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I am considering having a Solar PV system fitted with battery storage of 5.1 kWh. For me,the ability to run off grid during a power outage is essential. In simple terms, how can this be done safely in order to protect anyone who might be working on the DNO system? I already have a double pole...

As part of a kitchen refurb to make appliances more convenient for my disabled wife, I am having two cookers fitted side by side at a relatively low level. Their maximum ratings are 3.6kW & 3.45kW respectively. My questions are these: 1) can I supply them both from a single cooker switch? 2) in...

I am a great fan of the MK range of wiring accessories; They strike me as well engineered and of high technical quality. For some reason however, I seem to have difficulty in making secure connections if I have more than 2x2.5mm cables to connect, for example when running a spur. Maybe it is my...

This week came the announcement that Eggborough Power station will close next spring. Together with the closure of Longannet this represents the loss of at least 4000mW of generating capacity. It is becoming clear to me that electricity generating capacity is likely to be on a knife edge over...

My kitchen lighting comprises seven MR16 lamps in the ceiling. They have been very reliable and I have not needed to change a bulb in over seven years-until now. The bulb failure turns out to be a transformer failure as the replacement bulb still didn't work. I'm thinking of replacing all of the...

My bungalow is heated by a Baxi Solo 3 70PF non condensing boiler. It is connected to 11 radiators and controlled by a Honeywell CM927 programmable room thermostat operating a Honeywell two port motorised valve. Hot water is supplied by means of a second motorised valve, separately controlled...

Our existing kitchen, L shaped and approx. 5m x 4m into the recess is currently illuminated by 8 ELV recessed halogen downlighters and 3 CFLs located between cupboards and worktops. Whilst I find the halogen lamps pleasing, there are two problems for me. Firstly, because this is a bungalow the...

My central heating boiler is controlled by a Drayton Digistat system comprising an SCR receiver and a Digistat RF3 programmable thermostat. These are approx five years old. About a year ago the system went on the blink. The SCR unit failed to respond to a call for heat and did not open the...

Has anybody got experience of these solar pv microgeneration systems systems, either as an installer or as a client? Without the benefit of the feed in tariff, it seems that they would be totally uneconomic but the feed in rate seems to make it a practical proposition as the payment is made per...

My son, who lives in a 1960s bungalow is revamping the lounge. To this end, he wants to install two additional double sockets. His local electrical contractor has advised him that these sockets, and therefore the circuit to which they will be added require residual current protection. My...

I expect the answer is somewhere in this forum but if someone can quote me a figure or point me in the right direction, I would be grateful. I am seeking to establish what sort of overcurrent would cause a 45 Amp Type B MCB to trip in approx 10 secs. The device is protecting a shower circuit...

My electric shower is protected by an MK sentry unit with double pole RCD 30mA trip and MCB rated at 45 amps. The cable is 10mm Twin and Earth and the shower is rated at 10.5kW. Two weeks ago the MCB tripped. I reset it and it has performed ok until now. Today it tripped again and will not...

I want to install some low voltage lighting over the front door and garage door of my bungalow. This could be run from an RCD protected socket in the garage (which is integral with the house and contains the consumer unit) or tapped in to one of my two lighting circuits. My plan is to recess the...

I have recently moved into a bungalow in which the radiator response seems "sluggish" By this, I mean that when the heating fires up, everything gets nice and warm but when the pump stops, the thermostat is slow to respond to the temperature fall. The stat is a Honeywell T6360B with the live...

I am looking to source a replacement for my consumer unit. This is an old(ish) Wylex, originally with rewireable fuses but subsequently having had plug in MCBs fitted. It is six way (2x 30A 1x16 2x6 and 1x 10) My instinct is to specify a unit with RCBOs rather than go for a split load unit with...