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Had a (fortunately small) fire here last week. It's being done on the insurance so I expect they'll appoint a decorator to redo it. Question is, should it be sealed with something like Zinsser Bin before overpainting ?

Had an issue the other day where the boiler had locked out. reset it and turned HW on manually. After a while I noticed that the boiler/pump was doing the following : pump runs for a couple of seconds boiler clicks a couple of times pump stops. Repeat every 10 seconds or so. Checking the...

My close coupled cistern has started leaking all the time, not just on flushing. I believe this is the seal between the bottom of the cistern and the siphon but should I replace the donut washer as well while I've got it off ?

My CH system has an expansion vessel and on top is a pressure gauge and a blowout valve with a spring loaded manual knob (ie open the valve and it lets a bit of pressure out). Can anyone advise, does the valve let out all the time it's open, or does it only let out until a certain pressure is...

Am I right in thinking that if I replace a socket in the kitchen and find the cable to be faulty then I am also allowed to replace the cable without notifying the council ?

I want to move the washing machine and the waste pipe will be a 6m run. I understand that the max length it should be is 3m for 40mm pipe. If I put in a 50mm pipe, will I be ok, as long as I have sufficient drop ?

I have a pressurised system with a separate hot water cylinder and a problem has developed with my CH/HW in that if I go for a shower in the middle of the day, the water isn't very hot. The heating and water comes on from around 0600-0900 and if I get in the shower anytime up until about 1100...

I've refitted my office and put in a 4 way light with 4 x 10w GU10 halogen bulbs. As I work nights and evenings, I have the light on a lot so would like to put in lower energy bulbs. I see TLC have LED bulbs (but at £20 a throw). Are the LEDs any good, or would I be better going with CFL ...

I'm fitting out a room as an office and I want a built in desk so I am looking for a supplier of desktop/worktop type type sheets. Kitchen worktop would be ok if it was about 800mm deep (and the right colour/pattern obviously). Anyone know a supplier of this type of product ?

I've fitted a digital aerial and I'm planning to put a 6 way splitter in the loft and run out from there. I already have a cable into my office which is run from the 2nd output from the sky box. Would I get decent reception if I run the freeview signal into the sky box first and then out to the...

I'm replacing some leaky valves on our CH system. It's a pressurised system (no header tank, big orange vessel by boiler). Can I use Fernox MB1 when I refill, or is there a more suitable product ?

I'm refitting a room to use as an office and I'd like to be able to turn a lot of stuff off with a single wall switch rather than scrabble around under the desk. I'm going to put the office on a separate circuit breaker in the consumer unit and once the cable gets to the office I will split...

I've levelled an area of garden ready for a 6x4 shed which I intend to set onto paving slabs. The slabs will be set onto a 2 inch dry mix of sand & cement. What type of sand should I use though ? Also, how much is in a "jumbo bag" like...

Will a mini-digger go down a fairly shallow set of steps down the side of my house ? I'd estimate the angle of them to be 20-30 degrees, nowhere near as steep as an internal staircase. (If not, where can I bulk buy anabolic steroids)

My parent's house was built in 1964, is it likely to have asbestos soffits ? Some years ago, before I knew better, I drilled a couple of holes in it to get a tv aerial cable through; I wasn't underneath it, I leaned out of the gap between the window and the frame and the dust just dropped...

I have 8 radiators with Drayton TRV4s which were fitted in 2002; At least 5 of them are leaking very slightly. A couple of them leak when they are adjusted but then seal up again, another couple show evidence of leaks but feel dry and one is almost permenantly leaking (very slightly and it...

On my (pressurised) CH system, I currently have one radiator that cannot be turned off. All the others have TRVs on them. The chap that fitted it said it had to be like that so that the pump would never be trying to pump a closed system. However, soon I will be removing that radiator when I'm...

I have fitted a shower door/frame in my bathroom but I have a leak. I think I've figured out what to do, but would appreciate a second opinion (door/frame is from bathstore and instructions are useless). looking at picture (B) below, frame is mounted on to edge of tray so that it covers the...

I was having a shower today and heard an ominous crack sound. I checked the bath and theres a crack about two inches long appeared. Can anyone suggest a short term bodge that I can do to keep it useable for a couple of weeks or so ? Would duck tape do it (I don't mind if I have to stick a new...

Had a call from my brother in law a while back : "You know about electrics, don't you ?" "yes, a bit" "I've just fitted a socket in the loft and it's not working properly, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't" "did you take a spur off an upstairs socket ?" "oh no, didn't have enough...