Search results

Sorry, but any advice on this? Looking for some replacements it seems that you cant buy the electronic ballasts, am I right in saying that? So when these go wrong they are throw away? In fact, should I be going for LED battens these days? Many thanks.

Right, I'm just getting back to this issue I'm having with these blasted Fluorescent fittings, other stuff cropped up which meant I had to put it on hold...... These lights worked for years, so I wouldn't think there's a polarity issue, or an error in the wiring. Indeed the one fitting which is...

When I said current what I should have said was power I guess. Apologies for being inaccurate. I will read your links when I have a minute as I'm always keen to learn. So how do I figure out what's wrong with these fittings? Also, in actual fact is it a mistake to buy fluorescent fittings with...

Thanks for your replies. Yes I totally appreciate the screwdriver is a clumsy test but nonetheless it does show that some current is getting through to the fitting. As far as I know the two that failed did so at the same time.

Hi there. I bought some light fittings for my garage a few years ago and they've worked without problems until very recently when 2 have stopped working. They were from B&Q, not sure of the make, they have T8 18W tubes. I thought it would be the tubes and fitted new ones but still no joy. They...

Thanks so much for your reply, that's given me loads to go on. Much appreciated.

Wow, thanks for the encouraging words, really appreciated. I can't see how to best attack the DPC when underpinning I must admit. Presumably when you've dug a hole under a section of your wall, you shutter it with boards so that you can be sure to keep the top level and know then that you can...

newboy, many thanks for taking the time to reply - that was very comprehensive, V. Helpful. I was hoping not to have to bed it in sand as I have long runs and that will add considerably to the cost. The underground T fitting - is it best to use a compression type fitting, or is there another way...

Hi there. I'm going to replace the lead water supply pipe to my property with new 32mm MDPE pipe. I'm pretty happy with how to go about it, but any tips would be gratefully received. I know it has to be 750mm below surface level, from what I can see I don't need to bed it in sand/gravel or...

Hi Vinn, many thanks for your advice. I do think there is a big difference though between a house which has been underpinned as it's subsiding and underpinning the house which actually had no foundations to speak of so you can extend onto it. Obviously I would do it to an engineering design spec...

Thanks noseall. Yeah, I'm thinking that as it's a job nobody wants to do, it'd be expensive...whereas if I can find a way to go about it myself at my own pace it just might save me a fortune. Next stop a chat with the SE....

Thanks, but the primary concern is to get the structure right in terms of strength. I know I can sort the damp issues and taking photos will involve moving furniture etc which I can't do right now.

Ah ok, apologies, I've used the wrong word - I meant isolate the wall from the ground, not insulate. I appreciate I will need to go about the whole thing in accordance with advice from an SE. I have already had some advice from him, underpinning in some form will definintely be required...

Absolutely, no argument there. I just didn't put it in my list as I just want to nail down the physical process, should poured concrete be an acceptable solution. The first thing to do with anything that's damp as far as I've always thought is to identify, isolate/remove the cause of the damp...

Thanks, that's a useful link. Yes, I totally understand that the underpinning and damp proofing are different processes, but whilst I'm wrecking an area I might as well attend to both! I will be doing this myself and so I won't be sinking piles. Unless of course the SE insists, in which case...

Hi there. We want to extend onto our 1920s house, both alongside and going up. Preliminary digs have revealed next to no foundation, the walls appear to be cavity brickwork with render. Not sure whether there is a damp proof course, but if there is it's not working, we get write a bit of damp...

Thanks for your advice, but no I don't want to go to the expense of replacing the fusebox now when we are potentially going to knock the house down in the not too distant future. I could do with a temporary but safe fix if it's at all possible.

Certainly no RCD protection, how would this be done then, just put one in line outside of the fuse box? Where would you get the parts - they're not universal these things are they?

Hi there. We have an old fashioned fuse box - MEM, with cartridge fuses. Can't replace it yet as it would be a waste of money, big project to do at some point which will mean replacing all the electrics. Problem is the 30A fuse for the 9kw shower keeps going. From my maths it's not a big enough...

Point taken, no argument there. They weren't afraid of the hard work involved though - it seems it was a much more normal thing to do when a house was built. Ho hum.