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  1. MarkSmith

    Grommet required in pre-made hole in backbox?

    Hi folks, Replacing a broken surface-mounted backbox (light switch) with a metal, recessed one:http://www.wickes.co.uk/1-gang-metal-box/invt/205261/ It has a pre-made hole in one side, perfect position for the cable (which is under the plaster) but normal grommets don't fit in the hole...
  2. MarkSmith

    Crocuses did not flower

    Hi folks, Last year we planted 30 crocus bulbs under the lawn. This spring, all of them sprouted good strong leaves, and then seven of them flowered simultaneously. The other 23 have still not flowered and I don't think they are going to. Any idea why not? Thanks, Mark
  3. MarkSmith

    Crocuses did not flower

    Hi folks, Last year we planted 30 crocus bulbs under the lawn. This spring, all of them sprouted good strong leaves, and then seven of them flowered simultaneously. The other 23 have still not flowered and I don't think they are going to. Any idea why not? Thanks, Mark
  4. MarkSmith

    Single pipe system - poor flow through rads

    They all stop. Thanks.[/url] Wow - expensive. More expensive than the rads themselves! Could you point me towards a non-valve connector please? If I turn upstairs rads completely off (not the in-line bathroom one, see above, but the other two), downstairs rads still do not get adequately hot...
  5. MarkSmith

    Single pipe system - poor flow through rads

    Thanks for the replies all. Could you point me towards a high lift valve please? I have searched screwfix etc. and been unable to find any. Was set to high. I've set it to medium and this seems possibly to have made an improvement - thanks! Will take a few days to be really sure but this does...
  6. MarkSmith

    Single pipe system - poor flow through rads

    Hi, We have a single-pipe heating system. Several rads are new and have new valves (not TRV, just normal ones), all of which are completely open. All rads have bypasses under them. Pipe leaving the boiler is very hot. Pipe returning to boiler is almost as hot. The feed pipe to every...
  7. MarkSmith

    Shower pump does not start

    Hi all, I have fitted a shower with a pump. Cold tank is in the loft, shower on the floor below. Pump on the floor next to she shower (in a cupboard). When it works it works well, but most mornings it will not start. Turn the shower on, nothing. To make it start, dangle the shower head...
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  9. MarkSmith

    Switch and dimmer in one

    Thanks both - two good suggestions!
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  11. MarkSmith

    Joining cables

    Is that a semi-recessed CU? That would be possible, although it'd only be a few cm shallower than a normal CU unless I hack out brick. Also the cables would still run up the wall to it, behind the plasterboard. Would that be acceptable as it's running to the device, or is it still a no-no...
  12. MarkSmith

    Joining cables

    Thanks all for the replies. The cellar is being converted into proper living space, like the rest of the house, so it needs to look decent, like the rest of the house. The reason for moving the CU is because when the cellar is converted, the current CU location will be in the middle of a...
  13. MarkSmith

    Joining cables

    Ah, good idea, thanks. Do these need to be accessible like JBs, or can they be hidden behind the plasterboard?
  14. MarkSmith

    Joining cables

    Hi all, As part of my cellar conversion, my consumer unit is being moved about 2m along a wall. This means extending a number of cables. (Some can be taken back to their nearest port-of-call, but several cannot without much hassle.) Wall will be plaster-boarded (currently it's mostly...
  15. MarkSmith

    What do you think happened here?

    But in practice it must happen all the time. I can't tell whether my bathroom light is on or off from the switch (pull cord). Same for lights with two switches.
  16. MarkSmith

    Unnecessary Work?

    Quick bit about why they couldn't just reconnect inside the house. I have a broadly similar thing ongoing at the moment, and the gist problem in my case is that the old "head" (where the supply cable connects) has been there since 1930 and is filled with resin of some sort - you can't just open...
  17. MarkSmith

    Switch and dimmer in one

    Hi all, I'm doing a cellar conversion, and one room will have two lighting zones: ceiling lights and wall lights. Ceiling lights will be energy efficient so need a simple switch, wall lights will be dimmable and I'd like a dimmer. Both switch and dimmer will be in the same place, just...
  18. MarkSmith

    Water pump leak.

    Hmm. I have to drain down tomorrow to reconnect some radiators (the thing that started this whole sorry mess) so maybe I'll do it then. Or maybe I'll cop out and hope the pump doesn't break for some time to come :-)
  19. MarkSmith

    Water pump leak.

    Probably right, didn't think about cutting them off. I can just replace the 22mm filler with a longer one though.
  20. MarkSmith

    Water pump leak.

    Thanks again all for the help. Pump is now leak free, has fewer extraneous fittings (couldn't get the extensions off but the extra gate valves are gone) and has a proper support. (That blue string isn't taking any weight... just didn't have a knife to hand.)
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