Search results

  1. E

    Outdoor downlights in soffitt, PIR & timer query?

    If you buy LED lamps specifically designed to be used with conventional dimmers then yes, it should do, although you'd be looking to pat ay least £25 a lamp. I wouldn't bother with dimmable CFLs, as they don't perform all that well in the cold, and dimming them won't help with their reliability.
  2. E

    Outdoor downlights in soffitt, PIR & timer query?

    You should be able to run a PIR and timer in parallel, so there's really no need for a product that combines the two. Alternatively, you could consider a hi-lo PIR that will dim the lights to a user-adjustable brightness during the night, and bring them up at full brightness when the PIR is...
  3. E

    will the service be man enough

    Tenants aren't completely stupid - they won't stick around for long if their heating is costing £250 a month to run. I'd try and convince your friend to install storage heating as a minimum. It provides a convenient workaround for the maximum demand issue, and will be significantly cheaper to...
  4. E

    Solar PV inverters

    If it's designed to take a solar input, a 4kW inverter will happily work with a smaller solar array. Just because 4kW is the maximum output, doesn't mean it can't produce less power. However, the output voltage will always need to be equal to or marginally higher than the grid if there's going...
  5. E

    Motion sensors less efficient than leaving the lights on?

    It'd make more sense to set the delay to something higher than 30 seconds. If the corridor is as busy as you say, there's really no need to be turning the lighting off only for it to be switched on again 5 seconds later. I'm with John on this one - it can't be good for the life of the tubes or...
  6. E

    lights not earthed

    I think the problem is that if the wiring is as old as some here suspect it may be, you could do more damage by disturbing it than just leaving will alone. I guess you can inspect the installation and ascertain exactly what kind of wiring you'd be dealing with. There's probably a good reason why...
  7. E

    New kitchen downlights - recommendations please

    I'm not aware of anything that's free and easy to use, although I've never really looked either. I'd buy a few lamps (aim for wide angle rather than typical spot lamps) and see what you think. After all, you don't want to commit to spending hundreds on lamps that you don't like. Even if the...
  8. E

    New kitchen downlights - recommendations please

    If you still decide you want to use downlights after reading the above post, LED lamps are a good choice if you don't mind the cost. However, the manufacturer's claims regarding payback time are a load of tosh unless you run them 24/7, along with the assumption that they're as reliable as the...
  9. E

    hot tub installation

    I don't think you're going to get anywhere with this one - you've come, as an electrician, to a DIY forum, asking how to do a job that you're (presumably) charging a customer for. I just hope for your sake that nobody gets killed as a result of your unwillingness to admit that you've bitten off...
  10. E

    Paint & Plaster Disaster

    I don't think anything will happen beyond wastage of paint. In any case, what does it matter? If it does peel for whatever reason, worry about it when it happens.
  11. E

    New home,bad external wiring,need some advice please!

    No, very unlikely, but it may be related to other poor electrical work elsewhere in the house, probably carried out by the same idiot who wired the shed. No, you don't have to install a CU in the shed(s), but given the loads you describe, it might be nice to have a small board fitted in the...
  12. E

    Cutting through joists

    http://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/bc-guidancenote7-notchingofjoists.pdf
  13. E

    Multiple appliances in to a FCU

    I'm with John on this one - all the loads you mention are small, so you could quite happily stick a 3A fuse in the FCU and feed all three loads from it. I prefer individual isolation points for each item of equipment as it's better for servicing, but that's your choice. Perhaps you could also...
  14. E

    Standby Genset

    Can't comment on their ATS systems, but we have a few panels fitted with Chint breakers and contactors at work, and they seem reliable enough.
  15. E

    Garden pond wiring

    OK, so you have an in-line transformer with an incoming flex that wasn't supplied pre-terminated into a 13A plug. Your suggestion of fitting a 13A plug to the supply side sounds fine, and pop in a 3A fuse. Keep the transformer indoors and run the 24v supply outside via the extension you...
  16. E

    Filling a chase

    I tend to use undercoat plaster for filling - it's available from B&Q in smaller bags (10kg?).
  17. E

    Plug sockets

    What have I started? All the plug socket debate aside, as you've not altered any wiring and don't suspect the conservatory company of having done so either, this seems to be the best advice on the table: Of course, you could isolate the installation and then remove a few sockets in the...
  18. E

    Plug sockets

    Ok, let's get a couple of things cleared up. Firstly, they're called sockets, the word plug in plug sockets is completely redundant when speaking in context. Secondly, what you refer to as a "higher voltage battery" was probably a transformer. Have the conservatory fitters installed any new...
  19. E

    High voltage DC question

    Why such concern with matching the coil voltage to the old part? Choose a relay with adequately rated contacts and a known coil voltage, then simply calculate the required dropper resistors for 600v supply and replace the whole lot.
  20. E

    Replacing copper plumbing

    Plastic pipe can split or push off the fittings when it freezes, so using it to replace copper seems like a waste of time and money. You would be better installing trace heating and pipe lagging, or providing some level of background heating in the room during winter.
Back
Top