uk.d-i-y

Message Index 13 for News Archive uk.d-i-y

Re: What's a Gas Siphon (by BigWallop on 22 May 2004, 2 replies)
So now we know what a "Gas Syphon" is, how about, What's a ratchet ? ... (more)

Waterproof boards and etc. (by Michael Mcneil on 22 May 2004, no replies)
http://oikos.com/products/wood-plastics/isobord/ "Isobord is a premium engineered board product made from straw fibers and non-toxic resins." "The price usually falls between particleboard and MDF." ... (more)

Re: Silly hole in the wall query (by BigWallop on 22 May 2004, 2 replies)
Try packing the hole with wet newspaper first, allow it to dry off a bit, then fill and smooth it over with plaster. Cheap, cheerful and so inert it doesn't react with anything. ... (more)

Re: Fathers 4 Justice (by geoff on 22 May 2004, no replies)
n message <c8lv4n$mgt$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk>, G&M <m1111b@yahoo.com> writes Even 15 year old septics can get it right ... (more)

Re: Fathers 4 Justice (by geoff on 22 May 2004, no replies)
In message <c8lvt7$fkg$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk>, IMM <abuse-imm@easy.com> writes This from someone who has difficulty stringing a sentence together ... (more)

Re: Silly hole in the wall query (by Chris Hodges on 22 May 2004, no replies)
I have been known to use scraps off wood held in place with "instant nails" or similar as a cheap & quite strudy backing for wood filler. ... (more)

Re: Faulty RCD cable reel (by N. Thornton on 22 May 2004, 2 replies)
change the mains fuse in the plug. If it still doesnt work the RCD's dead, replace the plug then. Regards, NT ... (more)

Shed Electrics (by N. Thornton on 22 May 2004, 2 replies)
From: Andy Wade (spambucket@ajwade.clara.co.uk) I think this is something of a misunderstanding, and a very common one. An RCD doesnt limit fault voltage at all, just as it does not ... (more)

Up a ladder (by John on 22 May 2004, 7 replies)
I have been painting the windows this week (I HATE THAT JOB!) and it got me thinking. What do you lot use for holding paint etc. while up a ladder. I was using the washing line prop, I had it through a convenient rung and hung the paint kettle on the hook end and had my wiping cloth draped over the ... (more)

Re: Misbehaving smoke alarms (by Richard Sterry on 22 May 2004, 3 replies)
Yes, they are indeed susceptible to dust. The smoke alarms in our house often start beeping ominously if I am doing any DIY that raises any sort of dust, even in quite modest amounts. However, I have had the odd faulty alarm that would go off for no reason. ... (more)

Re: Misbehaving smoke alarms (by Scott on 22 May 2004, 5 replies)
Doesn't hurt to give them a hoover out every couple of months. ... (more)

Joists 3" square !!?? (by Arthur on 22 May 2004, 28 replies)
I've just lifted one of the middle boards on a suspended (ground) floor. The joists are 3" square that are resting on a 'wall' that consists of a couple of layers of bricks. The bricks are mortared and this 'wall' runs across close to the board I ... (more)

Re: Fathers 4 Justice (by geoff on 22 May 2004, no replies)
In message <c8o0a0$lqi$1@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk>, IMM <abuse-imm@easy.com> writes That's called copy and paste ... (more)

Re: What's a Gas Siphon (by tarquinlinbin on 22 May 2004, 5 replies)
Its a connection point on a gas main from which water,MEG and other liquid substances can be extracted by use of a compressor,commonly called an Alan Taylor unit (ATU) presumably after the inventor. Even on modern plastic systems,there is still water and other liquids in ... (more)

Showerforce (by Press F1 for Help on 22 May 2004, 2 replies)
Hi Group, any idea where I can get spares for a Showerforce duraspeed? Thanks Brian ... (more)

Painter & Decorator Charges (by andy on 22 May 2004, 5 replies)
I'm now semi retired and thinking of setting up on my own as a painter/decorator. I've been doing up various places of my own for years and gained a lot of experience etc. Problem is I've no idea what the going rate is ...... I live in the south east ( not London ) ... (more)

