Mr Blobby

Ok, so I get it about the AAV on top of the sub stack. But then if there is a boss strap connecting a waste pipe for overflows in the plant room, then the trap in that overflows pipe may dry out and the stink comes back in? No? What am I missing?

at the risk of sounding stupid here, how does the sub stack prevent the stink coming into the plant room? It is after all connected to the same waste system and any traps in the plant room will still dry out.

That's what I was worried about. So what's the solution if the traps dry out?

Why indeed? My paid professionals told me I should install a gulley trap in the plant room, which I took at face value, what with them being the professionals 🙄 There's actually already a stack in the plant room to service the en-suite above, so a boss strap to that for the tundish and overflows then? That makes far more sense for far less effort. As for the garage, is there any BCO requirement for a drain in the floor? I'd like a cold water tap in the attached garage but there is space for a small sink with trap in waste under the sink that seems far more sensible.

So on the plans I have a gulley trap in the plant room and another in the garage. What exactly are these and do I need the one in the garage for building regs? We will have a KORE foundation so assuming the gulley trap is a dry trap under a drain in the floor, then is the trap installed (or a former) before the pour; What have others done here?

Cavalok closers look grand, but are they available for 250mm check reveals?

I can see a conversation about this with my builder then. Thanks.

That's very interesting, and good to hear. My previous, very limited experience of NI bricklaying, saw return blocks at the reveals that seems pretty standard practice here. I definetely don't want that on this project. Our architect has supplied construction detail for a section of the window to show the cill with cavity closer at the bottom of the window but no detail for the reveals (other than the plans that appear to not have check reveals). I'd be very happy with a 20 mm check reveal if that is standard practice here that the brickies are happy to oblige with. Calcium silicate board in the reveals? With DPM behind in the reveals? Better than cavity closers?

Do you mean that check reveals are mandatory in Northern Ireland ? From what I've read on the NHBC 2011 guidelines it says that check reveals should be used in Northern Ireland and Scotland but I can't seem to find anything more recent about it.

I like the idea of check reveals but are they worth the effort in a block cavity build where the external render will overlap the window frame in any case. Are check reveals required under Northern Ireland building regs as they are in Scotland? If using check reveals then I would still fix windows with straps to the inner leaf I think, with check reveal cavity closers (if available for 250mm cavity) instead of DPM. Are the windows more securely fastened in a check reveal, being pressed up against the outer leaf? Is there less room for error on the window sizing/installation? Is there a better seal against the outer leaf? How much extra effort to build check reveals and do the benefits justify the effort ?

NIE specifications are like this: ... the problem is that the required 600x600x270 semi-recessed box doesn't actually exsist. Or at least I can't find one. I have reasied this problem with NIE who insist that a GB box at 770x550x210 just won't do. https://www.meterboxes.co.uk/products/mitras-3-phase-recessed-electricity-meter-box NIE won't provide a link to a suitable product but instead told me to ring around the local builders merchants. Am not having much joy. Anyone have a link to a big permali box? ... and no NIE don't allow a stand alone cabinet or suface mounted box.

I was thinking door opening into plant room, that would leave about 2 metres (by 1.1) for UVC, buffer tank and plumbng manifolds. That's enough room surely? My thoughts exactly. The 'boot room' will soon become a dumping ground with shelving, so maybe even have some wheeled storage against the door to the plant room. I also figured the mains water stop valve would be in the plant room so internal access just seems like a better idea?

Yes if consumer unit was there it would need to have internal door (I think this is building regs?). Main consumer unit will be in comms room elsewhere in house (but having internal door to plant room gives option for secondary CU for kitchen?)

Our plant room will be at the rear of our house. Mains water supply will go into here. It will be 2970 x 1092 and house just the UVC, buffer tank and plumbing manifolds. Monobloc ASHP directly outside so any internal ASHP gubbins in the plant room too. Ideally UVC to be 400 litres so diameter will be about 710 mm. Architect thinks plant room access should be by external door, thus: Being obsessive about cost and airtightness, I think the plant room could be accessed internally through a door to the adjacent storage (boot) room. What should we do? Internal or external door to the plant room?

