Home DIY

Battery on mine (1st gen) is about 1 year.

Maybe just a 40mm chrome bottle trap, this one seems to be McAlpine which is fairly widely available.

https://www.mrcentralheating.co.uk/40mm-chrome-bottle-trap#.WmUSJiOcbjA

Thanks @Dramatic_Hammer and @Backstop and @TW - appreciate the advice. I didn't realise it'd be so cheap to install - I'll call a pro tomorrow.

Now to decide on Nest over Hive. I'm not too bothered about learning features but I think the Hive looks nicer. If anyone has any advice would be very happy to hear it.

Thanks again.

If you have a Vaillant you could go for V Smart, and get proper control of all the boiler parameters.

If you're North London I'll send the details of the guy I used, very clean and tidy, took 30 minutes, still working a month later...

I have the most recent gen hive, it does look quite fancy but I barely touch it these days - easier with the app/Alexa for a quick boost. The hive ecosystem (bulbs/sensors/etc) also works well if you’re into telling your lights what to do via Alexa or want to have lights come on when you arrive home via IFTTT.

I need a new radiator, any advice?

central heating radiator, half size, modern. Any suggestions? I like flat panels and slim preferably. Any suggestion welcome.

Plumbcenter rads do the job, and come in a wide range of sizes.

You installing it yourself?

Looking to get my hands on a wiring centre to allow me to control 4 zone valves in the tidiest way possible.

I'd taken a look at the Heatmiser UH4 but it's targeted at 3/4 underfloor zones, 1/0 standard rad zones and the Hot water tank, whereas I will have 1 underfloor zone, 2 rad zones and the hot water tank.

Any suggestions from the hive mind?

No, I finally got round to having the hallway, stairwell and landing sorted out. Plastered and painted. But the radiator needs replacing. I'll take a look, thanks friend!

Also, suggestions on carpeting for stairs? hard wearing and inexpensive.

Do you want to change the design style of the radiator?

Bit random, and more of a long term thought, but does anyone know anything about tennis courts?

My folks have a bit of a field (in France), and I was wondering about how hard it would be to make and maintain a rough grass court?

Everything I've read either quickly jumps to super-keen or seems to be geared toward fancy home courts.

In my head the main issue would be working out drainage for summer flash storms. Otherwise it should be a case of getting things level, removing big stones and some sort of top layer?

The aim would be something you could have a knock-about on with mates or kids, rather than hosting pro-matches or showing off to the Jones.

Thoughts?

Or would just sorting out the leveling make it just as viable to put down as fat?

We went to carpet right and just had a look, but ultimately didn't buy anything.

It seems counter intuitive but from the research I did it's better to get better quality carpet and underlay for common areas/often used areas, then use cheap carpet for bedroom etc. As they get less wear.

If you can hold out it's the sort of thing that there will be Easter weekend sales on.

That'd be great, thanks man.

@Dramatic_Hammer - good to know. I think I mostly want a software gui for the thermostat as programming at the moment is a massive pain in the bum, though might be handy to have the ability to expand it out a bit later on.

This is literally how Skynet started wasn't it?

need a new radiator, any advice?

Have a look at the ProRad range "the professionals radiator" http://www.theprorad.com.
We've just had three installed and they're great. Semi stylish too.
If you're in SE London still, can get them from Sids in Brockley

Tiling a bathroom, what order should things happen in?

Do toilets/basin pedestal go on top of the floor tiles? I assume they do but the internet seems somewhat split.

How does a concealed cistern work with tiling? (Walls and floor will be tiled). The cistern is going under the eaves so I assume some access will be needed for fitting and possibly maintenance.

Unsurprisingly I won't be doing this myself, just trying to work out who we need in when. Cheers

Swapping a standard rad for a towel rad. Pressurised system, no header. Let me know what I'm missing;

Source rad of same/similar width and offset from the wall as the existing rad.
Isolate existing rad at the two valves at the base.
Release pressure from bleed valve.
Disconnect from two base valves collecting the water that drains out.
Remove rad from wall draining the rest of the water.
Clean and prep wall, do any decorating to cover previous rad mount holes.
Mount new towell rad to the wall.
Connect two base valves to the new rad using PTFE tape on clean threads.
Open valves to fill new rad using the bleed valve to escape the air.
Repressurise heating system using the fill loop.
Profit.

Connect two base valves to the new rad using PTFE tape on clean threads.

I was recently told that you need to be wrapping 20 turns for rad valves.

I thought towel rails are heated from the hot water circuit?

A video I just watched had the guy using 12 wraps, probably will depend on how loose the fit is. I don't tend to run my CH much over 1bar as I have no idea what the joints are like under the floors so don't fancy popping them.

I don't see how it could be on the hot water circuit?

I don't see how it could be on the hot water circuit?

Our towel rails are - it's pretty standard, AFAIK.

Sometimes they are plumbed before the hot water & the heating, so they heat whenever either is called.

This is a straight swap for the current small rad so I would like it to act as the rad for the (small) bathroom. Not just as a towel warmer post shower.

If it turns out to be too much of a ball ache, Plan B is just to fit a wooden towel ladder rail above the existing rad.

^ Which has just got me thinking - if our towel rails are teed in before the water & heating circuits, they will be on all the time (as we effectively have separate zones for every room)

20 turns....wtf?

12...WTF

Where are you putting this tape.