UPVC double glazing-what to look for? (by tarquinlinbin on 22 May 2004, 2 replies)
Hi, my existing woodene frames are well past it and i have a man who is highly recommended and i have seen examples of his work. Ikonw this is a diy NG but i dont have the time so I need to get a man in !. ... (more)

Re: Is this the "I'm smarter than you" group? (by ah on 22 May 2004, 2 replies)
Harry lives! ... (more)

Shower mixer installation (by jack on 22 May 2004, 3 replies)
Hi Recently bought a Trevi Therm shower mixer. For the inlets into it for hot and cold water and the mixed water out, there are 22mm compression fittings. As my hot and cold pipes into it are 15mm would it make any ... (more)

Re: gas / pressure drop when CH fires up (by tarquinlinbin on 22 May 2004, no replies)
you need to ensure that your supply pressure is within spec. A simple call to Transco on 0800111999 will bring a man round to measure the working pressure. Report it as poor pressure. There are a number of issue with supply and you need to eliminate these first. The service ... (more)

Re: gas / pressure drop when CH fires up (by Andy Hall on 22 May 2004, 2 replies)
You shouldn't notice a difference really. The spec is that there should not be more than 1mB of pressure drop as measured from the meter and then at each appliance with everything ... (more)

Re: Silly hole in the wall query (by Z on 23 May 2004, no replies)
Is this cable one tucked behind the skirting board before going up the wall? If possible drill through the wallplate at the bottom 50mm in from the wall wall surfaces and re-route the cable up that hole. ... (more)

Source of folding doors (by Broadback on 23 May 2004, no replies)
I need to replace a naff folding door, normal indoor door size, anyone recommend a good source, or even an alternative. I have an up and over garage door that is segmented and travels on ... (more)

locating underground services (by Drew on 23 May 2004, 12 replies)
Hi there Does anybody know if there is a central database that would tell me where the pipes/cables are buried in my garden, I want to drive fence posts into the ground and dont want any nasty surprises. ... (more)

Slate Roof Replacement - is it realy a DIY job ? (by david shee on 23 May 2004, 24 replies)
Hello everyone, I'm about to embark on my biggest project ever. Replacing the slate roof on the front elevation of my house. Several houses in my street have had the slate roof replaced with a product called "everlast composite tiles". I have ... (more)

Gas tap position for gas hob? (by Steve North on 23 May 2004, 4 replies)
What are the current requirements for the position of a gas tap feeding a gas hob. As I understand it the current regs state that there must be a gas tap but does it have to be positioned next to the gas hob or can it be on the gas feed but in another room through which ... (more)

Re: OT what is that vibrating sensation you get when you lightly touch the metal on a mains appliance? (by Dave Plowman on 23 May 2004, no replies)
Check out Ebay for a spare battery. What type is it? Trouble is most measurements given these days assume a high impedance meter, so you might have a problem there. ... (more)

uPVC window as bespoke shower panel?! (by Lobster on 23 May 2004, 5 replies)
I'm fitting a new 760mm shower door to a 900mm-wide shower tray. For the remaining 140mm of width, I'd idealy like a glass panel but unfortunately the roof line passes down diagonally through this area, so the only realistic option is a customised panel; ie arm-and-leg job. I'd therefore ... (more)

Re: Underground services (by Stephen Dawson on 23 May 2004, 1 reply)
No utility will give you a difinitve answer. The best locating device is either a JCB or Metpost. I would dig out a hole and concrete it in. ... (more)

Leaking copper joint (by john on 23 May 2004, 5 replies)
Just completed CH and HW installation in a small flat. Unfortunitly there was one leak on a 22mm tee running on a wall at the back of the kitchen units. This was the one joint where I did not use a heat deflector cloth.. When I opened the joint the solder had not taken at ... (more)

