***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 347 *****
In this thread you may ask any question for which you need help, advice, suggestions or whatever.
It does not need to be motoring related. In fact, in this thread it should not be.
No Questions About PCs. Please use the current "computer Related Questions" thread instead.
No politics
No Speeding, speed cameras, traffic calming
No arguments or slanging matches
Nothing which we think is not following the spirit of the thread
Nothing that risks the future of this site (please see the small print for details -
www.honestjohn.co.uk/credits/index.htm )
Any of the above will be deleted. If the thread becomes difficult to maintain it will simply be removed.
However, as has been said a couple of times, there is a wealth of knowledge in here, much of which is not motoring related, but most of which is useful.
This is Volume 346. Previous Volumes will not be deleted.
A list of previous volumes can be found:- HERE
PLEASE NOTE:
When posting a NEW question, please "Reply to" the first message in this thread, i.e. this one. This keeps each question in it's own separate segment and stops each new question from getting mixed up in amongst existing questions. Also please remember to change the subject header.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 22/02/2010 at 01:23
|
|
New telly sits on a shiny plastic plinth - came home from a weekend away, swirly dust - Wiped it off with one of those microfibre bits of cloth. Swirly dust back today - suspect it may be static electricity related - any ideas on how to cure it ??
|
Dangle a chain from it to the floor!? - read somewhere that you can rub the screen gently with a cut onion!
|
|
Screen's OK - just like my old one, never attracted any dust at all - just the plastic plinth and surround. Irritating thing.
|
|
PU,
try wiping the plinth with a damp cotton cloth and one or two drops of dishwasher rinse aid.
Wiping it with a dry man-made cloth is likely to make the static worse.
A gentle once-over with a real feather duster every now and again keeps the screen and plinth of our TV free of dust.
Kevin...
|
|
|
any ideas on how to cure it ??
More hoovering? :-)
|
|
More Hoovering ! Only just got the hang of the machine ! Thanks.
|
One of these?
tinyurl.com/c3sf79
|
BBD...I've got one of those, but it's nowhere near that shape or age...wonder where you get that model from ?
Ted
|
|
|
|
Wipe it with chicken fat. The dog'll keep the dust off.
;-)
Edit....Dave's idea is better.
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 08/02/2010 at 23:01
|
let the dust settle and then it wont "get no thicker after three years."
signed..quentin crisp
|
|
Having considered all the answers - sadly the pragmatic approach of anti-static spray is what's going to happen. Dave's plan is being worked on as a fallback.
|
If all else fails, do what I did - hang the TV on the wall. No plinth = no dust!
Terryb
|
|
PU. If you've started doing the dusting, then I think it's time to find yourself a new hobby. ;>)
|
|
Sadly no-one else to do it unless I tie a feather duster to the tail of the dog. These days I do my own hoovering, washing etc etc. Wish it was different :-0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A friend has recently moved into a stone floored cottage. there is no damp but she wants to 'seal' the floor because it should make cleaning easier, and provide a sheen.
Any recommendations as to what product is best please?
Many thanks
|
|
Depends on what the stone is. I'd be inclined to use linseed, or even cooking oil. However, it might not need any sealing, and it might even be wrong to try. More info. required.
|
Go to a QUALITY tile outlet where the professionals go, not B & ? etc. There are soooo many products on the market. Not overly cheap, but go for miles.
MD
|
|
Thank you. I shall direct her to my normal tile outlet for their advice.
|
Sealing stone floors in old buildings can create damp problems as it can drive the moisture that was coming up throug the floor into the air towards the walls and create rising damp.
I would recommend that she posts her query on the forum at periodproperty.co.uk where there are a lot of knowledgable folk on this subject. (The question of damp and breathability on there is a bit like 4x4s and snow on here!)
|
|
|
|
Following on from JBIF's link:
www.r-e-a.net/info/rea-news/details-of-feed-in-tar.../
What an opportunity for fraud. Buy in electricity at 5p a unit off peak, and "pretend" it has come from your PV cells/wind turbine so be paid 40p for it.
|
ace-----
how do i sign up?
:-)
|
|
|
What an opportunity for fraud. >>
The only thing that I can think of that came near to this kind of subsidy was the EU “Set-aside” farm subsidy, where people got paid for NOT doing something. In this case, consumers will get paid for NOT importing their power from the grid.
