Home DIY

Pain and expensive.

The chamber needs to be built and the old one removed. Can't you put a second inspection hatch above the older one?

Thanks. I was *kinda* expecting that to be the answer, but was second-guessing myself, as I thought "if it's that easy, why tf didn't they do it when they built the extension, and why has nobody done it in the 10 years since?"

Not sure if srs

Also - the thread title should be changed to "Ask Airhead".

Are you looking at the pictures to determine the material? A well made worktop joint shouldn't show up unless you are inspecting it very closely. The actual join if it's a laminate type material will not run straight along from the edge of the worktop, worktop jigs have a pattern to them like a hockey stick so the join is about 20mm from the angle where the worktops meet.

The way the sink is set suggests some type of laminate or a material that prohibited the designer placing the sink under the worktop. You may be able to spot some signs of the ends of the worktop being a stick on laminate. If it's solid it looks like corian or quartz but the photos are not high res enough to tell.

I'm not aware of any worktops that would be available in 1 piece in that design. Storage and transport would be an issue and most kitchens don't have exactly 90 degree right angles so each worktop join gets cut specifically to suit the walls. I suppose it could be templated and delivered but you might struggle to get them in a lot of rooms!

The trick is, I only answer the easy ones!

Already stuck it down. Bought £2.99 tub of grout.
Threw it on the floor and two tiles. Spaced with cardboard. Trod on it. Flattened it out. cleaned it.

There are custom made tops that have one covering for the whole counter top. I know that Hatt Kitchens used to do that.....over 20 years ago (fuck the counter top is 20 years old)

Ugh.

Suspected that might be the case. We can just extend it upward I think, but that will then involve either cutting a hole in the bottom of the bike storage, or removing the entire apparatus in the event we need to inspect at some point. Which just feels like deferred pain.

Anyone know anything about radiators? I've been messing about with ours as one never used to come on. Bled them all and got the broken one going again - good work me, plumbing is just water lego.

However, we've got a problem with the thermostat valves. The valve presses the pin no matter what setting it's on, shutting off the radiator, when it's screwed on with the knurled knob. As in, the plastic plunger thing that presses the radiator pin is too low. So, is the valve adjustable? Or do I just have to leave the valve completely off to have the radiator on? (I don't care if so - we never adjust them.)

Picture attached - it looks like it might be adjustable from what I can see here. It's got these metal pins in the bottom with a ring of different settings. No idea where to start with it as I can't get the thing apart.

Edit: side note, I'm renting, so extremely averse to paying for something new or bothering to contact my landlord

2 Attachments

I think the way they work is the pin is most rigid when the stuff inside it is cold, so it opens the valve when cold. Then the stuff inside heats up and the pin rises closing the valve off. You should be able to operate the valve with a stick or something that won't damage the plastic. It looks like you have the base set for maximum heat, guessing that the biggest number where that little metal tab is pointing means that. So according to my possibly flawed theory your thermostat top is not working because it's not pushing the pin in the valve far enough down.

At least try opening the valve by pushing on the centre and if that works you know you need a new thermostat top. Quite often it's a case of changing the whole component though.

Re-reading your post I can see I've got the whole thing back to front.

Yeah, when I completely remove the valve the radiator comes on. That is when the little pin in the radiator is fully up. So to switch the radiator off, the central plunger part in the the thermostat thing pushes the radiator pin down (when you turn the thermostat valve to cold).

I am inclined to think that the metal pins on the valve adjust the height of the plunger thing in the centre, and that it's set to the maximum depth (28). But not sure.

Sounds like you need a new head for your TRV.
What brand is it?
Should be available as a spare.
But if you never use them you could just leave it off (permanently full on)

It says "Lifestyle" on the top.

Sod that though. I'll just leave the radiator full on. I can mess with the valve on the other side instead.

TRV heads are much of a muchness if they screw on.

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p91607?table=no cheaper than just the head

I need to install led lighting to my bike shed. I have a strip of LEDs (12v) and a PIR. It's a Li-ion battery going to get killed by the cold?

Anyone know of some slightly more advanced wiring diagram for a NEST installation? My Valiant boiler has a single 230V RT terminal and a 12V twin terminal. The NEST supplied diagrams are pretty vague and suggest routing the live conductor via the heat link to be switched by the thermostat.

Wire in to the thermostat cable.

My Nest seems (after a good couple of years service) to have gone all fucked.

You need a permanent live feed to the nest hub. Then a feed goes to the hot water and one to heating.

You only need the existing thermostat cable if you want to mount the display unit where the current thermostat is.

This site gives a good explanation for Y-plan heating systems.

Batteries?

.

The display has a back up battery but runs off usb power or the old thermostat supply.

I am totally at sea with my Nest failure - here's what has happened:

• The cabling, which has worked for two years, is the same
  
• However, the setting on the boiler of "on" which used to be the one for the Nest, now gives the timing dial on the boiler command, and ignores the Nest
  
• If you move the selector to the timing dial, the timing dial has command
  
• Off is off
  
  

I have no idea.

Loose connection to the hub or wiring centre?