Home DIY

I had a quick look at the manuals. Your existing timer programmer thingy is two channel (hot water / heating) so you will need the two channel LP112. The wiring diagrams look the same. There are some settings you'll have to take note of depending on the type of heating system you have (old gravity type vs. modern pumped).

Read the manuals. If you feel comfortable give it a go, but if you are in any doubt I'd ring round for some quotes. It's a quick job if you know what you are doing so it won't be £££ to get a pro in to do it for you, but a slow and potentially risky one if you don't.

https://www.draytoncontrols.co.uk/sites/default/files/UG.%20IG.%20LP111.pdf

https://www.draytoncontrols.co.uk/sites/default/files/IG.%20SM1.pdf

That said if I was paying someone to fit one I'd upgrade to a Nest or whatever at the same time.

On smart thermostats and the like, my current thermostat is a netatmo one which has a battery powered thermostat connected to the boiler by two wires and a separate relay that connects to the wifi and plugs into the mains.

There is an alternative setup where the thermostat is wireless and the relay connects directly to the boiler. For this it needs the two switch wires and also power (I think this is pretty common for most smart thermostats).

Question is, does that power come from the mains or is there usually somewhere in the boiler (Main Eco Compact 25) you take the power from?

The boiler installation manual appears to suggest it should be taken from the spur that powers the boiler, does that seem right?

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Thanks very much, that's very helpful

If I was wiring a combi, I would take it that way.

Power from spur to clock with 3 core and then a bit of 5 core from clock to the boiler! It’s just a switch.

That’s fitting a normal time switch or a hive say but if you fit a nest you need more.

Cheers. That makes sense. Think I need to have a proper look at it and decide if it's worth the effort. With these things I always find the access is really cramped which makes everything painful.

Mine was pretty straightforward - my netatmo relay is wired directly to the boiler - there are 4 cores on the wire

Planning on installing a desk in the alcove in my living room (typical Edwardian terrace).

Rather than a rectangle I’d like a curved desk so that I can look out the window sometimes as well.

Is there a forum approved place I can provide some measurements and they can cut and deliver one piece of, for example fancy plywood or similar (I’d order it slightly too big so that I can trim to fit the uneven walls)?

Do you know rough size? Would think it would make a difference if you can make it out of one sheet. another choice (which I seem to reccomend on a monthly basis) is a chunk of worktop from worktop express.

Cutwrights

I found a place that allowed you to spec the size/corner radius/hole sizes and positions but buggered if i can find it now!?
hoping somebody will know as i too will need to order a custom desktop at some point

Worktop Express will do that with worktops, but not just plain sheets https://www.worktop-express.co.uk/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=display&ref=worktop_fabrication_service&sid=5tw1ze114np264i9pbl8m19zyt122199

https://www.cutmyplastic.co.uk/wood-sheets/ply/birch/18mm/L100-W50/ ?

Yes! your googlefu is 10/10

I think i'm in the market for a plunge/track saw. I'm very budget constrained and don't think i want to be spending big money on something (i'll be using it for cutting ply for built in cupboards/wardrobes etc. and shed project).

I have a makita circular saw, and think i can get an adapter and some rails - but i'd probably spent 80-150 on doing this. Would i be better off getting an actual plunge saw - but a cheapy one?

but i'd probably spent 80-150 on doing this

I picked one up for ~£50 new. Haven't tried it yet, I'll dig out a link. I think it was a Kreg rip cut or something to attach to my makita circular saw.

When I first looked for them it was peak covid and they were ~£150.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kreg-KMA2685-INT-Rip-Cut-Metric-/233508155864?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

https://www.rutlands.com/sp+plunge-saw-with-14m-guide-rail+R1608

I bought rails and adpater for my circular saw and have been pleased so far. Another saw seemed excessive given how often I use it.

If it's for a one-off project a DIY version might be the most cost effective option:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9an9cAFHdXA

Plydirect also

Even if you don't make one of those guides, using the factory edge of a board is still a perfectly good way of getting a straight cut. The additional step is knowing the number of mm back from the mark that you need to clamp it to the board that you're cutting.

Alternatively @terlg if you're making wardrobes they quite often require lots of rectangles with the same depth for the base, top, sides and shelves. If you get your supplier to rip the boards into long planks of that width, then you're just left with the cross-cutting to do.

Titan (or similar budget brand) and a Dewalt blade. More than happy with mine.

@ffm - yeah, this is what i've done previously for kitchen fronts etc., but i'm about to embark on a couple of projects which will need a lot of dryfitting so it feels like having something i cut long and straight with would be good. I've always seemed eff up using another straight piece to run against - but i suspect thats me rather than the technique.

@stevo_com @pryally- those seem like good options right.

You do have to be pretty careful with it, double checking your marks etc. I even found that the reflection of the mark in a steel rule was useful to check that I was setting up the fence the right distance from the mark to put the saw blade where I wanted it. If you can be arsed with that though I found I could cut to within a mm or so over the length of an 8ft board.

I've always seemed eff up using another straight piece to run against

The best thing to do with this is to use the fence on a circular saw to rip a length off a sheet of ply the use the factory edge from your rip to run the saw against. Factory edges are straighter than any cut you'll get using a track.