This scheme is going to many unintended consequences that the Government has not even begun to imagine. The scheme will mean that the rich will install these "renewable generators" and be paid handsomely for using their own electricity. The costs will be borne by the poor who cannot afford to install their own generators, and/or those whose homes are physically unsuitable for installing these devices. On top of the payment to these home generators, there will be a huge bureaucracy and team of inspectors needed for the administration of the scheme. All those costs will be passed down to anyone who buys electricity from the grid.
I shan't be surprised if the scheme gets dropped shortly after the election is over (Brown announced a U-turn in December 2005 after he realised that his plans to allow residential property being used as part of a Self Invested Personal Pensions were fatally flawed).
I have an idea - just loop a feed from an outlet inside your house back to the input from the generator to your house. Perpetual energy!
Edited by jbif on 09/02/2010 at 11:32
|
A number of schools in this county have installed large arrays of solar cells for electricity generation.
The installation costs were completely covered by government grant and lottery funding.
A member of staff of one of these schools showed me inside the room that houses the control gear (the hottest room on the premises!). I asked what the various displays were indicating. They replied they didn't know nor did they know anyone who did! I asked what would happen if anything went wrong and would they know if the cells stopped generating.
Guess the answer!
|
What an opportunity for fraud. Buy in electricity at 5p a unit off peak, and "pretend" it has come from your PV cells/wind turbine so be paid 40p for it.
The government knows very well that fraud is possible. So we can assume that it will be creating several new jobs for Renewable Energy Inspectors. A brilliant way to create more tax-payer funded state-sector jobs that we didn't know that we needed 10 years ago.
;-)
Edited by tyro on 09/02/2010 at 13:13
|
I've been doing quite a bit of homework on this over the past few days. In fact it was to be the subject of my next IHAQ.
There was a grant available until last Wed of £2500 towards installation costs. Once they fixed the feed-in price the other grant was removed (you actually could have had both with good timing).
There isn't a great scope for fraud. A reasonably large domestic system (£15k +) in the UK would generate somewhere around £1k p.a. worth of sellable electricity max. This seems to usually be done by assigning your ROC (Renewable Obligation Certificate) to a generating company, who usually pay around 40p per Kwh for all electricity generated (which is tax free), including that you use yourself. The amount you sell is usually measured on a two way meter, but some don't yet. Obviously you don't pay the electricity company for the units you generate, so there is a saving there which they estimate at about £140 pa.
Depending on how you see inflation, and electricity prices, and power stability, going in the future really determines whether it's for you. I'm dithering. £15k is a lot of dish and I reckon the system might pay for itself in 12 years. The panels are expected to have a 25 year life, but the transformer will require replacing in that time. And of course you are £15k down.
Now, solar water heating sounds altogether more interesting, but that's another topic...
|
|
|
|
|
Hi, I have a docking station for the Ipod which doesn't see much use and would like to get a DAB adaptor, ideally one which I could plug my Ipod into as well (ie it would sit between Ipod and dock) Googling reveals the iDAB but apparently it doesn't work with Bose docks.
Can't seem to find any alternatives - anyone know of something?
Thanks
|
Bump....Is AE still sulking/banned? I was hoping he might have replied to this one.
AE if you're lurking, come on. If you're banned, come on mods, have a heart for the old boy(!)
{Re: AE - he hasn't been banned}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 10/02/2010 at 13:32
|
AE is niether banned (hasnt even had a yellow card) or sulking (much!)
Dab adaptor for a bose docking station? nope not seen one either. The idea hadnt occured to me, but your right it seems to be a distinct hole in the market for this, a dab radio with an ipod socket at the bottom would be a good idea
|
|
There are plenty of DAB radios with ipod docks on them - John Lewis sell them. Roberts and Pure to name but two.
|
There are plenty of DAB radios with ipod docks on them - John Lewis sell them. Roberts and Pure to name but two.
The Roberts one I know of is the MP 43. I've got its predecessor the MP 23 (pretty much the same minus an ipod dock I think) and can vouch for its excellent sound quality for such a compact unit. Probably not answring your question though!
|
|
|
|
Thanks but it's a DAB adaptor for an existing docking station I'm after
|
|
I've had a trawl round but can't find anything
|
|
|
|
The device I meant is like an adaptor that slots in the bottom of your IPOD. So it has an adaptor for the IPOD - and - one at the bottom for an IPOD dock.
|
Thanks Stuartli, I had found the iDab but apparently it doesn't work with the Bose sound dock. The Roberts gizmo looks like it does job, will check out compatability with Bose
|
Back before Xmas I was in the marked to buy a docking station, and in true Bobby style, I am still doing my research!
