My self-build DIY plumbing

[Thorfun]

15 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

You can do the same with regular tiles, just the cuts have to be a bit more inventive. Also, depends on whether you've gone for linear trays? Not too late to change and mosaic? Or is your preference for large-format tiles only?

It’s more what SWMBO has decided on for tiles. I’ll pose the question of mosaics. Will also ask the tiler when he comes down. 
 

I can’t make the linear trays work as we have 300mm centre joists and they’re really wide as well. So only about 150mm gap between the joists and as is Sod’s Law the joists are exactly where the waste will be and we have a double joist there too! So would have to build the wall out about 150mm to make it work and it’s already a smallish shower area. So the easy fit formers with the rotating waste works better for us. 

[Thorfun]

20 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

A decent tiler can make just about anything work.

I read that as don’t do it myself! 😂

[Nickfromwales]

1 minute ago, Thorfun said:

It’s more what SWMBO has decided on for tiles. I’ll pose the question of mosaics. Will also ask the tiler when he comes down. 
 

I can’t make the linear trays work as we have 300mm centre joists and they’re really wide as well. So only about 150mm gap between the joists and as is Sod’s Law the joists are exactly where the waste will be and we have a double joist there too! So would have to build the wall out about 150mm to make it work and it’s already a smallish shower area. So the easy fit formers with the rotating waste works better for us. 

Yes, the rotating waste is (was) a revelation. Have you looked at Diamond wetrooms? They have a clever tray which you pick up and rotate 180^o and the trap moves 'sides' of the joists.

[Nickfromwales]

1 minute ago, Thorfun said:

I read that as don’t do it myself! 😂

Yup. You catch on quick, Sherlock.  

[Thorfun]

Just now, Nickfromwales said:

Yes, the rotating waste is (was) a revelation. Have you looked at Diamond wetrooms? They have a clever tray which you pick up and rotate 180^o and the trap moves 'sides' of the joists.

Will take a look. Cheers. 

[Pocster]

13 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

Will also ask the tiler when he comes down. 

Forgot to say ; I might be arriving late tomorrow.

[Thorfun]

On 29/05/2023 at 20:06, Nickfromwales said:

You can do the same with regular tiles, just the cuts have to be a bit more inventive. Also, depends on whether you've gone for linear trays? Not too late to change and mosaic? Or is your preference for large-format tiles only?

so Impey do a 1500mm x 800mm former. I've decided to get that and cut it down to fit the 1400mm gap. then I don't have to worry about what tiles are chosen!

[Thorfun]

on the same-ish topic as shower formers, I need to cut out the 22mm chipboard flooring to fit the former. 2 of the sides of the former will be against a wall. is there a circular saw that allows cuts close to the wall? I have a multi-tool but it's slow and (in my hands) inaccurate so I was wondering if I could use a circular saw set to the 22mm depth of the chipboard. only issue is that my circular saw has a massive gap between the blade and the edge of the saw so I can't cut close to the wall.

 

what do the professionals use in this instance?

[Nickfromwales]

7 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

what do the professionals use in this instance?

 

7 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

a multi-tool

👊

[Pocster]

21 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

what do the professionals use in this instance?

Thanks for the hidden tag . As a professional I would suggest you man up and use a multi tool . The black n gold ones are best . Boom 🤯 

[Thorfun]

20 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

28 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

what do the professionals use in this instance?

 

28 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

a multi-tool

👊

😢 but it's so slow

 

6 minutes ago, pocster said:

Thanks for the hidden tag . As a professional I would suggest you man up and use a multi tool . The black n gold ones are best . Boom 🤯 

Can't afford those, it's Erbauer for me all the way.

[Pocster]

7 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

Can't afford those, it's Erbauer for me all the way.

There’s your issue . Non professional using non professional tool . 👍😎

[Pocster]

Try changing the f ing blade 😉

[Sparrowhawk]

What blades do professionals use with multitools? The ones that came with my DeWalt went blunt the minute they tried denser timber than cheap pine.

[Nickfromwales]

32 minutes ago, Sparrowhawk said:

What blades do professionals use with multitools? The ones that came with my DeWalt went blunt the minute they tried denser timber than cheap pine.

I buy OK ones off eBay for cheap enough to just change whenever a job requires a new sharp blade. Don’t forget there’s different blades for different tasks. 

[Pocster]

@Thorfun you’d better not be trying to save 4 quid by using the same blade you’ve had for 15 years !