Firing problem with Myson Velaire Vitesse oil boiler (by Tim Fairless on 23 May 2004, 1 reply)
Does anyone know the correct setting for the air damper on the Riello 40 G7X burner of a Myson Velaire Vitesse 60/80 burning 28 second oil? An 'engineer' - who fiddled about then admitted he did not really know what the fault was - moved the aperture and it has never worked ... (more)

SENSELESS SLAUGHTER The case against the cull. THe RSPB led ruddy duck cull. (by Dr Malcolm Ogilvie on 23 May 2004, 3 replies)
The RSPB were the ones who conned the country into thinking the extermination of the entire UK ruddy duck population was necessary. We were have been led up the garden path and it seems the RSPB, who slaughter millions of animals each year, can be dismissed as tabletop ... (more)

Re: OT what is that vibrating sensation you get when you lightly touch the metal on a mains appliance? (by dave @ stejonda on 23 May 2004, no replies)
It works fine - except that the high Ohms range doesn't work any more since the 15V battery it requires is no longer available. I still find it more satisfying to see a swinging needle rather just an LCD readout. ... (more)

Re: OT what is that vibrating sensation you get when you lightly touch the metal on a mains appliance? (by dave @ stejonda on 23 May 2004, no replies)
In message <2h1escF80t9kU1@uni-berlin.de>, Dave <nomail@hursley.ibm.com> writes Ok, that's the explanation then - thanks all. ... (more)

unvented H/w cylinder (by mike ring on 23 May 2004, 26 replies)
I asked a short while ago bout changing my H/W cylinder, and based on the reply, and having a think, I thought the way to make a _real_ difference is to ditch my phobia about not having 25 galls of water stored for a rainy day and go unvented. ... (more)

Which sealant for acrylic bath? (by Ian on 23 May 2004, 5 replies)
I am planning to replace the silicone sealant around the edge of my (acrylic) bath sometime in the next few days as it has started to lift in various places. I have learned my lesson and will be filling the bath ... (more)

Leaking pipe - advice please (by Terry Pinnell on 23 May 2004, 12 replies)
I just noticed a damp patch where the overflow pipe from toilet cistern goes through the wall - it became noticable presumably because I'd just added a fresh 'blue thingie'. Checking the cistern, I saw it was adjusted wrongly. Presumably the valve should close when the water ... (more)

Greenstar HE+ - Automatic Air Vent Open? (by Seri on 23 May 2004, 3 replies)
Hello all wise and knowledgeable ones (and all others too ;o) Yet another question regarding Worcester-Bosch Greenstar Boilers. I've been reading through the installers guides for my new boiler (HE 40+) ... (more)

Re: Misbehaving smoke alarms (by Pete C on 23 May 2004, no replies)
Hi, A lithium battery in a smoke alarm should be good for 5 to 10 years. Are they powered from the mains too or just connected together? ... (more)

Re: Yet another outdoor power Q (by keith dulwich on 23 May 2004, 1 reply)
Thanks, the smoke alarms do have battery back up, so moving them to a lighting circuit seems the best way. I'm surprised that the RCB can be at the end of the external cable - I naively assumed it neeed to be at the start in case of faults within the cable - butI suppose that's pretty rare! ... (more)

Electric Strimmer (by Richard on 23 May 2004, no replies)
I need to replace a fairly powerful electric strimmer. Having stripped down the cutter head and seen the extent of the wear in the shaft and bearing I think that a new machine is called for. The old strimmer is a Ryobi RET1000 so I am trying to find a replacement with at least the same, 1000W, power. ... (more)

Replacing service valve - going badly (by Ian Waddell on 23 May 2004, 1 reply)
OK, the mains is off and I've got the bottom bit off the service valve. However, the top nut is right under a 90 degree fitting (soldered not compression). ... (more)

Ultrasonic Parking Sensor (by Scott on 23 May 2004, 73 replies)
Any ideas how difficult this would be to fit to a car? What else would I need to buy? Ultrasonic Parking Sensor ... (more)

