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Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 3:31 pm
by Jobbo
The doors are amazing.
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 4:34 pm
by jamcg
Well that’s a conversation starter for any guests visiting for sure

Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 5:04 pm
by dinny_g
One opening in, one opening out per room???
Really strange
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 5:30 pm
by Mito Man
Yep. One bathroom was really stupid, there were doors on 3 sides so despite being a large bathroom there was only a toilet, sink and small shower fitted along one wall. The house also had other quirky things. It was extended about 20 years ago but the extension was built almost as an independent house. It had its own boiler, electrical supply (with ability to switch to a generator), water supply from a well and its own septic system.
We ended up reconnecting the water to the supply from the utilities provider as the well water had “faecal contamination”. The septic system draining about 20 metres from the well probably didn’t help

Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 6:02 pm
by Matty
Anyone remember that game in Takeshi's Castle where all the doors are fake except for one?
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 8:52 pm
by DeskJockey
Had the flashing on the chimney repaired about a month ago. Just been up to look as it is bucketing down... It is leaking more than before. Great. Guess who I'm calling first thing tomorrow.
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 8:58 pm
by Mito Man
Santa Claus customer service?
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 9:50 pm
by DeskJockey
Yes. How could you guess?
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 2:10 pm
by Mito Man
My hot water recirculating pump (Grundfos thing) timer died a while ago, I’ve replaced with an identical time switch and the pump works but I have no idea what hours it should be on or off. A quick google tells me it should always be on so the pump doesn’t die from stopping and starting, it should always be off because it’s wasting heat and it should be on a few hours in the morning and a few in the evening.
So what the feck is it?

Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 2:13 pm
by jamcg
Mito Man wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2024 2:10 pm
My hot water recirculating pump (Grundfos thing) timer died a while ago, I’ve replaced with an identical time switch and the pump works but I have no idea what hours it should be on or off. A quick google tells me it should always be on so the pump doesn’t die from stopping and starting, it should always be off because it’s wasting heat and it should be on a few hours in the morning and a few in the evening.
So what the feck is it?
Bronze pump? Like a yellowy colour?
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 2:16 pm
by Mito Man
jamcg wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2024 2:13 pm
Mito Man wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2024 2:10 pm
My hot water recirculating pump (Grundfos thing) timer died a while ago, I’ve replaced with an identical time switch and the pump works but I have no idea what hours it should be on or off. A quick google tells me it should always be on so the pump doesn’t die from stopping and starting, it should always be off because it’s wasting heat and it should be on a few hours in the morning and a few in the evening.
So what the feck is it?
Bronze pump? Like a yellowy colour?
Exactly that
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 2:20 pm
by jamcg
Wants to be on so the hot water circulates around the property so when you use the taps it’s near instant. Basically set it so it’s off overnight after your last use of hot water and back on before your first. Or just leave it on all the time if the sound doesn’t bother you. Just make sure if you ever turn your water off you also cut the power to that pump or it’ll run dry and burn out and they’re one of the most expensive pumps you can buy
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 2:24 pm
by Mito Man
Alright, just need a PHD in faffery so I can set up this immersion heater timer
Thanks.
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 4:45 pm
by Jobbo
I can understand the purpose of a pump to keep hot water circulating round so you have fairly immediate hot water from your taps - that's how hotels etc work, I believe.
However, what does your domestic hot water system look like to make this work? You obviously need to have water already heated, so it wouldn't work with a combi boiler or thermal store (which heat the incoming water on demand). But with a hot water cylinder you're effectively taking water from the wonderfully insulated store of hot water round all the pipes to cool down - seems pretty inefficient. Is that how it works?
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:01 pm
by Mito Man
I have an electric immersion boiler, no idea how it all works beyond that. Might just be part of the silly stuff they installed in these apartments to make them more “sustainable” because you don’t waste water waiting for the warm water etc.
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:25 pm
by jamcg
Mito Man wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:01 pm
I have an electric immersion boiler, no idea how it all works beyond that. Might just be part of the silly stuff they installed in these apartments to make them more “sustainable” because you don’t waste water waiting for the warm water etc.
This will be the reason for the circulation, electric immersions don’t produce much in he way of convection in the tank in the same way that a heated coil from a boiler would so this will help it out
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:32 pm
by Mito Man
I didn’t realise that the hot water for the taps even circulated before noticing this pump

Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 7:31 pm
by jamcg
Mito Man wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2024 6:32 pm
I didn’t realise that the hot water for the taps even circulated before noticing this pump
That’s the basic idea, it removes the super hot layer of water that forms and pumps it back in lower down
Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2024 9:33 pm
by integrale_evo
On the subject of heating, we are on oil, have this single thermostat and control box. As you can see, it’s ancient and ugly, but actually works fine.
Is it possible to swap to a modern all in one smart thermostat without having to mess around with the rest of the system?
Don’t really need extra thermostats, valves etc, the system seems nicely balanced as is, would just be nice to have a bit more control to drop it down when we’re away, warm it up when we start heading home, have different temperatures day / night etc

Re: The House Projects Thread
Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2024 11:11 pm
by jamcg
It is possible. Depending how good you are with electrics and general diy plus the system setup you have depends how easy it would be for you to do it yourself