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I am considering having a Solar PV system fitted with battery storage of 5.1 kWh. For me,the ability to run off grid during a power outage is essential. In simple terms, how can this be done safely in order to protect anyone who might be working on the DNO system? I already have a double pole...

Bear in mind that every time you attempt to put a plug into the socket, the pins of the plug are likely to rub against the socket face and will scratch it; over a period of time this will be quite disfiguring. I've just replaced my remaining brass sockets with MK Logic which are effective, safe...

As part of a kitchen refurb to make appliances more convenient for my disabled wife, I am having two cookers fitted side by side at a relatively low level. Their maximum ratings are 3.6kW & 3.45kW respectively. My questions are these: 1) can I supply them both from a single cooker switch? 2) in...

I am a great fan of the MK range of wiring accessories; They strike me as well engineered and of high technical quality. For some reason however, I seem to have difficulty in making secure connections if I have more than 2x2.5mm cables to connect, for example when running a spur. Maybe it is my...

Well, that was a Freudian slip. How about 4GW? Not sure about the solar panel. Useful in daylight perhaps, but one panel would produce perhaps 250 watts and even less at night

This week came the announcement that Eggborough Power station will close next spring. Together with the closure of Longannet this represents the loss of at least 4000mW of generating capacity. It is becoming clear to me that electricity generating capacity is likely to be on a knife edge over...

My kitchen lighting comprises seven MR16 lamps in the ceiling. They have been very reliable and I have not needed to change a bulb in over seven years-until now. The bulb failure turns out to be a transformer failure as the replacement bulb still didn't work. I'm thinking of replacing all of the...

Thanks Andy. Our household demand for hot water is relatively low and so the boiler does not often fire up to meet hot water demand. the radiators which are presently heating up rapidly are all doing so with the lock-shield valves only slightly open. The cold radiators have fully open...

Onthe two radiators in question they are fully open.

Andy, I think you are trying really hard to help me. Thank you. I did that earlier today. The best I can get is tepid.

They do indeed. I've checked them both and they seem to be okay.

My bungalow is heated by a Baxi Solo 3 70PF non condensing boiler. It is connected to 11 radiators and controlled by a Honeywell CM927 programmable room thermostat operating a Honeywell two port motorised valve. Hot water is supplied by means of a second motorised valve, separately controlled...

Thanks for the tip. However, I think you then have the problem of heat dissipation and consequent premature failure of the bulbs.

Our existing kitchen, L shaped and approx. 5m x 4m into the recess is currently illuminated by 8 ELV recessed halogen downlighters and 3 CFLs located between cupboards and worktops. Whilst I find the halogen lamps pleasing, there are two problems for me. Firstly, because this is a bungalow the...

You are, of course, free to type in any way you want. However as BAS eloquently points out, if your language is unintelligible, why should anyone on this forum waste time trying to decipher what you meanv, let alone waste time providing answers. Try politeness; it gets you better responses than...

Sorry to hear that you are thinking of leaving. I am but an occasional poster to this forum and a complete amateur at that, though I do at least have a basic knowledge of electrical principles. I have been struck by your unfailing good manners on this forum, in stark contrast to some of the...

Thanks for this useful information doitall

My central heating boiler is controlled by a Drayton Digistat system comprising an SCR receiver and a Digistat RF3 programmable thermostat. These are approx five years old. About a year ago the system went on the blink. The SCR unit failed to respond to a call for heat and did not open the...

By your logic, all forms of renewables that are weather dependent i.e. solar energy and wind energy cannot be relied on as a secure alternative source of energy. I am minded to agree with you but I might argue that it is possible to allow us a little diversity here. The days that are windy may...

Well not quite; at least not yet. My original post was an attempt to obtain opinions from people who work in the electrical contracting business. It is something of a discouragement to use a forum like this when instead of objective comment, contributors expose themselves to ridicule and...