Unlike @Dan F I haven't implemented any of this yet, but this configuration comes out of the panasonic box and is what we plan to do. Basically yes, but because the MVHR air flow rates are so low and the capacity of the air to transfer the heat from the heat exchanger quite low, then in realoty the temperature difference will likely be smaller, more like 35/25 heat, 15/20 cooling. I think anything more will result in a very hot or very cold heat exchanger in the comfopost that the air supply in the ducts cannot transfer quickly enough. At 35 heat and 15 cooling the COP should remain > 3. For the cooling our solar PV will be powering it all anyway so there is no energy cost. What I am hoping to acheive from the mixed circuits is the ability to tinker with different temps to see what suits us best. In reality I expect the comfopost to make a small difference upstairs where the UFH will do the heavy lifting in the more important downstairs. Good question. I don't know. I do know the Zhender units are not cheap and other MVHR units with heat exchangers are available.

Because when the wind isn't blowing and its dark outside and all of good energy's customers put the kettle on to make a nice cuppa in the adverts of coronation street, do they get a cold cup of tea?

Yes its the marginal price, hence E7 overnight is far cheaper and greener because demand falls off a cliff. Remember also that not all gas generators are equally efficient and may bid in a MWh electricity price higher far than their MWh fuel cost price. And of course there are diesel generators and other peaking plant that may be even more costly than gas generators.

Not sure I could face changing to TF this late on, surely would add even more delay ? How would I even go about such a transformation?

Just got off the phone with him half hour ago. We have kissed and made up.😘 Done and done. Exactly this. Or I could spend more time with darling wife. 😒 I did think about a TF construction but the site is on a busy main road hence I was concened it would be too noisy indoors at rush hour. Maybe I'm worrying too much, but at my age I like bit of peace and quiet. I'm hoping to have a builder on board soon to get me to watertight and then review from there. I had reckoned on him doing goundworks and slab too. No? Prefferred builder suggested that I change KORE slab to exclude attached garage so that telehandler can get round back for house build and then build garage on raft foundation afterwards. This seems like a practical suggestion, is it? Is the only alternative a crane, and if so I guess that is mega bucks?

not an accident 😉

Just to wrap this up, my electrician dismissed my concerns about getting the earth rod in. It will be a piece of cake he said. I didn't feel quite so foolish however when he tried and failed to drill into the ground anywhere along the front and side boundary, hitting rock every time. The only option was to get the demo firm to break through the rock to dig a big hole near the tardis to sink a rod. Even this proved a challenge but we got there in the end with a hole about 6 metres from the meter box. Power was finally connected at the end of June.

She's giving me a lot of grief over this house not being started yet 🙄😕

And my QS hasn't commented on this lunacy except to say I should just pay it. What a massive waste of time and money he has been.

Just right. Me too. Just wish I figured this out in February instead of listening to my professional advisors and missing the summer buld window. Thank you @Conor, I'll need all the help I can get once things get started. The immediate question is whether to kick this into next year to build over summer '23.

Not very large or bespoke at all, and in Northern Ireland! House is 2 storey 270 m2 total area. 4 bedrooms. 3 bathrooms in total. Warm roof standing seam alu on top. Insulated foundation. Hollowcore first floor. Concrete stairs. Basic block shape and simple cut roof. Site is flat and acessible. 705k price is a joke. The tender response, for example, wants £10k for running shielded cat6 from a patch panel to a few rooms. The QS has refused to do any cost analysis, he simply says I should accept the lowest quote. Which comes from a builder he introduced. I don't think so! This. I actually think I might enjoy it once the shell is up and watertight. And I think I'll do a better job on details like airtightness than trusting it to a main contractor. It will be interesting to see what the local builder comes back with to build to watertight compared to the big firms who responded to the tender.