[Thorfun]

1 hour ago, pocster said:

@Thorfun you’d better not be trying to save 4 quid by using the same blade you’ve had for 15 years !

As if

[Thorfun]

this Friday our heating engineers are coming to connect our GF ufh manifold up. I need to buy a pump! what size, make, model pump would people recommend for the following loops and flow rates (taken from our design by Wunda)

 

 

is there an easy way to calculate the required pump size or is it something that you just learn with experience?

[Nickfromwales]

9 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

this Friday our heating engineers are coming to connect our GF ufh manifold up. I need to buy a pump! what size, make, model pump would people recommend for the following loops and flow rates (taken from our design by Wunda)

 

 

is there an easy way to calculate the required pump size or is it something that you just learn with experience?

Manifold + blender + pump? Or buffer > pump > manifold with no temp control?

 

I use these LINK 

[Thorfun]

20 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Manifold + blender + pump? Or buffer > pump > manifold with no temp control?

these are great questions! to which I don't really know the answer. (sorry!)

 

in our basement UFH the heating engineers set it up like this photo. no blending involved, no wiring centre, and no actuators.

 

 

and here are our tanks, hot water and buffer:

 

 

they left a couple of tails going up from the basement manifold which will be taken to the GF manifold. these tails are on the same run of pipes after the current Grundfos pump that's in place which came from Wunda. Here's the GF manifold

 

 

now, if we ignore the obvious that I should've got a right ended manifold for a second, the pipes will come up through the hole in the floor where the other utilities are coming up and across to the left hand side.

 

would the single pump in the basement be sufficient for both manifolds? would I actually need a second pump for the GF manifold?

 

on the GF we're planning on running it as a single zone but had it designed as 4 zones in case we find we need to split the heating up.

 

20 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

I use these LINK 

that's a pump set, right? are the blending valves, thermometers etc required for a single zone system? as said above we don't have that in the basement but if it's best to have them then I can ask the heating guys to install a pump set.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Thorfun
incorrect number of zones

[Thorfun]

ps. the pump that's in use in the basement was taken from a pump set that I got from Wunda (this one I believe https://www.wundatrade.co.uk/shop/home/underfloor-heating-manifolds-and-pump-sets/premium-pumpsets/premium-pumpset-grundfos-eup-pump-stainless-steel-manifolds/ which was £158 iirc) for the GF manifold. the heating engineers took the pump from that and plumbed it in as shown in the photos above so I now don't have a pump for the GF but I do still have the components that came with the original pump set.

 

if that helps!

[Nickfromwales]

I’m just unsure how the different sections of the house will each behave, if they are sent one flow temp. You’d typically be running much cooler temps in upstairs (GF) vs the basement which may require higher flow temps to meet the same ambient. 
Just seems a bit indiscriminate to me, but could all work perfectly by ‘accident’ or design.  

[Thorfun]

25 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Manifold + blender + pump? Or buffer > pump > manifold with no temp control?

 

9 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

these are great questions! to which I don't really know the answer. (sorry!)

 

now I've written all of the above I believe I've actually answered your original question. I believe it's 'buffer > pump > manifold with no temp control.

[Nickfromwales]

2 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

ps. the pump that's in use in the basement was taken from a pump set that I got from Wunda (this one I believe https://www.wundatrade.co.uk/shop/home/underfloor-heating-manifolds-and-pump-sets/premium-pumpsets/premium-pumpset-grundfos-eup-pump-stainless-steel-manifolds/ which was £158 iirc) for the GF manifold. the heating engineers took the pump from that and plumbed it in as shown in the photos above so I now don't have a pump for the GF but I do still have the components that came with the original pump set.

 

if that helps!

Nope. That blending set isn’t suitable for flow temps sub 30°C. Do not install that. 
 

The one I linked goes accurately down to 20°C. 

[Thorfun]

1 minute ago, Nickfromwales said:

I’m just unsure how the different sections of the house will each behave, if they are sent one flow temp. You’d typically be running much cooler temps in upstairs (GF) vs the basement which may require higher flow temps to meet the same ambient. 
Just seems a bit indiscriminate to me, but could all work perfectly by ‘accident’ or design.  

ok cool. so, for now, we can just ignore any pumps on the GF manifold and just use the one pump in the basement and see what happens? if we find we're needing different flow temps then we can cross that bridge at that time and re-plumb at the manifolds?