Recent content by sbigland

In the process of sorting a failed downlighter I came across something that I don't understand. When the light failed I fitted a new bulb. No joy. Tried one I knew to be OK. Still no joy. With the bulb removed and the power on I found that my test screwdriver (one of those proximity...

I have recently replaced several old radiators with new Ultraheat ones. All of the rads are uniformally hot except one, a 600mm x 1400mm double panel single convector. That one is v hot top and bottom at the flow end but from about 300mm from the flow the remainder of the front panel is only...

No, it was definitely the false chimney breast that was being discussed. And I have subsequently discovered that it has been constructed with a cavity. At the point when I saw it, a concrete platform had been constructed that obscured the blocks below. A few courses of bricks had been laid...

Hi, I'm having an 'inset' gas fire installed - one of those that's set into the wall and looks a bit like a TV. Because there is no chimney breast, the fire protrudes a good few inches out of the back of the wall so a brick built enclosure is needed as a housing, and in which the balanced flue...

Thanks for your responses. One less job to eat into my dwindling bank balance!

As part of my kitchen refurbishment I have had a cooker hood fitted. Due to the constraints of the building design the fitter has arranged for the hood to extract to the outside via three metres of flexible ducting. Being essentially a plastic covered spiral wire the internal surface is not...

Now that's the sort of advice I have no problem with!

Thanks bster. There's been no banging or knocking from the valves. They appear to be working fine.

As part of my getting to grips with the basics of central heating I learned that before the introduction of bi-directional TRVs, they had to be fitted on the flow side of rads. Having just checked my own (I've been in this house a few months) I found that in every instance the TRV is fitted...

Hi Fluffster - thanks for taking the time to reply.

I've got quite a few jobs to get done over the next few weeks and it looks like I'll be draining down the CH system (and I've never worked on a CH system before). It may very well be 4-5 weeks before I'm in a position to re-commission. Is there any risk that leaving the system drained for so...