PVC Doors (by Ian Waddell on 23 May 2004, no replies)
Does anyone know a good source for fit-it-yourself PVC doors (front door)? Got the new service valve fitted fine now... and can water the garden again! ... (more)

frequent loss of pressure on combi boiler (by Martyn on 23 May 2004, 1 reply)
I have a 1.5 yr old Ariston combination boiler, for about a month now I have had to keep filling the system from the filling loop every day or two before the bolier will dispense hot water. This is annoying when you set it to come on in the morning and it doesn't because the ... (more)

Re: Cable Digitial TV cable (by Pete C on 23 May 2004, no replies)
Hi, Argos do a cable with 'F' connectors on each end AFIAK. ... (more)

Clean enamel bath (by Graham Wilson on 23 May 2004, 177 replies)
We are going to fit a new bathroom suite next year. However, in the meantime, I wanted to try and clean the bottom of our existing enamel bath. ... (more)

Re: OT what is that vibrating sensation you get when you lightly touch the metal on a mains appliance? (by dave @ stejonda on 23 May 2004, no replies)
trips here town ... (more)

Bloomin Heating (by Julian Ashcroft on 24 May 2004, 3 replies)
With the warm weather with us at last, I decided to turn the central heating off, so I switched the Danfoss TP5 Digital Thermostat to Frost only. This didn't make any difference and the heating kept on coming on. Next I turned the Danfoss Central Heating / Hot Water Controller off, so it should have ... (more)

Worktop worries... (by Bob on 24 May 2004, 12 replies)
I'm getting ready to tackle the last big job in my kitchen renovations - fitting laminate worktops. I'm hiring a jig and router for next weekend, and I'm fairly confident I can make a good job of it. I do still have a couple of questions that I'm sure ... (more)

Re: Fitting toilet pan over tiles. (by sam ende on 24 May 2004, 2 replies)
if you scratch off the glaze where you want to drill it shouldn't crack. technically :) sammi ... (more)

Re: floor joist size for 6m span (by Set Square on 24 May 2004, 1 reply)
I'm sure that some of the experts will quote chapter and verse from the loading tables - but 6 metres seems a hell of a span to do in one go. From the top of my head, I reckon you would need something with a vertical dimension considerably in excess of 200mm. ... (more)

Re: compression joints (by Set Square on 24 May 2004, no replies)
What units do you understand? If a torque were specified, it would be difficult to implement - because torque wrenches and open-ended spanners don't mix very readily. ... (more)

Re: New House Just Built - Pipes??? (by Lurch on 24 May 2004, 17 replies)
together this: Sound's like Marley Equator fittings. Have a google on them. ... (more)

Fitting extractor fan underneath lintel (by Ric on 24 May 2004, 3 replies)
Hi there, I am wanting to fit an extractor fan in the bathroom but the bathroom only has one exterior wall on which is a window with only about 2' of wall on ... (more)

Re: New houses - soil drains (by Lurch on 24 May 2004, no replies)
I think the main reason, going on the fact that they're on new houses, would be cost. If it is a few quid cheaper then the larger housebuilders will do it that way instead. ... (more)

Re: compression joints (by Dave Plowman on 24 May 2004, 2 replies)
With ordinary spanners - say about 1ft long, you'll not be able to tighten it too much. A lick of Fernox sealing compound wouldn't go amiss - although purists would be right in saying a well made compression fitting will work ok 'dry'. ... (more)

increase hot water pressure (by harry on 24 May 2004, 14 replies)
Hello, Does anyone know how you can increase hot water pressure without increasing the tank size or position or increasing the pipe size. I ... (more)

Fixing and sealing worktop edging (by Jon Nicoll on 24 May 2004, 3 replies)
Hi all I've been reading through the past informative postings in uk.d-i-y about fixing an edge strip to a (bathroom) worktop. ... (more)

How long does it take hot water to get from combi boiler to shower? (by DIY Novice on 24 May 2004, 7 replies)
I'm getting a new central heating system fitted, probably a Vaillant Turbomax 282 combi boiler. I wanted to put the boiler in a small utility room at the back of the house but my plumber suggested a better location would be to put it in the kitchen as it will take less ... (more)