Home DIY

Afraid not. If you or anyone does and fancies knocking one out for me, I'd be very grateful/ with coin.

If the Axminster one is the right size at the big end, you could chop the small end off and epoxy a correctly sized piece of PVC in its place. You should be able to file/sand it until smooth to maintain good airflow and eliminate ridges etc. Curious to see what you go for. I love bodging wee fixes, but your standards are clearly higher than mine!

I've been very tempted by them for a while but would need to work on my CAD skillz.

Sparkies all make tutting noises, it is part of the quoting process. Does the fuse board have a NICEIC sticker on it dating the next inspection. Any inspection paperwork when it was installed?

Do you have a friendly sparky? If not might be worthwhile to get a check or a test done to see if there any faults on the circuits. At a guess for the garage you will want to power a couple of KW safely so probably adding a new separate breaker...then running an armoured cable out to the garage.

100mm is older cast iron soil pipe width in France and I bougt a 100mm to 40 adaptor. Would something like this work

https://www.drainageshop.co.uk/110mm-drainage-pipe-fittings/P-RX417BL.html?kw=&fl=1000&ci=71690518203&network=g&pm=&cid=336473163&aid=19994770083&tid=pla-154546143123&dev=c&mt=&lim=&lpm=9046003&pos=1o17&dm=&fid=&mid=104842450&pid=P-RX417BL&country=GB&source=google

It's close, but alas, the 110mm end wouldn't fit inside the 100mm hose from the extractor.

I don't mind a bodge, but my last attempt was a bodge and it didn't end well. But it does seem like I'll just have to bodge game. Am tempted to give your idea a go if I can find a 65mm internal PVC pipe.

Edit, I've just made the connection between yours and lynx's post. I even have a bit of 68mm drain pipe sitting around in the garden somewhere I think.

We are having a rewire done in a 1850's 2 story house. In the downstairs they have cut an 8 inch hole in the roof next to the light fitting rather than lift floorboards above. Is this normal or should I be annoyed?

Leading on from that, how hard is it to plaster over the whole and repaper a ceiling?

Without knowing the layout of your house it might be something that is unavoidable. Its relatively simple to make good the plaster, assuming it's a plasterboard ceiling, re-papering less so. I would expect any tradesman to make good as part of their price if they have to carry out invasive work like that.

It's all lath and plaster. No plastering was included in the quote, as it is in a state of complete redecoration, no plaster on walls up to 1m because of damp proofing etc. However we weren't planning on touching the ceilings as they seem ok.

Layout is attached, and the floor above is exactly the same. Pendant is marked in red, and it is passing through a wooden beam which spans the room 'vertically' in the attached plan.

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Didn't look far, I know there is a 100mm version but if it is sold here is another thing.

Bit of a bodge: https://www.drainageshop.co.uk/category-6066/80100mm-land-drain-junction.html

I would expect any tradesman to make good as part of their price if they have to carry out invasive work like that.

Many sparkies are just that and won't make good after doing any invasive work required.

What did you agree @rj ? Was making good included in the quote?

True, but they can arrange for work to be made good.

At the very least they should talk to the client / pm before proceeding and making mess like that. If I did that without authorization I'd expect the client to be pissed off.

@rj from those drawings (I still don't have the whole picture, there could be valid reasons why this has happened) you should be able to access from above. I have no experience patching lath and plaster so can't be much help there I'm afraid.

We have 3d printed dust extract attachments on tablesaw, bandsaw etc.

Might fit for you. Will take a pic tonight. Happy to print one up for cost.

At a guess for the garage you will want to power a couple of KW safely so probably adding a new separate breaker...then running an armoured cable out to the garage.

Well...

Need to know the loading for the garage for size cable and voltage drop, need to know the main earthing arrangements from the supplier, need to figure if to use a catenary cable suspension / Hi-Tuff wall mount / armoured in a trench, need to fit a sub-main consumer unit with RCD protection on all circuits in garage, need to retest whole system as it's not classed as minor works...

