Ferdinand

Hmmm. 🤔 Daily Mail article using poverty as a reason to support abolition of standing charges. They did not mention that people with empty houses and second home owners will love it - no energy bills at all whilst they are not occupied. Straight abolition is not a subtle enough policy imo.

At this point then, it's get it done PDPDPDQ before someone goes "Hmmmmm. We need advice" in your local Council. F

When I dryline I tend to do it traditionally framed out rather than dot and dab, then I include a membrane to help isolate the insulation from the ventilation, then install some sort of modest forced ventilation.

Not in the area. I normally suggest a local one with more than one branch, and some sort of specialist land expertise so it's available in case you need it. So you get to deal with one experienced person, with backup available. I generally recommend against regional companies big enough to imagine they are in a different league with rates. For a specific recommendation I would ask a Chartered Surveyor or most experienced member of staff in a long-term trusted local EA. That is the middle-aged one in the backroom who looks as if they have been dragged through a hedge backwards, and has their tea out of a chipped cup marked "Lawn Mower Racing Championship 2006. Third place.".

Yes - it seems they might. I've reedited my post to note that I missed that on a quick skim. More to experiment with. Remaining main concern with the unit would be the strange noises it makes on occasion - which seems to me that it may be something like fan-strike as the temperature of the outlet hits its limi and before the thermal cutout activates. I've been playing with it for a few days, so I need to decide whether I need a replacement or a return, but may try the app over the w/e first. Generally it has been a very positive experience. I have had part of my career playing in areas adjacent to IT whackery-hackery, but I generally prefer to avoid it at home.

That is an excellent suggestion. I should have thought of that, since I have done it occasionally that way on the electric side. Do you get LGC certified plumbers from the list on the regulator website, if such exists? Where would @Jilly find the register?

I have since discovered by testing that the machine remembers some things: Thermostat temperature. Fan setting (I think). Mode it is in ie cool, heat or fan only (I think). This is moot between heat and cool, as the hoses need to be swapped around, and that has to be done manually. That gives me hope that I can have it on a regular say 7am-10am or 6am-9am mains timer to run it in aircon (summer) or heating (winter) mode to reach a reasonable say 20C which will make the house comfortable without risking long-term-running by mistake. It also suggests that more complex remote control could be done via a House Management setup. Encouraging.

They recommend the "Tuya Smart" app, and it is listed on the Tuya website wherever that is. Github? I have attached the WIFI Manual below, from here: https://www.electriq.co.uk/files/pdf/AIRFLEX15 WIFI TUYA 20190318.pdf That is where my comments came from, after skimming it. My tests (next post) suggest that more information may exist in the unit for you to access. It seems to remember the thermostat setting, for example. Reskimming there is a whole 1-2 page section I missed called Automation, that lets actions be triggered based on Humidity, Time, Temp etc. A integration with Google Home of Amazon Echo is possible (knew that). That may actually give me what I want, but may require the unit to be left on standby. And they seem very keen on ability to run lots of air conditioners 🙂 . So buy some more. I'm more keen to leave the doors open and buy one. AIRFLEX15 WIFI TUYA 20190318.pdf

OK. Reflections. This portable aircon / heat pump is powerful enough to make a difference. I can see it being very useful to cool down in summer and warm up in winter, perhaps even for much of the house if I leave doors open. Potentially it *may* let me significantly reduce the amount I use the GFCH. It will be cost effective if running at the times I want. The biggest issue is that - either via the unit, the handheld or the app - programming cannot go beyond "switch on or off in X hours", which means programming the night before every time, or leaving it on full time with a thermostat setting. The latter runs the risk of it running when I do not want it to - eg in a cool night. I don't believe I can put it on a mechanical timer for say 3 hours a day, and have it auto start at the default temperature. Testing that. I can see daily programming before bed working, but the lack of long term programming is a disappointment. F

Another way is to use a 1.2m concrete repair spur that comes with holes already in it, and bolt a wooden fencepost to that so that it does not contact the ground. Set the spur 18-20" into the ground. https://www.jewson.co.uk/p/supreme-concrete-repair-spur-100-x-100-x-1200mm-grey-LSCFE532

Why is this not made from Guinness cans?

OK a few hours later, with the air-con-heat-running in the 28sqm kitchen on low. Whole house has used 1 (one) kWh of electricity. Rounded down to the unit. TV news running in background. Lights on. Computer plugged in. Kitchen temperature down by 3-4 degrees. Conservatory has run up to a very hot temp. Now to see how quickly it warms up when the machine is switched off. Only issue: machine occasionally making fan-making-contact sounding noises.

Because the energy meter is filed somewhere. I'm seeing how much 3 hours of low takes and delivers this morning, via the electric meter. And a Smart meter is incoming on Monday. I have an OWL, but that is also filed somewhere.

Ask me in December. 🙈🙉🙊

Smart Meter ordered.

Update. The insulated 150mm air hose (shades of Fork Handles) has arrived. Very impressive. Ran the air con on full when 35C outside, and it dropped the temp from 25 to 23 in an hour whilst tea was cooking, so seems OK. Even with not-very-good seals. It needs some plywood nurdling I think. Plus some elephant tape. So looking positive. Will see if my proposed model of getting a lowish temperature by about 9am works tomorrow - external temp reported as 25C.

Can you do a Google satellite view clip?

Don't forget that "principal elevation" is also a definition used in the sense of "what is facing the road" - to manage things like Permitted Development. I always think that houses with varying orientations look classy, contrasting with "little boxes, all the same". Propose the best solution for your needs, and build an argument to justify it. But pay attention to how you will live as well as how you will minimise energy.

I wonder what happens at the start of a sentence?

Seems to be working. Just been in my conservatory, and the new aircon has run that up to 40C whilst keeping the kitchen at 23C. On low and the 150mm insulated hose is not here until Wednesday..

Hmm. So that seems to be worth a try then. Ah. Money and Energy reminds me of past embarrassments in advertising. Nearly of Consignia plugole quality. I quite like "If you cut draughts, you cut overdrafts." "GET MORE FOR YOUR MONERGY".

Can I bump this, and ask for an update. I have: 1 - Solar which deliver a FIT reward of around 15p per unit. 2 - Octopus on the bugger-Avro-went-bust tariff. 3 - I do not have an electric car or house batteries. 4 - No Smart meter, but considering the potential advantages. If I just switch to a Smart Meter with Octopus, without embracing a tariff which takes over or removes my FIT, will it tell me how much I am exporting? (The Octopus helpdesk man says it will only show it when using one of the special export tariffs, which sounds suspiciously like it involves losing my FIT.) @NSS are these the same as your circumstances? Thanks Ferdinand

Perhaps ask them for what would make it acceptable in planning terms. Where is your ground plan wrt Root Protecton Zones? See if you can get a written opinion from the Tree Officer that there is no encroachment on the TPOs. Do you have any trees at risk of being TPO'd themselves?

You need to ask whether they wilt in the heat at 40C. One of the reviews calls them surprisingly flexible.

There you go. Now you have so many options you will be like the centipede in the poem choosing one. The centipede was happy, quite until the frog in fun said, "Pray - which leg goes after which?" He worked her mind to such a pitch she lay distracted in a ditch, considering how to run.