Home DIY

As they should be in the UK. Flat boards and a sprinkling of rain would be a fucking nightmare.

What!? And pass up the opportunity to have your own personal all-year-round ice rink?

If I wire a non dimmable led transformer to a dimmer module, what would happen? No light whatsoever, or just no ability to dim?

Talk to me about air conditioning units (predictably), I live in a 1910 victorian semi-detached and want a way of cooling my bedroom. I think my options are a mobile unit with a pipe out the window or a more traditional fixed unit with internally/externally mounted units. Are there any other options?

Very kind of you to say. I honestly get a lot from this thread too but I am able to answer some of the stuff I've been working on for years with some authority.

I hope someone else has a good solution for leaving them as is because I don't get asked to do it professionally so I'm not sure.

I am starting to look at linseed oil paint though. That might be a possibility, it supposed to be great on eco and durability and there should be a clear version.

Certainly with Oak, painting it can actually reduce the longevity because some paint systems will trap moisture next to the wood.

I live in a 1910 victorian

Can something built after Queen Victoria was dead be described as Victorian?

I think my options are a mobile unit with a pipe out the window or a more traditional fixed unit with internally/externally mounted units. Are there any other options?

Not that I know of. There are split units that can be DIY installed but they mostly require a professional to gas it. They are a lot more efficient than portable units but obviously a lot more effort to install and fairly ugly. A good split unit can also heat your room which is handy for a portion of the year.

I suppose you could have some sort of central air system with a blower/chiller somewhere else in the house but I don't fancy your chances of fitting that to an older property.

I was thinking about mineral oil as I had used it on some hardwood cutting boards to good effect. Doesn't stick either, which is a bonus. How mad would mineral oil be?

https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/iqool-smart12hp/electriq-iqoolsmart12hp-air-conditioner#!#maindesc

Internal only wall mounted.... this could be a goer

Not exactly attractive but none of them are

For the number of times you'll use it, if you have space for the mobile unit then that would be what makes sense to me. It would be madness to have a big fixed compressor and fan on the outside of the house when it only gets 10 day's use max.

I have this one. It's noisy as the compressor is right there but it's more than enough to chill a room. The hose it comes with isn't very long but there are extension kits. If the hose runs through a room that is not being cooled, that room will get hot, however.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B079FR1NTC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00

Igenix IG9901WIFI 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner with Amazon Alexa, Control via Smart Home App, Wi-Fi Enabled, White [Energy Class A]

I live in a 1910 victorian

Can something built after Queen Victoria was dead be described as Victorian?

1910 would be Edwardian.

I live in what is probably a similar property. I'd definitely go portable for the limited number of times you'll use it each year. Also bear in mind that they are big and heavy.

Don't underestimate how powerful a one you'll need (particularly if you have high ceilings). My 14,000 BTU one can only just get my bedroom (albeit a fairly large 16' x 14') down to 22 deg C currently. You can get more efficient ones but they're not cheap (admittedly none of them are cheap if you want one that will actually do something).

They're also very noisy, if you're sensitive to noise you won't sleep through it and although they help to get the temperature down it will creep back up when you turn it off.

That eletriq one is just a freestanding unit that can be fixed to a wall. It doesn't have the benefits of a proper wall unit (moving the gubbins outside so it's quieter).

I have this (although it was a lot cheaper when I bought it) https://www.airconcentre.co.uk/products/kyr-45gw-ag-h-mobile-air-conditioning-unit-14000-btu-kyr-45gw

Thanks again - invaluable.

Have just scraped - Gardz'd - Filled -Sanded - Gardz'd the filled bits- 123'd.

Topcoat on tomorrow!

Just seen a post by mdfdirect to say prices are going up by 40% from August

Split units work, are quiet but are expensive to buy and install … and don’t install the external bit where the neighbours can hear / see it. They require planning permission IIRC.

‘Portable’ units with an external hose can work but are inefficient and noisy and their capacity is limited.

No good option really.

I would stay away from portable units or even ones with combined condenser / fans like the one you linked to.

The main issue with these is that the heat being transferred is generated in the house. This means you’ve got to cool down the room but the unit itself is causing some of the warming.

We’ve just had 4 units installed and a large 8kw condenser. It was £££ (about £9k) but it’s extremely energy efficient and is able to cool down the rooms quickly and maintain good temp over a long period of time with low effort.

A single split unit with a 2kw cassette is probably around £1,200 to install.

Our 8kw condenser Is virtually silent at full whack, running 4 cassettes.

I think there was a varnish vs paint discussion on here a while back. You need some protection on the wood else the sun will bleach it to grey. I think Liberon does a UV protective drying oil of some kind. That might work if you don’t want to use a polyurethane varnish

Mineral oil isn’t a drying oil, so the wood will stay greasy until the oil comes off. I’d use it on a chopping board but perhaps not a sill.

Good stuff, thanks!

If I wire a non dimmable led transformer to a dimmer module, what would happen? No light whatsoever, or just no ability to dim?

Hang on, does the dimmer go before or after the driver?

They're really not! Assuming you keep them clean (which is a lot easier without stupid ridges).

You get light from the bulb when the dimmer is at maximum, as you turn the dimmer down the bulb will flicker on and off because it can't deal with voltage outside of the maximum range. Then it will be off after a certain level of dimming due to not enough power to make it illuminate. It's not much of a drama.

Assuming you keep them clean

Given the number of "how do I clean my deck?" posts, how likely do you think that is?

Because they’re ridged and full of crap which makes it a total ballache to clean… If they’re smooth you brush the deck cleaner on, hose it off, let it dry then brush deck oil on. Couple of hours tops and zero elbow grease!

After a few years of deck ownership you learn how to clean it.

Or rip it up and fit composite