Had settled on the Bose portable at £350 but what put me off was
a. lack of radio
b. Is the sound really £200 better than some of the docking stations available at the £150 mark that also incorporated radios. And would my tone-deaf ears be able to spot the difference?
I held off hoping the Bose would come down in price in Jan sale or whatever but no such luck. I am in no great rush for it (obviously) but I think I will end up going down the cheaper route. Many of the cheaper ones have radios, some are portable and some seem to have better remotes with more options on them.
I had thought of just connecting a radio, or even my phone radio via the mp3 aux socket that some Bose come with as and when I wanted a radio - obviously if it needs to be DAB then thats not an option?
|
b. Is the sound really £200 better than some of the docking stations available at the £150 mark that also incorporated radios.
Yes it really is. I wandered into John Lewis with Nicole and saw one there on demo and slipped the Iphone into it and selected some ELO to play. The sound blew me away (as well as people three isles away in the bedding department) Go and demo it! - they look wimpy and harmless but they really sound good.
Edited by Altea Ego on 11/02/2010 at 14:01
|
AE, my friend has the original £200 Bose and that was what put it in my mind as the sound from it is great. But me being me wanted better, and portable, thus the £350 version.
But would need to try a side by side comparison in JL to see if my ears can notice the difference. Was it a Mr Blue Sky by chance or was the clue in your last sentence, Horace?
|
I'm a BOSE fan - despite some audiophiles saying it stands for Buy Other Sound Equipment - and can vouch for the excellent sound quality for the size of the unit.
What you will notice with the smaller Bose systems is how few things you can fiddle with. Once it's on all you can do is use a volume control. No bass, no treble, no balance and you think this is will be a problem. It won't be. Everything is factory set.
'The Wheels on the Bus' has never sounded so good - yes even my three old has mastered the system!
|
>>slipped the Iphone into it and selected some ELO to play.<<
I think I'm right in thinking that Nicole is your daughter. In which case was there a Nicole shaped hole in the nearest door just after?
|
Nicole is the clio driving wife.
"across the border" was the chosen track
And I saw the ELO "out of the blue" tour at wembley, complete with space ship in 197something
|
selected some ELO to play
Quality. Music from my childhood, and saw them live a couple of times in the last 5 years or so with bass player Kelly Groucutt at the helm; excellent. Very sad when he passed away last year.
|
...Quality. Music...
Cough, splutter...and you a musician as well, Focus. :)
ELO motoring link: Used to see the band driving a Triumph Dolomite around west London in the early 1980s.
Well, it had the reg ELO 2 and three or four big hairy blokes in it, so I'm pretty sure it was Jeff Lynne and his mates.
|
|
ELO driving round together in a Dolomite, sounds like a sketch in Little Britain or Reeves and Mortimer
|
A Triumph I would have thought....
|
|
|
|
|
To overcome the difficulty caused by the fact our bathroom is 1200 mm longer than the bath I'd like to construct a made-to-measure T-shaped shower curtain rail. Does any company/retailer sell chromium plated parts suitable for this purpose?
I want to avoid anything which entails having a support attached to the ceiling because I don't know the position of the joists and I don't want to drill exploratory holes in our beautifully artexed ceiling.
|
|
Those joist detectors are pretty good. Maybe see if you can borrow one from a mate but they are not too pricey.
|
|
|
Any decent plumbers merchant will sell chromium tube and fixings. It's often used for surface mounted water pipes which will be on show - aftermarket electric showers being one example.
|
|
|
|
|
How many calories does it take to raise the temperature of a litre of water from 4c to body temperature?
|
Calorie: "a unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree at one atmosphere pressure"
1 litre = 1kg approx
body temp = 37
so 37 - 4 = 33 calories approx?
Note IIRC food packaging usually show kilo-calories eg. Mars bar = 250 kilo-calories approx.
