The House Projects Thread

[Rich B]

Looks good - for installing and maintenance big tiles are great, so much easier than little ones!

[Simon]

In my last bathroom makeover I individually fitted over 1,000 tiles. Lots and lots of 1 inch square ones in 3 rows caused that! Took forever, especially when you consider how many had to be individually cut and shaped too.

[GG.]

I think the large tiles actually make Barry's bathroom look bigger - much more modern look too. Very nice.

[Simon]

So, I spent all weekend working in the airing cupboard. It 'should' have been simple to replace both 2-way valves on my S-plan system, but naturally as 'other people' (read, bodgers) had been at it at a previous time, it took a lot longer than expected.

The first one was swapped out on Saturday without too much bother, but the wiring as mentioned before was horrendous. Also whoever fitted the magnetic filter in the circuit before hadn't cut the pipes down enough so they weren't secured in their pipe clips and all under 'strain'. I took opportunity and took the lot apart and did it properly.

The DHW valve was much worse. It had been ill fitted so the pipework was pulling at an angle away from the cylinder coil, so as soon as I worked on the valve the joint sprung a leak where the coil enters the cylinder. Had to drain down the boiler circuit AND the cylinder, move the cylinder a bit so it lines up better, redo the piping where needed then refit and refill. Oh, and dry out my ceiling and floor downstairs where the leak had soaked through to downstairs.

So, that's done now at least. In a couple of weekends I'll tidy up the wiring with the new junction box, then I can resume the TRV work on each rad.

[Jobbo]

Are you replacing all the rad valves, not just the heads? Rather you than me!

[Simon]

Yeah. The problem is that half my radiators have a normal lock shield and valve setup at either end of the radiator, and the other half have valves like this:



And of those rads that are twin entry like above, half are identical to that picture, and half have a horizontal TRV on, but no way will it be HR92 compatible, even with an adapter.

So I'm changing the whole lot for Honeywell 10mm (microbore ya see!) TRV and lockshields, with the cheapest TRV head they do so it's easy to swap them out for evohome when I'm ready...

[Jobbo]

Ah, fun... are you having to change the rads as well or are the single-ended feeds just fitted to normal rads?

[Simon]

The later, luckily, but I'll swap the rad in the bathroom for a towel rail probably. The other end of the rads is just capped off, with a painted in cap that I'll have to remove and clean up in order to fit the proper lockshield.

[jamcg]

Yeah. The problem is that half my radiators have a normal lock shield and valve setup at either end of the radiator, and the other half have valves like this:



And of those rads that are twin entry like above, half are identical to that picture, and half have a horizontal TRV on, but no way will it be HR92 compatible, even with an adapter.

So I'm changing the whole lot for Honeywell 10mm (microbore ya see!) TRV and lockshields, with the cheapest TRV head they do so it's easy to swap them out for evohome when I'm ready...

Roll your carpets back when you change these valves, there’s a length of 8mm copper gets shoved inside the rad, usually about 1/3 to 1/2 way along the length or the rad and the black shite it drags out is unbelievable- get that in your carpets and it’s buggered. Be aware that you’ll be mobilising large amounts of sludge in your system when you swap to separate valves aswell- probably a good idea to take the raids outside and give them a flush through with a hose pipe to get rid of the worst of it, then check your magnetic filter after a week of running or so- once you’ve all finished get some inhibitor in the system aswell

[Simon]

Ah good, someone else that is aware of how shit they are! Yes, already had a look at all the sludge in these when I had to deal with a leak on the bathroom rad valve connection last year. And it wasn't even a copper pipe in that one, but a couple of foot long plastic one. Took ages to flush out that rad in the end. Quite ridiculous.

The thing that I don't understand is why they were ever chosen instead of a normal lockshield 'pair' like on any other rad. The space savings don't really exist because all the bulk is on one of of the rad rather than spread across both ends, they could barely be any cheaper than normal lockshields, so why damnit, WHY!?!?!? Argh!

[jamcg]

Ah good, someone else that is aware of how shit they are! Yes, already had a look at all the sludge in these when I had to deal with a leak on the bathroom rad valve connection last year. And it wasn't even a copper pipe in that one, but a couple of foot long plastic one. Took ages to flush out that rad in the end. Quite ridiculous.

