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I have not called any professional because there is the Coronavirus "how long is a piece of string" Pandemic. Since January 2021 boiler started leaking water drops after I saw heavy smoke coming from the flue, so I turned boiler off and took the bottom cover off to collect the drops. I have put washing up bowl under the boiler to collect the water drops and then each day once or twice I empty it. The boiler is a few years old and so part/s sourcing is a challenge and it probably requires a total boiler replacement. From January 2021 to now I can see corrosion / limescale deposits and some rusty stains on the washing up bowl. I have switched from gas central heating to electric radiators. To bathe I heat water pot and use bucket. So I'd be grateful if professionals could tell me the steps on how to stop the boiler water drops until the coronavirus situation improves. The system has hot water storage cylinder, cold water tank and is therefore called standard / regular / traditional / conventional boiler. (i) Do I have to go into loft and do something at the cold water tank (large)? (ii) Do I have to drain cold water tank (large), if so is this by siphon pump as using plumbing wrenches might be complicated because it could cause accident for layperson? (iii) Do I have to shut the stopcock function in the cold water tank (large) - is there anything in the market to do it cleanly and for long time rather than using timber and string? (iv) Do I have to insert a stopper / bung in the water outlet - how can I make sure that water flow does not shove-out the stopper / bung after a few days or weeks? (v) Do I have an easier method - is there some pipe above the boiler that has a valve which can be switch off the water flow using a screw driver? (vi) Do I have to do other stuff for doubly ensuring water drops whichmethod is used remains shut? (vii) Do all registered plumbers / gas engineers have to carry gas masks by their regulation bodies, if eventually a professional has to be called? Thank you.

I have just turned on the MVHR a couple of days ago and I keep getting smoke into the intake of the MVHR from on of my neighbours chimneys which is about 10m away. With the weather not being so good in the last couple of days, they have been using their log burner and I'm kind of forced to switch the unit off unit I come up with the solution. My unit has a summer bypass and I was thinking of switching this on when I can smell/detect smoke. I'm trying to find a solution ESP based most likely to detect smoke in the intake and either switch the unit off or activate the bypass until no more smoke is detected. I'm in the process of building a Wemos D1 mini with Tasmota loaded on it with 3 relay to control the 3 speeds on the unit + other temperature sensors attached. I have some spare GPIOs so I can attach some kind of sensor and control the unit based on the smoke readings. If this fails I was thinking of making a prefilter box with some carbon granules and have the smell absorbed. But I think this way I will introduce more pressure into the system and I will have to speed up the unit and consume more power. I'm looking for ideas on how to proceed, any help is appreciated! PS: My neighbours are lovely, but this is a problem that I haven't foreseen and I need to find a solution quick so my wife stops complaining

Hi, Our new kitchen extension is open plan onto the downstairs hall and staircase. So we've fitted linked alarms in kitchen (heat), hall (smoke) and landing (smoke), and fitted egress window hinges to all bedrooms. Building control now want a linked smoke alarm fitted in the master bedroom, along with a fire door, because the master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom. I don't understand the need for a bedroom fire door and bedroom linked smoke alarm just because the bedroom has an ensuite. Please can somebody explain. Thanks.

Hi, We are renovating our current two storey property and taking the opportunity of building dormers in the loft and introducing a MVHR system. As all floors will be accessed from a single stairwell, all of the rooms leading on to it need to have FD30S rated doors. Consequently I cannot create sufficient gaps under the doors to allow the flow of air for the MVHR system ( I understand the maximum for smoke rated door is 3mm whereas I need 8 -10mm). I do not wish to use smoke thresholds as the intention is to have 'unbroken' flooring throughout the area and wish to avoid cutting holes in the oak doors. Can anyone assist in suggesting either a suitable fire and smoke rated vent product that can be inserted in the walls for each of the rooms , or is there an option to use another fire protection solution for the stairwell which would obviate the need for FD30S doors? Many thanks for your assistance

Hi. Current annoyance is trying to find a supplier for a stairwell smoke ventilation window / roof vent for a pitched roof. Anyone got a lead for such a supplier ? Has to open to 120 degrees from horizontal iirc. Thanks all.

After finishing my boys attic 'conversion' I now need to fine tune which detectors go where. I need 1) for attic room 2) for back bedroom ( above kitchen ) 3) landing 4) hall ( current battery one goes off when I cook steaks ) 5) kitchen ( heat obviously ) My main concern upstairs is technology catching fire. PC / tv / consoles etc on standby through the day ( 4 kids so don't even say to put everything off during the day, never going to be a realistic option ), with same downstairs but more about appliances there. Location 4 is the tricky one, but advice as to which is better, where, and hopefully why would be gratefully received. Thanks all. Edit to add : there are two bedrooms under the attic room, should I go crazy and cover those rooms too, or will the landing detector suffice?