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I’ve just had a new boiler installed. It is a condensing boiler and I am concerned about the danger of the condensate pipe freezing. Last winter three friends had no heating because their condensate pipes froze. The condensate pipe runs for about 1.0m horizontally, then 1.5m vertically and...

I live in a first floor flat in a two-story building. I have a caravan parked on my driveway and I’d like to fit a camera on the eaves to let me see the caravan. Getting to a suitable position means putting my ladders in my downstairs’ neighbour’s garden. Not a problem once, but not something he...

I live in a first floor flat. The floors are wooden with a reasonable amount of ash as soundproofing in the floor as it was built in 1905. My wife can’t manage to get to the bathroom at night so is using a commode. I’d like to fit a toilet with a saniflo unit to pump the waste about 15 meters...

On Tuesday a contractor replaced a drain and put some sort of cold lay tarmac next to it. He used a wacker to compact it. It has now been in place for three days (72 hours) and is still soft. I can push it down with my fingers. Has it been badly laid is it this damp weather preventing it going...

A friend has asked me if I will replace a faulty element in her electric oven. I am sure I can do it, but I am unsure what regulations I need to follow. If I replace an element, do I need to test the whole cooker and issue any sort of certificate? I don’t have the test gear to do this. I don’t...

Can any electrician recommend a supplier of LED batten lights that are easy to use to replace some existing fluorescent batten lights. I’ve seen a few different makes of LED battens and they all seem to be sealed units with cable entry at one, or two fixed points. I need fittings with a choice...

I’m trying to save money on heating a church by reducing draughts. There are double doors that swing both ways on double swing hinges. This is good as they swing closed as people come ion but there are gaps at the top, sides and bottom. I want to replace them with uPVC doors that open outwards...

I have a situation that seems crazy to me. The electricity supplier wanted a meter change. That seemed simple but when the technician arrived to change the meter he refused to do the job because the board it is fixed too is loose. This was raised with the DNO Scottish Power Networks. One of...

I’m not sure which forum to put this in. I look after a church and there was an almost useless water heater in the kitchen. It started to leak and I’ve removed it. (It was almost useless as it only heater 12 litres of water) I want to fit an electric instantaneous water heater to supply two...

I’m trying to find a doorbell, with possibly an odd lot of requirements. It is for a church building that is used by a lot of different community groups. I’d like it to be cordless. I want two pushes, both battery powered. I want five sounders, preferably ones that are plugged into a 13a...

I bought a new kitchen from Howdens about 4 years ago. The tap has started to leak. I’ve pointed to where it leaks in the photo. How do I get it apart to find the problem? It is behind a Belfast sink so removing the whole tap would not be easy. I wondered if there is any easy fix for this.

There is a metal cover over a channel across the entrance to a church car park. It is full of soil and weeds, and I want to clean it out. How do I get the cover off to clean it? I’ll attach three photos; one shows what looks to me like a securing pin but I have no idea how to get it out.

I was interested to see how this SWA was run to feed the supplies for caravans on a site I stayed on last week. I wonder how many regulations have been breached?

I’m struggling to find what I need because I don’t know what it is called. I want a time switch that has four terminals, or five if it needs an earth. 1 & 2 ----- Live and Neutral to drive the clock. 3 & 4 -----Two other terminals which are switched but totally separate from the power that...

I use an Asus laptop. It has a charger with a with 4.0*1.35 mm connector. I often go to meetings where the power supply is away from where I am sitting. I would like an extension lead, maybe 5m long, with a male 4.0*1.35 mm connector and a female 4.0*1.35 mm connector on the other end. I don’t...

I’m sure this is a really stupid question, but I need advice. We’ve just had new doors fitted in our flat. The doors are white primed, and I will paint them white. They have three hinges that are described as Satin stainless steel. The handles are chrome. What is the correct way to paint...

I've got a lot of these plastic pocket planter things and they are great for my strawberries. I've emptied some as it is time to replace the plants. I want to buy more of these contaners but don't have a clue what the correct name is. Can anyone tell me what they are called so I can search for...

I will probably be asking a few questions over the next few weeks. I look after a church and church halls. These are well used by a lot of community groups. We had a church caretaker who was paid to look after a lot of things and was good at doing so. His hobby was electronics. He died suddenly...

I'm struggling to remember the regs. Is it permissible to run 6491X in trunking? I am wanting to alter some controls on a heating system in a large building and need one more core to do this. It would be easier, and cheaper to add a single 6491X cable, but I can’t decide if it is OK in trunking...

I want a decent, waterproof jacket that does not make me sweat so I think it needs to have breathable fabric. I’d prefer hi viz but am not too fussed about that. Can anyone recommend a jacket that will keep me warm and dry while working outside over the winter. I’d like something that does not...