Home DIY

If the paper surface of the plasterboard is too damaged, the moisture from skimming may just blow what's left.

Hmm, I've got a surveyor coming over about the cracks in plaster on the 31st. I will have to wait until the end of the month then.
We've found another whole wall of dodgy cardboard in the front room. Not impressed.

Also, does the ceiling need to come down or can you just use the old wire as a draw wire?

It's plasterboard, screwed in place- not that onerous to be honest, just annoying!

This is the wiring, I am intending on "LAMP" being the bathroom lights.

The double pole isolator and the switch are both outside the bathroom.

Also found loads of random pipes not connected to anything. Mains and RJ11 cable in trunking taped around at one end. Bit overwhelming.

What I suggest, if you find a random cable not attached to something at your end never assume as I assumed that it wouldn't be connected to something on the other side of the wall. Lucky escape.

We've also found a gas pipe which is plugged at one end (dismantled meter, as we swapped to all electric power). At the other end it's also plugged (the cooker end). The only problem is, it disappears in a kinda cupboard between the corridor and the kitchen only to appear but in a slightly different plane. God knows if it's the same pipe or not, as we lose the sight of it for ca. 30cm of the length. it would be helpful to find out, because I can't get to the wallpaper left behind it.

Also found loads of random pipes not connected to anything. Mains and RJ11 cable in trunking taped around at one end. Bit overwhelming.

To completely establish that those pipes are all safe to remove (and sell the copper!) you'd need to take off all the boxing in. I'm sure it can be done in such a way as to make it easy to put back. But you need to trace those pipes properly.

So doing a big raspberry into one end and getting a friend to listen at the mystery side isn't a safe strategy? I'm going to suck hard at DIY when/if I ever have a house.

Unscrew plug and sniff. If gas, go to meter and check dials. If no movement, buy new gas cooker and fire.
Happy days...

Needs flow chart.

^Do this

So doing a big raspberry into one end and getting a friend to listen at the mystery side isn't a safe strategy?

We've tried the "knocking wrench" technique, but without success.

I'm in the middle of buying an apartment, but since electricity is beyond me, I'm a bit confused about the consumer unit (circuit breaker panel?). Right now there is a main circuit breaker with a handwritten "40A" next to it, and a regular circuit breaker with a handwritten "10A" next to it. Can I assume that 40 amps/3 phases goes into the apartment, and that I'll be able to have an electrician set up another circuit (or 2)? I'd like the kitchen/white goods to run separate from the lighting and other stuff...

This sounds more like an additional consumer unit. A 40 amp presumambly double pole breaker is for maybe an electric shower although the 10 amp breaker is a mystery. I'm guessing this is not the main consumer unit for your flat but an add on supplying something separate. Maybe it did feed an electric shower that was replaced by a power shower and fused down to 10 amp. All guesswork though without more information. Pics or more info please.

I'm in the middle of buying an apartment, but since electricity is beyond me, I'm a bit confused about the consumer unit (circuit breaker panel?). Right now there is a main circuit breaker with a handwritten "40A" next to it, and a regular circuit breaker with a handwritten "10A" next to it. Can I assume that 40 amps/3 phases goes into the apartment, and that I'll be able to have an electrician set up another circuit (or 2)? I'd like the kitchen/white goods to run separate from the lighting and other stuff...

Jesper, first, which country are you in?

Second, the main CB will have its rating, or In, stamped on it, could be 40/63/80A

Third, does the main CB have an additional RCD rating, of say 30/100mA?

Fourth, what does the "10A" CB have stamped on it?, and any letters such as B/C?

Fifth, It will highly likely be 230V single phase, not 400V three phase

Lastly, dependant on size of apartment there may be only one circuit, for both power and lights. As you rightly stated, additional circuits are desirable to separate out different consumer loads, so that say a fault in a socket outlet still leaves the lights on.

Also, are there any requirements for a mains powered fire alarm system?

Dammit's attached circuit diagram answers your queries

Unscrew plug and sniff. If gas, go to meter and check dials. If no movement, buy new gas cooker and fire.
Happy days...

The meter is kinda... freestanding. Not attached to anything :-)

Re teh plaster: Had the place surveyed today and apparently is solid. Plasterer filled up all the major cracks, but couldn't do much about those ruined boards which were previously papered without plaster. Told me to sand it, skim it and hang lining paper with a thick textured wallpaper on top. Tiles in the bathroom are go!

It's plasterboard, screwed in place- not that onerous to be honest, just annoying!

This is the wiring, I am intending on "LAMP" being the bathroom lights.

The double pole isolator and the switch are both outside the bathroom.

NO!
'lamp' is the red led or indicator bulb in the switch. You know the kind of thing, pull switches have them. If it doesn't it says the switch must have a 'on/off' indicator.

Slow draining bath.. do I plunge it or fill it with sulphuric acid or spit at it or look around outside for some kind of trap to clean or what?

plunge it. if that don't work,
caustic soda. (treated with mucho respec having read the instructions etc)

NO!
'lamp' is the red led or indicator bulb in the switch. You know the kind of thing, pull switches have them. If it doesn't it says the switch must have a 'on/off' indicator.

I think that diagram does actually refer the main room lighting and not an indicator lamp.
Dammit's still yet to confirm the cock up but I'm thinking O'Shane is maybe on the money with a missing neutral which is ikely to be in the ceilig and not at the light switch where it sounds like the wiring runs from.

Slow draining bath.. do I plunge it or fill it with sulphuric acid or spit at it or look around outside for some kind of trap to clean or what?

Can you see anything down the plug hole? Usual problem is a load of hair in the U-bend directly beneath it.

The meter is kinda... freestanding. Not attached to anything :-)

Re teh plaster: Had the place surveyed today and apparently is solid. Plasterer filled up all the major cracks, but couldn't do much about those ruined boards which were previously papered without plaster. Told me to sand it, skim it and hang lining paper with a thick textured wallpaper on top. Tiles in the bathroom are go!

Don't mess with gas. Leave that to qualified peeps.

As for the plasterboard, my previous suggestion was a serious one. Lining paper is also a good idea.

The meter is kinda... freestanding. Not attached to anything :-)

Re teh plaster: Had the place surveyed today and apparently is solid. Plasterer filled up all the major cracks, but couldn't do much about those ruined boards which were previously papered without plaster. Told me to sand it, skim it and hang lining paper with a thick textured wallpaper on top. Tiles in the bathroom are go!

Did he stick any plaster over it?

If not I'd suggest we skim over it with plaster, then sand that to a flat surface.

Can you see anything down the plug hole? Usual problem is a load of hair in the U-bend directly beneath it.

Looks clear so I figure any blockage is further down.

you know that photo i showed you last week, well that's what's awaiting...

I think that diagram does actually refer the main room lighting and not an indicator lamp.
Dammit's still yet to confirm the cock up but I'm thinking O'Shane is maybe on the money with a missing neutral which is ikely to be in the ceilig and not at the light switch where it sounds like the wiring runs from.

Nature of the cock-up:

The wiring circuits in my flat were laid out when the reinforcing cages where put together for the concrete frame- they used steel pipe of around 1/2" diameter, through which the wiring is run.

The lighting circuits are Live and Neutral, red and black single core.

In the ensuite there is a ceiling rose, and then (previously) a steel pipe ran down to a switch.

I've cut the pipe off, so just have the L&N wiring coming from the stub of pipe in the ceiling.

I had run that into a switch outside the ensuite by the door.

My intention was to use that L&N to power the extractor- but it looks like I need to connect into the L&N before the lights, if that makes sense, rather than after them, as I am now.