Recent content by roxburd

20-year old Potterton Suprema 40. I noticed it was getting noisier. Bugger - new boiler? They don't last forever. Damn expensive. The fan is mounted on three rubber mounts and then there's a further short, squat rubber cylinder mounted under the fan motor to support its weight. I decided that I...

After 30+ years as a software engineer and keen DIY-er, I'm semi-retired and looking for something to do. ChatGPT suggested an Android app... it suggested "a professional-grade calculation and validation app for people who work in the physical world. Examples: Electricians (load, voltage...

The old garage door was rotten and so in April I fitted a new one. Actually, this one: https://www.diy.com/departments/2-panel-clear-glazed-shaker-white-wooden-pine-veneer-swinging-external-panel-back-door-h-1981mm-w-838mm/1957389_BQ.prd Fitted it and then put two coats of paint on it. All...

That would be ideal, huh? Yes, I had wondered about that... It is permanently fixed down flat so I would have to fashion something that could be released to angle the panel up. I would also need to keep a ladder at the storage yard so I could get up there... All in all, I figured that £15 and...

Hi, I got one of these to keep a motorhome topped-up over winter: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/197858367974 The van has a 100W panel on the roof that works brilliant March to November... but over the depth of winter the sun is so low the rays just bounce off the horizontally-mounted panel. Last...

Well, I just replaced the actuator and the system's all working fine now. Perhaps I should buy another for next time... And to think I was considering calling someone in to fit a new boiler to fix the problem... nah. I'll nurse it as long as I can! Mind you, with the talk of them being banned...

I bought and fitted a Drayton MA1 mid-position actuator at the end of 2018. My boiler is now showing a constant red status light and I suspect the actuator. How long would you expect them to last? Less then 7 years seems a ridiculously short life-span to me... but I'm a complete plumbing...

The strip between my hallway and kitchen has cracked along its length in the middle so I figured I'd replace it. I've never fitted one so I wasn't sure how it's attached. I figured it must be stuck in with some adhesive so I started to just pry and lever it up. It is now free of the adhesive but...

You are, of course, absolutely correct - that's why my initial reaction was to think that I had to replace the tray. But I really can't be arsed. When I spot the water damage to the ceiling under the shower I'll decide whether to replace the tape or the tray :-)

Hi all, Infuriatingly, whoever installed my (standard white plastic) shower tray did a terrible job. They wound all the supports down to the right level... but they put the central one on top of an unsecured block of wood. Over 20 years the block of wood wandered and eventually the support found...

Hi all, I'm working on a motorhome with a shower screen consisting of transparent (plastic?) panels fixed into an articulated aluminium frame with adhesive. It's possible that the aluminium frame in lined with something, though - either an original rubbery liner, the remains of the original...

Job done! I used Diall M5 x 80mm spring toggles. I hung the lower one with three toggles along the back and one through the side wall. And when I took the supports away... it didn't fall down! Hooray. So far so good - it could support its own weight of 15Kg. So then I took the second one and...

For anyone reading this thread for guidance - check out this guy - Charlie DIYte: Brilliant video. At 28:00 he presents the results of his load testing. The very worst product takes over 20Kg per fixing. But he loads them horizontally, pulling the fixing horizontally out of the plasterboard...

Hmmm... the cupboards themselves weigh 14.6Kg... each!!! Damn.

Determined - no, not at all. I'm keen to avoid over-engineering things and making things harder than they need to be. I don't think I can use any sort of rail as then the back of the cupboard wouldn't meet the wall - there would be an ugly gap. I'm not keen on cutting the whole wall apart to...