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I'm definitely not expert but I've just spent an inordinate amount of time choosing a condensing boiler for a conventional system. There's comparitively little info around on condensing boilers but the advice I went with was to choose a manufacturer with a big R&D facility and frankly to go...

Thanks. Yes, you did see a similar question! I found out a bit more myself in the meantime and wanted to verify it. Should have kept it in the same thread on reflection. Regards, Robert

I've decided to get a Honeywell CM67 room thermostat to control the Central Heating. This will require leaving the central heating on constant at the timer, while of course I'd like to continue to control the hot water in a timed manner at the same timer. However my Switchmaster 400 timer...

Great - thanks for the very fast reply! However the Switchmaster 400 just has a water only or water+heating toggle switch. So how do I achieve timed water and constant heating? Presumably not from the controls and only by hard-wiring? Thanks, Robert

We're just about to have a new boiler fitted. With the ceilings down for other work I have the opportunity to re-run cables and relocate the Central Heating/Hot Water timeswitch currently in the upstairs airing cupboard to downstairs (ie into a more convenient place), replacing it in the process...

I did look into the studying myself. It's defintely not 1 evening a week stuff and is a major time committment. But the experience of learning is sometimes worth it even if you decide not to pursue it as a career afterwards. Apart from anything else you'll be qualified to bugger about with...

Just wanted to thank everyone for their help over the last 2 months with advice for getting my kitchen re-wired. The re-wire is complete, the kitchen is fitted and I just have some tiling jobs etc to do. I can honestly say (touch wood) I believe I have done the job effectively and to regs and...

My walls have just been done with Thistle multi-finish. I left it around 4 days but the real test is to wait for the plaster to lighten and for a light film of salts to develop on the surface. I used PVA (5:1) to seal and then painted with un-diluted vinyl silk. I know the vinyl silk was a...

Have made a big mistake by using silk as a guide coat on my ceiling for a final coat of matt. Don't ask... I now understand that matt doesn't stick very well to silk. Crown hotline advised me to sand it down first. Apart from a being a pain in the b*m and hardly fool-proof if I miss a bit...

I am not an expert! But I can think of 3 things I would check out: Using the tile adhesive to baulk out the gap to a depth beyond that recommended - if relevant in your case. It may weaken the bond by using more. Bonding to the underlying plaster. You may need to reseal it. PVA solution or...

Thanks for the answer. The plaster had been on for a week. But as mentioned, deeper sections of plaster (and so what you would expect to be damper) have been fine. The ceiling was virgin plasterboard and extensively skimmed and that's been fine too (touch wood). The blistering is happening...

I'm having a very bad time using a pot of vinyl silk. I've just had all the walls skimmed. I'm quite certain the plaster was dry and it was sealed with PVA. In 5 or 6 places now the paint has blistered and once you start pulling it can be a very big patch. And what comes off isn't just the...

I asked a similar question only 2 days ago and was told the following by a pro lighting engineer. The loft insulation typically found in a modern house is fireproof. If it wasn't then you'd have a very frightening fireball risk on your hands. The problem comes from keeping the light...

I've been using a stanley knife to score down the cable then nick the end before pealing back. Probably best to use cutters to nick the cable though as already suggested - I nearly managed to take the top of my thumb off yesterday with the knife as it slips easily! A nice injury to go with my...

We have a 5mx3m kitchen (now) but the lighting circuit (bizarely I know) is routed within a 1mx1m corner. So instead of extending this all round the kitchen to the vicinity of the wall lights, under cupboard lights and 10x downlighters, the question was aimed at taking off several live feeds as...

Thanks for that. Judging from your reply can I assume you realised I meant to say these would be independantly switched spurs?

First of all thanks to all those of you who have answered my questions to date on the new circuit I have now installed for my kitchen sockets. It all seems to work and I understood what I was doing which is usually a good sign! I'm tackling the lights now. Is it permissible to run a lighting...

Based on my recent kitchen re-wire... It depends what your wall coverings are. If they are dot and dabbed plasterboard and you have 16mm boxes then you wouldn't need to take-out anything - probably. Even if they are 25mm you will probably only need to shave a few mill out. I believe it's...

The answer depends on whether it is a wet (part of central heating) or dry (pure electric) heater. My plumber is about to supply a wet Myson Kickspace. These have a small fan which draws in cold air and pushesz out warm air. It is low powered as it is not doing the heating, just blowing air...

Thanks. I feel suitably informed now without feeling like a complete fool for not realising this could happen!