Recent content by DavidHawkings

Does anyone out there know the techniques of installing zinc guttering - soldering, brazing, or what?

I've been restoring a similar property in France. Depending on the situation, we have either dry lined the walls using metal studding and plasterboard with a good thickness of glass fibre insulation between, or have used a sand /chalk render (1 of chalk to 4 of sand) with a thin plaster skim on...

Hi, I'm having an old house rewired in France and the electrician says we have to have phone sockets in every main room to meet the current regs. Does anyone know if this is correct?

Thanks for this - I'll follow it up...

Hi guys... The entire ground floor of my house in France is tiled with Italian ceramic tiles. Around the front door where they have taken most wear, they have become dull. Does anyone have any ideas about bringing back the shine?

Hi, Sneakypete, I've just bought a two way dimmer switch in France and it has the same markings, except with two terminals marked "L". There were no wiring instructions!!! I've tried every combination of wiring but cannot get it to work two way. The other original two way switch cuts the...

Hi guys! I think I may have solved the problem. Eventually I gave in and called the firm which installed the immersion heater. They replaced the "groupe de securite" which is a combined inlet, drainage point and pressure relief valve. This was a week ago and there's been no whistle since...

My experience of dry lining in France is that it's not normally rendered or skimmed. You simply use a form of liquid plaster "sous-couche" and paint it on, having first filled joins etc. Provided you buy decent quality material, it woks fine.

Nige, Thanks for that. I don't think it can be the element as it whistles even when the power is off! I suggested a non return valve as I suspect it may be heavy usage from the farm next door causing fluctuations in pressure, but i do take your point abpout the hot water having to expand...

Thanks Nigel - it's pretty tuneless, but driving us mad. Could it be due to water pressure changes in the supply. I'm thinking of fitting a non-return valve...

I have a 300 litre De Dietrich water heater installed in my house in France. It's about 18 month old. For the last 6 months it's been making an intermittent whistling sound, but the water temperature seems fine and theres no evidence of an airlock. Any ideas?