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Thanks for the help.
Apple cider vinegar - read somewhere this can drop the ph a bit and kick start it, could be BS though!
Don't have any bottled water, but have taken to using boiled water as hopefully has some of the same de-chlorination (was already using water that had been left open air for a few days anyway)
The jar has the lid left ajar/tilted so there is an air gap. My worry with the kitchen is that it is too cold - a lot of places say 23c+, and ours is probably more like 17-19c. Alternatively, i think perhaps the temperature fluctuation in the cupboard it is in might not help...I could pop the hive thermostat in there for 24 hours and then check that out
lf-
Fluctuations shouldn't matter unless it's going from like 10-30c. If you're worried about the kitchen being cold - use slightly warmer water. You could also insulate your container a bit to hold the water temp a bit better. But 17-19 should be totally fine, pretty sure that's what my kitchen is like.
Nef
Why? Also, use less flour to top it up. 25g of each is fine per day. Are you in London? If so the hardness of the water might be an issue. Try using bottled water for a few days and see if that makes any difference.
Kitchen would be better as there's more of the yeast bacteria in the air in those places (as I understand it), leaving the jar by an open window is also supposed to help - although I'm not sure how true this is if you're in the middle of a very urban environment. Is the lid ajar/the container covered with something breathable? Nowt will happen if the airborne bacteria can't get to the mixture. What's the temperature in the cupboard like? Unless your kitchen is absolutely freezing, I'd be keeping it in there.