Marvin

This is a subject I have researched and worked on in detail. The production of heat is caused by the bacteria reaching between 37 and 54 degrees centigrade with the right amount of oxygen and water. Far below 37 it just rots and takes ages. Far above 54 and it dries out and goes crispy. In huge commercial trials this has been hard to duplicate for several reasons. Although you can calculate the heat potential, controlling it, is nigh on impossible. Information, and my own trials, show that the mound needs to be at least 1 cubic meter and live material. Yes the compost goes better in summer but you can insulate around it in winter, but then it can over heat and the bacteria dies. Also it needs to be mixed correctly.

A concern would be the starting up of the ASHP if it was frozen. I think you may have to wait for the compressor to warm to above 5C before you should start it otherwise is causes excessive wear?? I think that is for 12 hours continually above 5C. I think that's why the ASHP circulates at night and has a heater (warmer??) in the unit that comes on in cold temperatures?? Well that's what I understood.

That makes 2 of us. Also there is a slim chance that the place freezes up, power goes down and 10 thousand ASHP's go pop at the same time and I will be the last on the repair list.

Hi @Great_scot_selfbuild My air source heat pump stops heating the radiators at the lower temperature and then heats my hot water tank at a higher temperature. Once the hot water tank is up to temperature it then reverts to the lower temperature. This is all achieved using a 3 port valve. On a highly insulated property like we have, we have never noticed the building temperature drop whilst heating the 204 litre hot water tank. That said, we don't have any baths only showers.

Replacement bearings arrived.

Yes true. Also a requirement for fire escape in some cases.....

Today I found out that our DOMUS HRX2 MVHR which was installed in 2017 was not running correctly. Upon inspection it appears to be the fans in the unit are not working properly. Based on the excellent information, from @Steve W and others above, I am hoping to avoid paying about £800 for the 2 new fans and I am gambling that the bearings are shot and have ordered the SKF E2.608-2Z/C3 8 x 22 x 7. I never thought of this and will have fun trying to get access to the unit in my loft. During the renovation/build, my wife insisted (may I add against my better judgement and being a waste of money) that we have openable windows! Because of this we will now be able to have an airflow although the building whilst I attempt to fix the darn thing. I will never hear the end of this!

The fall on the inspection chamber would be the wrong way. They are designed to flow 3 into one not 1 into 3! It may be the requirement for a rodding point and a place to see if the water is dissipating and the drain is not clogged up. I have accesses each end of my surface water soakaway for these reasons. I would have offered two Y junctions with the straight on rising to a rodding point. Good luck M

We built/renovated a smaller property than we could afford so we only considered cost engineering on each task on a value for money angle. It was enough doing the work without financial pressures. I also have a feeling that any pie chart would be very personal to the actual building and only be indicative to any building. M

Hi @kbsoloman I don't expect that the blockwork was put up without reason. More pictures will help. Or draw a rough sketch showing more info: how long is the wall to the left of the picture. Whats behind the wall How high is the ground the other side of the wall Otherwise tricky to comment. M

How much are the gaps 5mm? 30mm? Not sure if you are saying if you can get temporary access to both sides when filling? In my humble opinion non-compressible material should be used under every vertical stud position as a minimum. I always used a dry sand and cement mix 3:1 just damp enough to hold together when squeezed in my hand to pack gaps like that. Packed in tightly in gaps and allowed to set. Good luck M.

This sort of thing requires individual home personalised management to be successful. I need a full car battery for tomorrow's journey and have filled it using our PV. If it is used when no PV is available during today I would have to buy electricity during tomorrow to get home at twice the price of what it would cost me from home.

41% of my last electricity bill was for the standing charge and VAT.

Ditto

😂 and what did you expect! Long hair I guess.. On a more serious note what was the average wattage over square meterage when you were away? ( I assume this is used energy not purchased) We run on about 3kWh purchased per day at the moment but have PV and EV, however this is all the energy purchased for everything - no gas.

Hi @Sam45 Yes there are many choices of this type of wall called retaining walls. Its worth searching "retaining wall design" and go to images. You will see there are many designs. You may also see solid brick walls that get wider the deeper they go... Designs that allow for drainage either through weep holes or drainage to foundations or back filled with drainage material depending on the soil type, slope and existing drainage ground water levels and so on are also indicated. As you say the wall needs to be attached to the base, however, again, there are many choices but basically, depending on the design the bigger the heel or toe of the foundations the less chance of failure. Whilst the mix of views may seem confusing, the answer, as always is in the maths and someone competent to calculate it and come up with the design that will achieve it. @Mr Punter, @Conor, @ProDave, @Redbeard and @Iceverge have all come up with good information. I wonder when the neighbours paving was completed and if the sloping land was levelled at the time bringing the earth higher on the failed wall. Any builder would know that the wall without backing would fail.... Best of Luck Marvin

Hi @Sam45 In my humble opinion, I would not go for a two wall design. If you did, the only thing holding the wall up would be the strength of the strongest designed wall. The other wall would only be for show. The ones I have build retaining the high ground to about 3 feet high have the wall becoming thicker on the ground side the further below the level of the high ground it goes. As @ProDave comments, the best design is for the thickening of the wall to be under your neighbours ground.

The problem with the waste, in my humble opinion, is that the solvent weld vertical pipe is too short. What with the short length of pipe catching the fitting and the vibrations from the flexible grey waste pipe its going to fail. Another thing I do is dry off the sink first downpipe, and all the bits in the compression end of the junction pipe that grasp the top pipe, and silicone the parts, fit together and hold in position for 48 hours by propping. However, I still would not do this without lengthening the vertical solvent weld pipe. Good luck Marvin

Yup cooler air drawn from the north side, through the bungalow.

Hi @GNB88 There are a few who have done what you are doing, definitely in Scotland. As some? rules are different in Scotland from England make sure you point this out when posting. M

Hi @KevH Welcome. What sort of garden are you thinking of having? M.

We find when its really hot the sun is out so we use a mobile air conditioner which has a heat pump. It doesn't do the whole building but then we tend not to be in most of the rooms.

One of the best savings is achieved by insulating the hot water tank within an inch of its life not just the 2 inches of foam around it.

Hi @ReedRichards Yes we have similar. We don't do many miles but we must have spent a total of about £100 over the last 2 years buying electricity for the EV. We use the 13amp charger and leave the vehicle plugged in when home and it only charges when the PV produces over 3.5kW. Of course this wouldn't work if the car was parked at work all day...

Hi @LSB Renovated an existing bungalow converting the garage but added a rear extension. Involved a bit of labour to help now and then otherwise definitely self build.