie stated as if it was science whereas it is as an excuse. An industrial slab of 200mm does not take 7 months, but about 2. A 60mm screed does not take 2 months, but 2 weeks.

If it is on a concrete slab then the tank can be pinned or lashed to that. Some tanks have the bases designed to ease the interlinking of base concrete with the tank. Gaps allow bars to be pushed through or cables over the top. I'd like to hear other users experiences of pumping out. Hoe ling have you sared keavd it? Any ptobitms? My personal feeling is that it can be left for years. The biggest problem would be toilet stuff that should not be flushed. I guess that floats for ever in the first chamber.

More of the district trench runs allows the water to find fissures or areas of higher permeability. Eg ancient tree roots. Joiningbtgem all up, in any wat at all, let's it flow all over for temporary storage, thence to soak away. Remember that gravel is 2/3 stone and 1/3 air or liquid. Re big areas though, when you flush a toilet and 3 litres goes to digester tank, then 3 litres comes out. That will usually disappear in the first few m of drain and will never reach the middle of a big expanse of gravel. A bath load will reach further of course. 10m? I'd rather like to meet the people who designed these complex drainage field principles. I might establish is it me or them who don't understand the reality. OP: don't worry. It's overdesigned so any will work.

Handy hint. Of course keep the excavated hole as tight as possible to minimise costly backfill and reduce earth settlement in future. But if you can't avoid a bigger hole, esp sloping sides, then you can minimise concrete and gravel backfill with the use of a board or a cladding sheet. Gravel against the tank, earth behind, pull up and repeat.

Check the instructions precisely. I had a flooring company fit one over a floor (150 concrete) . We put in more and more fans and heaters and dehumidifiers for 2 weeks as the dial was not dropping. Then the flooring company explained that the box being sealed means the numbers stay high. It was OK. That's a bit vague I know....but do check the procedure.

The tank will only ever have a risk of floating when empty combined with high water table. After installation it will always be full, except on the few occasions of pumping it out. Do tell.

I've had a look at the info, such as there is. It appears to be simply a holding tank with lots of perforation. It will catch and hold the treated liquid ejected if there is a run on baths and flushing. Then it soaks away......nothing happens inside the box. Thus is is not spreading the outfall in the way that a long pipe would. You could as easily build a plastic catchpit with no bottom and optional holes in the side, or make it of brick, the worse quality the better. Or wrap a crate with membrane. I guess the big sales points are. 1. It gets buried and carries a load. 2. It is made by a digester company. 3 fits in a driveway. 4.. A bco feels safe accepting it and will not be blamed for any pollution. This being the main attraction? Against it. 1. Small footprint so not dispersing the outfall very far. 2 expense. 3. A pipe system in gravel will encourage further treatment of gunk stuck to gravel. In summary it's just a soakaway so is encouraging a reduction in soakaway standards, but will be easy for a builder, and the bco may feel able to accept the nice certificate for the file.

I've only ever used Marsh,4 times. The effluent always looked and smelled clean.... but I washed my hands. The new Marsh tank has improved numbers. Granular backfill easy too .... what concerns you.

You could theoretically add a foot or so of pir to the wall and retain your headroom.

Farmers should plough across the field, but don't, and prefer the water to run away. How about a seasonal pond? The surface area promotes evaporation. I put one in for our offices. Full in winter, dry in summer. Nature adapts.

I've encountered several crooked epc 'consultants'. What rating do you need? Under questioning, disguised as naive chat, it was clear that they were genuinely ignorant of the science and building practicalities. I did wonder where they emerged from? They did not like real construction info either. I think they had bought or rented a very, very primitive assessment template. Is the wall single skin, double skin or cavity., insulated or not. And so on. I had one that we told we had upgraded a party wall.....not interested....went down as single skin with plaster both sides. So we got a C that would have been B. C is good enough for anyone he responded. I'm pretty sure he would have changed tick boxes to get us a C whatever. My suspicion is that many a rental has such a fraudulent certification. I would never conciously use them, but am not in need of them either. I don't blame the councils. They are being tricked as much as anyone. If I was still involved in the industry I would be meeting builders, bco and other officers at council workshops...i always found most of them to be interested....but I'm not. Cheating is bad, but so are stupid rules. Shop around?