The thing that I don't understand is why they were ever chosen instead of a normal lockshield 'pair' like on any other rad. The space savings don't really exist because all the bulk is on one of of the rad rather than spread across both ends, they could barely be any cheaper than normal lockshields, so why damnit, WHY!?!?!? Argh!

It was so pipes could be ran in pairs, it minimised how much wall chasing was needed and they were used a lot when pipes were ran in concrete floors. Yes they are shit, to the point you’re not supposed to fit a new boiler onto a system that has them without replacing them, there’s no real way of flushing the system with them on. Complete and utter bollocks

[jamcg]

Simon, this is the wiring diagram I always use for s plan heating systems, thought it might be of some use for you

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ax7h8azi71pes ... 4.jpg?dl=0

[Simon]

Simon, this is the wiring diagram I always use for s plan heating systems, thought it might be of some use for you

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ax7h8azi71pes ... 4.jpg?dl=0

Thank you!

I'm using the ones here, but they look the same anyway. The ones in my link expand if you click on them. Thanks!

[GG.]

The external supply to just inside the door has already been replaced by Thames Water (looks to be 25mm MDPE as you say) so we're only dealing with internal from there on in.

We don't have to mole as can re-route above ground through the suspended floor for the most part and then hide behind the cupboards in the kitchen (presumably having switched to copper at that point (hence why £1560 is a piss take for what is involved!).

So - plumber has been in and quoted for the work that the contractor for the insurer had allocated in the £1560 quid band (less £500 insurance contribution after excess) due to the length of pipe involved... wait for it... £300 plus materials

I'd say that's a bit of a result. Question is what diameter pipework to go with - the plumber said the existing lead would be approx 10mm internal diameter (or less after furring) so unless there is a flow problem 15mm barrier pipe would be fine but that 22mm plastic barrier pipe or 25mm mdpe would be an improvement.

The question I have is that after the mains pipe, it immediately connects into 15mm copper under the sink and then travels on through the rest of the house. On that basis, is upsizing from 15mm really going to make any difference if I have a restriction further down the line from which all water outlets/appliances are downstream?

[JLv3.0]

I'm no engineer but on the basis it doesn't choke up, a smaller diameter pipe downstream would increase eventual water velocity, wouldn't it? Like pinching the end of a hose.

[Simon]

I'd go with 22mm for now - you never know what'll happen to the internal pipework in future. 25mm seems overkill though and I've never seen a rising main in that size internally.

[jamcg]

The external supply to just inside the door has already been replaced by Thames Water (looks to be 25mm MDPE as you say) so we're only dealing with internal from there on in.

We don't have to mole as can re-route above ground through the suspended floor for the most part and then hide behind the cupboards in the kitchen (presumably having switched to copper at that point (hence why £1560 is a piss take for what is involved!).

So - plumber has been in and quoted for the work that the contractor for the insurer had allocated in the £1560 quid band (less £500 insurance contribution after excess) due to the length of pipe involved... wait for it... £300 plus materials

I'd say that's a bit of a result. Question is what diameter pipework to go with - the plumber said the existing lead would be approx 10mm internal diameter (or less after furring) so unless there is a flow problem 15mm barrier pipe would be fine but that 22mm plastic barrier pipe or 25mm mdpe would be an improvement.

The question I have is that after the mains pipe, it immediately connects into 15mm copper under the sink and then travels on through the rest of the house. On that basis, is upsizing from 15mm really going to make any difference if I have a restriction further down the line from which all water outlets/appliances are downstream?

Go 22/25 then reduce under the sink to 15, think driving long distance on a motorway then the last bit on residential roads, compared to trying to do it fully through towns

[jamcg]

I'd go with 22mm for now - you never know what'll happen to the internal pipework in future. 25mm seems overkill though and I've never seen a rising main in that size internally.

Most new builds are 25mm blue mdpe incoming main now

[Swervin_Mervin]

Go 25mm MDPE. It's future-proofed then. It's all about maximising flow.

[IanF]

Dude, it’s all about girth...