Edited by Focus {P} on 10/02/2010 at 10:03
|
Probably a more appealing way to look at it for you gentlemen, is every time you have sex you can eat a Mars bar free:)
Pat
|
>>> you can eat a Mars bar free <<<
"Un Mars, et ça repart" ;-)
|
|
|
|
At a pressure of 1 atmosphere, 33,000.
|
At a pressure of 1 atmosphere 33 000.
Perhaps the calorie definition I gave was for a kilocalorie.
|
|
|
Focus has mixed up his calories and Calories.
A "Calorie" is a kilocarlorie.
A calorie will raise one gram of water by 1 degree C; a Calorie will raise one kilo by 1 degree.
|
Focus has mixed up his calories and Calories. >>
But then what about the original question quoting "4c"?
What is "4c" ?
|
What is "4c" ?
I assumed 4 degrees Centigrade. OP is trying to lose weight by drinking cold water :-)
|
|
Beer is mostly water isn't it? Thought I might to switch to lager to save a few calories!
|
...what is 4 deg C?....
Four degrees C, - or just under - is a very interesting temperature for water for the physicists among us:
www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03335.htm
Quoting: "Liquid water has its maximum density at 3.98 degrees C, and expands for BOTH hotter and colder!
"At exactly 3.98 degrees C, the thermal expansion coefficient of water is actually
zero."
I learned something about this at school, and I didn't understand it fully then, either.
|
|
|
|
4 degrees Centigrade. >>
Celsius.
4 degrees Celsius = 4°C
4c = meaningless
All in my opinion, of course. I am not an expert at anything, especially if it is technical stuff.
Edited by jbif on 10/02/2010 at 11:38
|
4c = meaningless
Perhaps, but In the context of the question I thought it was pretty obvious. A bit like speeling misteaks in posts - it's usually clear what was intended.
|
it's usually clear what was intended. >>
It seems to me that my post at Wed 10 Feb 10 10:55 is one where it was unusually unclear as to what was intended. ;-)
Ah well, calories or Calories, 4c or 4ºC, same difference, innit?
Edited by jbif on 10/02/2010 at 11:48
|
How did you get the "degrees" symbol to appear?
JH
|
Ah, thanks Spam. More trouble than it's worth really! :-)
JH
|
4°C........Alt248 works on my keyboard.
I didn't know but found this site as a first hit on Google.
tools.oratory.com/altcodes.html
|
Ah thanks Spam. More trouble than it's worth really! :-) JH
yeah, at work I generally used 'deg' rather than the symbol in case it was misinterpreted by someone else's computer in another country.
|
How did you get the "degrees" symbol to appear?
I get it from Character Map, which is available in Windows XP, thus ............
Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Character Map
I created another shortcut for Character Map and dragged it onto my Desktop.
Edited by L'escargot on 10/02/2010 at 15:16
|
|
|
>>4c = meaningless<<
Except that you understood exactly what I meant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We recently discovered that our 10 year old extension doesn't have its final completion certificate. Extension is conversion of half of double garage into reception room, and we added another half a garage to retain the double garage.
Problem is fire safety - the new room wall put up in what was the middle of the original garage doesn't extend to the garage roof:
s969.photobucket.com/albums/ae173/focushj/roof/
Pictures taken from garage side; new room is behind white wall, which you can see doesn't go up to the roof.
Council chap said that we must board up the gap between wall and roof to meet the half hour fire rule.
Anyone know roughly how much it is going to cost to get this done? I know we can just get some builders(?) round for quotes, but it would be nice to get a rough idea from one of the BR experts.
Cheers
F
|
|
DIY it using plasterboard. You may need to board on each side of the supporting structure of timber. You may need to use two layers of plasterboard, or even "Fireline" board, which has glass fibres in the mix.
|
|
|
|
Are the existing walls plasterboard or block? I can't really tell. As a minimum I'd agree that fire resistant plasterboard up to the rafters would probably be sufficient.
|
Are the existing walls plasterboard or block?
Pretty sure they're plasterboard, but I'll check this evening.
|
I think you may need a new wall to be 75 x 50 studs at 600 crs both horizontally and vertically, with two layers of 12.5mm plasterboard both sides with staggered joints.
No idea of cost and not an expert.
Clk Sec
|
I've just been in touch with the building control surveyor who came round previously, which I guess I should have done earlier - apologies.
