The House Projects Thread

[Mito Man]

I’d like to install a sink in an outbuilding. I’ve seen these 12v pumps online but have some plumbing questions https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30660829013 ... %3A2332490
These pumps have barbed connectors - obviously one end I can stick a hosepipe on and stick it in the water container. The kitchen tap end would need an adapter of some sort? Also kitchen taps have a hot and cold, so would I need a 2 into 1 into a silicone tube for the barbed bit?
Or is there a better solution

[Carlos]

Why use a normal kitchen tap for cold water only feed. Just use a cold water tap!

[Mito Man]

Because I didn't know cold water kitchen taps exist
Thought it was a bathroom thing only. Well that solves 1 problem.

[jamcg]

Where’s the water coming from?

[Mito Man]

Jerry can for water.

[mik]

Because I didn't know cold water kitchen taps exist
Thought it was a bathroom thing only. Well that solves 1 problem.

I put a sink in the space above our garage - which only had a cold water (mains) feed.

Installed one of these with a normal mixer tap - you’d have to have a really slow flow to get anything approaching hot water, but it provides a useable flow of warm.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/zip-es3-elec ... -8kw/1523T

[Mito Man]

Because I didn't know cold water kitchen taps exist
Thought it was a bathroom thing only. Well that solves 1 problem.

I put a sink in the space above our garage - which only had a cold water (mains) feed.

Installed one of these with a normal mixer tap - you’d have to have a really slow flow to get anything approaching hot water, but it provides a useable flow of warm.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/zip-es3-elec ... -8kw/1523T

Gonna avoid the heater as I don't want to pull 2.8kw off a 13 amp spur. Just want to be able to wash wine and beer glasses up in the cabin. It's a bit of a faff carrying everything up and down.

[Simon]

[Jobbo]

Love to know which chain it was; based on the genuine one being from Screwfix I assume it must have been Toolstation.

[Simon]

But ultimately as Stuart says they've just accepted back the fake without really noticing. I doubt the counter staff check each and every return they get to make sure it's not been swapped for a fake, or even know how to check.

[Mito Man]

Screwfix sell those dewalts for £50 ish
https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dcf7 ... eQQAvD_BwE
They are genuine though as I’m sad enough to bother going on The Dewalt website to enter the serial number and register for the extended warranty.

[Jimmy Choo]

It's been quite the week at Chez Choo.

Last friday a squeal came from the bathroom indicating that the hot water was no longer being supplied to the shower. Investigation revealed that the central heating was still working but the boiler wasn't doing the hot water thing. The boiler is 20 years old and had been requiring repressurising for a while so when renewing my insurance, i opted for the top household emergency cover. I gave them a call but couldn't be at home until last monday.

"Yep, your flow sensor is fucked".

I also managed to sweet talk him into stating the expansion vessel was knackered so the depressurising will also be addressed.

Tuesday it was sent to the insurance company for approval and wednesday they gave approval. Unfortunately it was only on friday when I finally manage to get through to the right people that I discovered that the plumber hadn't processed the authorisation. I'm now looking at middle of the week before I can have a shower at home.

And then the toilet stopped flushing. No sweat, I'll get a new flush mechanism and fitted it easily except one of the isolation valves has failed and started leaking.

I'm hoping that these things come in 3s and I'm finished for a bit now.

[DeskJockey]

Roof leak being fixed this week. Then we're onto the render.

[Simon]

I've been spending about an hour a day working in the loft recently. A project started because we noticed a bit of mould on the upstairs ceiling in a couple of places. Basically whichever bodger who had previously done the loft insulation had done a shit job. Loads of sections missed, eaves vents blocked, etc etc. So I've been ripping it all out, laying a 100mm base layer of Knuaf from B&Q, upgrading the eaves vents and I've put 120W of LED lighting up there. It's like a second sun when I turn it on.

Once that first layer is all done then I'll put down a 170mm layer of insulation perpendicular to it and put some new boarding on stilts over that.

The whole project has also got me looking at the hot water system too. We have a conventional setup - regular boiler, CW tank and expansion tank in the loft, and HW tank in the airing cupboard. It works but it isn't great. I spoke with @Jobbo about his Heatstream setup in his previous house, and that seemed like a good idea for an alternative. Then I spoke with Gemini about the idea of having mains hot pressure hot water using any other methods, and it suggested a Sunamp thermal store. So basically likely the Heatstream, but the hot store is more dense so the unit is smaller.

I'm seriously considering it. It would get rid of the tanks in the loft, give us mains pressure hot water throughout the house, and allow me to even move the loft hatch from my office room into the landing area as the water tank won't be above us any more.

All this may be redundant as we are currently in conversation about moving our son to a specialist school, so may end up moving house/area anyway. But it gives me a bit of a dopamine hit every day to make the house a bit better gradually.

[Jobbo]

I'd not heard of the Sunamp before and it does look sensible - though what material they use for the heat storage is not at all obvious. The Heatstream appealed to me on the basis of simplicity but as I mentioned to you, we got through two thermostats in ~7 years and it's specific to the Heatstream so you can't just pop down to the plumber's merchant to pick up a replacement. Replacing a vented system with something like this should be a no-brainer if you're staying there any length of time; a tank in the loft is archaic and hot water pressure is going to be limited in the old setup. And you will have drinkable water from your bathroom taps. Just make sure the mains cold feed into the loft isn't simply connected with a plastic connector; if that works its way off (and ours did) you need to be in the house to turn off the water quickly (which I fortunately was).

[Simon]

Thanks @Jobbo

The heat storage material is actually a phase change material based around salt IIRC and also I believe it's also food grade, so completely untoxic. All very clever stuff.

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[Gavster]

Believe it or not, I’m back in court again tomorrow. Think this might be the seventh hearing now. Maybe eighth. I’ve lost count

The whole thing is a mess and counsel’s note says “The proceedings have a convoluted procedural history" which is an understatement

Anyway, the application from my neighbours is total nonsense and has absolutely no grounds whatsoever. It’s simply a last ditch attempt to wriggle out of everything. They’ve sacked their incredibly competent pro bono legal team from one of the biggest law firms in the world, to represent themselves again, hence the nonsense applications.

If their claim is dismissed tomorrow, then we’re tantalisingly close to the end, after 7 years of this. I have a Warrant for possession from the court, and bailiffs are scheduled for June. So despite this last ditch attempt, the end is in sight

[240PP]

How many last ditch attempts are they going to be allowed?!

Hope it’s wrapped up soon.

[Gavster]

It is a lot, however I can understand it from a legal perspective. Because of the gravity of the situation meaning they face eviction and loss of their home, the court will bend over backwards to make sure that they have properly considered any applications. It doesn’t help that the neighbours are exceptionally good at creating spurious claims.

[Jobbo]

The courts will bend over backwards to make sure the lawyers are the only parties enriched in this process rather than you, it seems.

I understand entirely that they are being dispossessed of a valuable asset but their claims are spurious as you say.