That would be amazing. Thanks

Quote all that I said, not just one bit.

Do you have a friendly sparky? If not might be worthwhile to get a check or a test done to see if there any faults on the circuits. At a guess for the garage you will want to power a couple of KW safely so probably adding a new separate breaker...then running an armoured cable out to the garage.

Understand the adding a separate mains breaker is major work, but can you get away with just testing and certifying cabling to the breaker and replacing the cabling that was there with 'like for like' or is the sparky want to test and certify the whole system.

Sparky question that I may have asked before: Updating a consumer unit is it worth while going to RCBO for each circuit or split load RCD. Currently the system is set up as lights up, lights down sockets up and sockets down and cooker socket. The consumer unit is recessed in to a wall, so any consumer unit would have to go on top and the cables be lengthened to fit the unit. At that point you might as well rewire the flat, as the cabling tho plastic outer is from when the flats were built 30/40 years ago EDIT maybe 50-60

So it should have an individual circuit for the kitchen and like to keep the cooker socket. Tried to get people out to quote and at least look at the job. But not many are interested, or come out.

Some cables run in conduit and some cables may run under floor boards that may not be liftable.

Currently doing the kitchen and the wiring is shocking. So many cables running on the diagonally on walls and spurs created by adding 4 way extension after 4 way extension. Some kitchen fitters seem to think that is OK as it is and can get away with adding another breaker switch on the tails.

Not happy with leaving the wiring as is, especially in the kitchen but does that mean the whole flat should be done? 3 bed maisonette and 5 major rooms plus bathroom and second toilet.

It's not a bad approach but a lot of electricians will not want to be drawn into specifying a job for free. You can always ask for a price and what's involved, it won't help you to avoid the fact that it needs signing off but at least you'll get an idea of cost.

I've not done any but my understanding is that most modern garage installations have an armoured cable which can be buried or surface mounted without further mechanical protection. Clearly you need one with a high capacity (read expensive). You need to protect that cable from an overload with a breaker, perhaps they would split the incoming supply after the fuse and put a large single breaker on it. Then you put a consumer unit in the garage which has RCD protection. RCD protection is a requirement for any sockets near a door or window that could be used to supply power outside (driveway/garden etc.) Stands to reason a garage is going to have RCD protection on the sockets. You might have a loop if you want 32amp capacity or just a selection of sockets on a star or radial layout. You won't really need 32amp in most cases. Lighting on a 6amp circuit.

So basically a lot of money and effort to achieve what you already have which is power in the garage. You can get RCD protection on the breaker in the house or just use an RCD plug socket with anything you are using in the garden. If you have a lot of powerful tools in the garage and find you are tripping the breaker, then it might be worth upgrading but otherwise you could spend the money elsewhere.

If you get an EICR they will likely flag things which would need to be done to meet current regulations but the regs are not applied retrospectively so until you start some serious work you don't need to address them.

Looks like the size is different. I didn't design them so don't know how easy to amend this would be.

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that's very helpful, thanks. I have read up on RCD-protected sockets for gaarge outdoor use, and you post seems to echo what i've read.

reading between the lines, you seem to be suggesting working with the existing garage supply. my temporary fix would be to run everything off the one existing socket. is it feasible to DIY-add more (and lights) without incurring too much mither on my end - in terms of difficulty, safety and admin?

from memory, the consumer unit was inspected in '05.

garage power seems to be a spur off the kitchen socket ring.

Only just read this (thanks) and this was the scope of work i suspected (as @lynx) suggested.

Depending on whether they cut in the middle of the joists then you’ll need to fit a noggin and plasterboard the whole IFyour planning on skimming the ceiling
May be the wrong though

Is there such thing as a double width switch plate with only two switches? Have a big back box but only two lights. google-fu is failing me

Not a perfect solution but you could always just put a triple one and leave one blank?