Recent content by satprof

There are possibly two products along the lines you suggest that would have a worldwide demand: gf's (& wife's) mouth cut-out on overload & gf (or wife) shedder (plain & simple). It must be borne in mind, however, that there would also be massive sales for the masculine equivalents.

It sounds as if you've finished the work on the main job, but, looking for the 'elegant solution', I'd always go for the French délesteur. I had one when I lived in France and, of course, one could readily be obtained for Andorra. Some French companies will send by post to Andorra as it's...

There is also the question of the suitability of the Amptec Boiler for the shower, as it's designed for use with water-based central heating systems, not for showers. The recommended temperature increase across the Amptec unit is 5°C to 10°C with a maximum of 14°C. See...

I'd like to return to the 'wonders' of the Andorran (& Spanish) electricity supply. Are you certain that the supply is monophase? Perhaps it's a more modern apartment than mine, but my apartment in Andorra is 3-phase, 5Kw max (shared over the 3 phases), so tripping occurs when any phase goes...

Do you know what the power of the circuit-breaker (mcb) supplying that socket allows, and are there other devices plugged into that circuit? That may be important as the total load on the circuit may come to more than is currently provided for. (If the existing mcb is less than 16 amps, it can...

There is an elegant, but not cheap, solution to this which I used when I lived in France. It's called a délesteur, which translates as 'shedder'. It's role is simply to monitor the total load, in amps, and to shed a non-priority circuit when the total load approaches the limit. Searching...

You can get LED strips / ropes & the requisite transformers at virtually any brico shop in France, e.g. LeroyMerlin, Castorama, Bricomarché. If you're a long way from any of these, try amazon.fr or the web sites of these outfits. (Search for ruban led). As for wiring them in, the basic French...

In the 30yr-old Spanish house we've recently moved to (with 3-phase supply) there's basically an old single 3-phase RCD covering all the main circuits. As is common in Spain, the supply is limited to about 10Kw across the 3 phases. I'm going to be updating the CU to use RCBOs across most of the...

I thought that I'd been around the DIY block a fair number of times, but this measurement has me stumped, so advice from real experts would be very gratefully received. The worktop cut-out for an induction hob is specified as being 560mm +4 +1 x 490mm +4 +1. What's with the +4 +1? I'm guessing...

After doing a bit more research, I'm now thinking of using Loctite 55. The fitting this is going to be attached to is an isolation valve, and I would much rather that it is orientated sensibly. If Loctite 55 means that the male thread doesn't have to be pressed against a washer, I kill two birds...

Whilst not wishing to get a bad reputation from my first post, I really do have that problem on a heating circuit I'm installing. I've got a Female 1½" to Male parallel 1" (brass) adapter and the male end is too short for the female part of the next coupling. Should I a.) Use two aramid...