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Hello all, A few days ago I was woken up by some strange noises coming from my central heating system. They sounded essentially like boiling water, so my first reaction was to race downstairs and turn the system off. My first assumption was maybe a sludge build up - looking at the header...

Hello all, My house has a Y-plan heating system, and I've got a problem with my Honeywell diverter valve. After some experiments, I determined that even with the motor removed the system would not spring back after manually opening the valve - I could force it back using a screwdriver, but it...

Hello, I help out a local amateur theatre and they've been doing some electrical work over the last few days. One of the things they've done is installed a few new sockets, and the way they've done this is installed inside a partition wall some metal (20mm) conduit which connects at one...

Hello, I've been trying to help a friend out today who's been doing up his house (yes he's notified the electrical work to the LABC etc). In his kitchen, he's put up two sets of these - http://www.wickes.co.uk/Zepher-5-Light-Cable-Track-Kit/invt/195289 - each set has a 175W transformer...

So, there have been many discussions about whether the Hager/Ashley 'maintenance free' junction boxes can be used in inaccessible locations, with most arguing that they don't comply with 526.3. I thought people might be interested that Hager now appear to have claimed their product does...

In my kitchen, I currently have a single socket built in to the tiles above the worktop, which is used to power my washing machine (the socket is on the ring). I've now got a (slimline) dishwasher (rearrangement of kitchen units has freed up space for it) - at the moment I just have both...

I'm currently adding an extractor fan to my bathroom (it has an opening window, so doesn't absolutely need one, but I want to try and keep it from getting quite so steamed up!). I've now core drilled the hole for the ducting, so that's all fine, but I'm now trying to work out where to put the...

So I currently have a 60A cut-out. Since I've got a 9.5kW electric shower, a fairly powerful electric hob, an electric oven etc etc I thought it was worth looking at getting the cut-out upgraded. EDF (the DNO) are sending me a form to fill in, and have said it's free of charge assuming the...

So, I just noticed this video on the BBC website talking about some gadget to automatically read meters (I've not listened to it as I have no audio at work): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7828918.stm Is it just me, or when they look at the leccy meter, has the SWA been really bodgily...

I've just installed a new Triton 9.5kW electric shower. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work properly, in that very little water comes out (a small trickle, and as you turn the flow control up, it just kicks in the low pressure neon). I've checked the pipework to it, and that seems clear, good...

I'm fitting an alarm in my property (unfortunately this has been prompted by the fact I was burgled yesterday - GRR!). This is probably a really trivial question, but what is the best way to attach a door contact to a uPVC door with a beveled edge (which also sticks out a little bit from the...

I noticed a while ago that the stop cock on the rising main in my house won't turn off all the way - not an immediate problem (all the taps have isolating valves, so only will be a problem if the pipework before them springs a leak), but one I thought I should fix at some point, so I finally got...

I haven't got a copy of the regs handy, so I was wondering if someone could do me a favour and tell me if I need to have RCD protection on a piece of SWA running outside? It will be linking my main house consumer unit to one in a brick outbuilding, which will have a 30mA RCD main switch or...

I've recently moved in to a house with cavity walls. I've noticed that the internal faces of the walls are freezing cold in the mornings, so I started wondering if cavity wall insulation would be a good idea. Looking carefully at the outside however, I could see what looked like the pattern...

I'm currently planning the replacement of my consumer unit. Before anybody asks, I've been in touch with the LABC, and I am going to be submitting notice to them next week before doing the work, and testing it all thoroughly myself (I have a full set of test kit) regardless of what the LABC do...

So, having seen all the posts on here about bonding etc, I've investigated the current state of my house - From reading the wiki I believe I'm on a TN-S set up, as the incoming earth appears to come from the supply cable before it gets to the service head. There are a few things that concern...

I've noticed that the tank coupler on the output of my F+E tank is weeping slightly - it appears to be coming out between the nut that secures it to the tank and the thread of the coupler. I've tightened it as much as I dare, if I do it any tighter I fear it ripping through the plastic, so I...

I've just moved into a house, and I believe that the central heating system could do with a clean out, as there is quite a lot of noise from the pipes, and i've got one radiator with a large cold area in the middle etc. I also doubt it ever had any protector solution added to it, judging by...