Home DIY

Thermostat question:

I have an old mechanical Honeywell room thermostat and I would like to replace with a new digital one but there seems to be many wiring types.
Currently I have red/blue/yellow/yellow-green. I've done a little research and understand what they are and what they're doing but don't know what a replacement needs. There seems to be a few options out there.
Any help as to what I can easily replace it with would be greatly received.

1 Attachment

By digital, I just seem a simple digital thermostat with digital display. Not a fancy modern full system joby.

Something like this.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/honeywell-home-dt90e-digital-room-thermostat-eco/41365#product_additional_details_container

I wouldn't place any faith in the colours. Central heating engineers do all sorts of random things.

What is the old thermostat and what wire is connected to what on that?

Most (all?) UK[1] mechanical thermostats are a change over switch so you have common, normally open and normally closed. You should be able to disconnect it and then measure with a multi-meter to work out what is what.

In the case of the DT90 connector A is common, B normally open and C normally closed. A connects to live (or your external timer if you have one of those) and then B and/or C to your boiler. If you get B and C the wrong way round the heating will come on when it is hot instead of cold rather than the other way round.

[1] The US seem to do it differently with 24V control circuits and extra settings for turning on your cooling

Seems to be wired up as expected.

1 Attachment

Interesting that there are 4 terminals. Without the make and model to look up what they are I'd buzz that out.

Not the same model but the set up is the same.

1 Attachment

Aha. I suppose the anticipator function is done in software on the fancy digital thing.

So I think 1-A, 3-B and 2 disconnected if going to a DT90E.

Makes sense. Thank you.

Cleaning up some old floorboards and noticed the grain's lifting(?) along one board. It's in 5-6 spots along the length of the board, with 3-4 lifts per spot.

I'm not sure what the correct term is for this, but I'm guessing that the best approach is to glue each "flake" down and then gently sand over the top to smooth it off?

not really a DIY question I suppose but not sure where to put it - can you run karcher pressure washers (e.g. the K2) from a supply of water in a large bucket (i.e. instead of connecting it to a supply of water from a tap)? I have an awkward kitchen tap and don't think I'd be able to mount the hose to it

The answer is some you can, some you can't I believe, I think most karchers can be, and they even sell an overpriced bit of hose to allow you to do it https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-cleaning/pressure-washer-accessories/karcher-pressure-washer-suction-hose-909747.html

This is a DIY question if the answer becomes install an extra tape with a screw fitting under the kitchen sink.

I wonder if that might actually be a medium term solution - plumber's due to come service my boiler soon, so he might be able to rig something up under the sink so that I can connect a hose/karcher that way...

@Sam_w thanks - looks from this video that a big bucket would probably work for this model https://youtu.be/yhGlOq_x0f4?t=225

Yes, I was thinking could you put an outside tap in under the sink or somewhere hidden away, its a relatively straightforward job if you have plastic pipes, only thing plumber might be wary of is if it leaks its not above a drainage solution.

My K2 will run from a jerry can which makes it easier to keep the hose in place than with a bucket.

I use a couple of metres of garden hose with a hozelock on the end - the 'official' Karcher hoze has a filter for use with water butts and other dubious sources, but if you're filling the bucket from a tap then particulates shouldn't be a problem.

Expect lower pressure at the nozzle than when attached to the mains - not quite enough for the patio nozzle to work properly, good enough for fresh mud on the bikes / cars / caravan.

I think hozelock do a brass fitting that will screw into a tap if it's threaded internally. Alternatively you might look at modifying one of these - I 'carved' the yellow plastic window with a dremel to allow it to fit over a chunky vola style tap. Cant see why this wouldn't work especially if you remove the tap lever section first. Fugly mind ;-)

1 Attachment

Thanks, I did it with a mate in the end, needed a qualifying tradesman to get the grant. Insulated with 75mm solid board and left a 35mm air gap, it's a bit on the shallow side. Hoping it'll be ok. The room feels amazing now. Like walking into a recording studio after being on the street. Other bedroom in two weeks!

Mist coats or bare plaster type paint for my freshly plastered living room?

A couple of coats of watered down trade white emulsion is what I usually use.

Used this on pretty much our entire house. Worked well.

So we've had a plumber in to remove our leaky disaster of a shower, and hidden by the tray he's found... a live, broken plug socket. I emphasise leaky again: the reason we're redoing it is that water leaks down the side of the tray. Thank fuck noone died of electrocution.

The negligence of the previous owners has rendered us speechless, as has the fact that they received a letter of comfort from Glasgow City Council which said that they knew the work wasn't up to spec but they weren't going to insist on improvements.

1 Attachment

Fucking hell.

Proper bodge that. not exactly uncommon sadly when bedrooms are converted to shower rooms or have en suites added etc. Exactly the same thing happened in my rented flat in Clapton a few years ago - except that we actually were getting little unexplained electric shocks when we used the shower! the voltage would run up the damp wall and into the shower head. We'd just thought it was heavy static, and only insisted the landlord sort out the leak when it came running down into the living room below. Times were tough so by promising not to report him to authorities we got a rent holiday for a few months, which was £8,000 due to it being a 6 person place.

Any ideas where to get a new handle for my sortimo/Bosch Lboxx?

Sortimo have the for £4, but postage is £14!

1 Attachment

Terrible bodge, really dangerous. How people sleep at night when they are doing this kind of stuff I have no idea.