Anyway, he says the approved plan states '100 x 50mm timber stud partition with Rockwool in-between and 12.5mm plasterboard both sides'. I asked if it would be best to stick to this, and he replied that I can change the spec, but it has to 'meet both fire and thermal criteria'.
I'm no DIY expert, and I suspect it's a job for someone who has at least some idea of what they're doing.
|
|
I would think a carpenter/joiner would sort that out for you.
|
I would think a carpenter/joiner would sort that out for you.
Thanks - I'll get some people round to give quotes.
|
|
|
A day's work, maybe 2, to frame that out and board it - if you're not worried about plastering it. Easy DIY if you're half way competent. Cost Under £1k I'd have thought, even if you have to pay the labour. You will probably need to get the building inspector round to inspect the boarding on the back side, and the insulation before closing it up - one thing that comes to mind is have you got any other access to the roof space above the new room, other than from the garage - otherwise closing it up is going to be interesting.... As noted, I think you need 2 layers of PB to meet the fire regs.
|
Easy DIY if you're half way competent.
And if you're not? :-)
Cost Under £1k I'd have thought even if you have to pay the labour.
I was hoping it was going to be a lot under £1k. Oh well.
one thing that comes to mind is have you got any other access to the roof space above the new room other than from the garage
No - I guess we just need to leave some sort of removable section; hopefully the man will have some (cheap) ideas. Assuming we leave some form of access, the inspector would be able to use it and only come round once. When he came round the first time he didn't seem too bothered about fine detail.
|
>>I was hoping it was going to be a lot under £1k. Oh well.
I know that good chippies don't come cheap, but I'd be looking for a lot less than £1000.
|
|
You don't need a "chippie", it's a very simple job that'll take less than a day and cost a few hundred at most including materials.
|
Agree.
I'd do exactly as that spec requires - if you deviate you may find that building regs have changed since permission was granted and you now need better insulation or fire protection.
The timber and 12.5mm plasterboard is available from any builders merchant, all the ones round us will deliver free. Your only issue will be handling it (2400x1200 sheets are a handfull)- so maybe buy small sheets or get a mate to help. I'd use wallboard screws and a powerdriver rather than nails for fixing the plasterboard.
|
Sorry, £1k was a number I just dreamed up that would cover it.... I was working on 2 days labour, say £400, plus £200 for materials (timber seems to pretty dear these days, and PB is £7 a sheet or something). Interestingly the Scottish regs imply that a single layer of 12mm PB is enough to meet the 'short' fire resistance required, and that in the situation you are looking at the ceiling in the room is enough to meet the regs, which someone mentioned above. May be worth tracking down the English regs and having a read, then another discussion with the building inspector. Where's Martin Devon when you need him???
|
|
|
I am not a builder but here are a few thoughts.
1. I assume the new fire wall is to prevent fire in the garage getting to the new room. Would it be possible to comply with the regs by fireproofing the new room ceiling above the joists. This would maintain your storage space.
2. What are the "thermal criteria" when I assume both sides of the new wall are unheated?
3. Any door/hatch in the new wall will need to meet fire regs and need to be carefully detailed. You may need intumescent seals here as well as intumescent foam around the wall/roof joint.
4. I would suggest using a general builder and make him responsible for liaising with Building Control. A carpenter might do a neater job but will probably have less experience of Building Control.
5. If the BC surveyor isn't too concerned and just wants it to the approved plan to cover himself I would expect you could get it done for under £500.
|
|
|
|
|
|
We are looking at a house tomorrow. The gable end has for some reason has been rendered and at this point we don't know why. It could have been to hide something or just a silly decision.
The house will be a bit of a project to update it anyway. Just wondered about the rendered wall. Could it ever be safely removed to leave the bricks exposes again - I suspect this could damage the surface of the bricks.
Thanks
|
Where is the render? All over the G.E., or just in the apex? If it's just the apex, and the house is oldish, it could be just render on lath, and that's your "wall" (it will be brick below, though) - you'd see this from inside.
It could hide anything, but you should get clues about whether things are OK from looking at the inside, and examining the render on the outside.
It could also have been rendered as a damp proofing mechanism.
It might be possible to remove the render, but it depends on what/why in various ways.
|
It is the whole gable end. And it's probably there hiding something - the other houses on the street are not rendered. I suspect it was for damp proofing instead of repointing. I realise when the render cracks and lets in water behind it, damp will again be a problem.
I'll know more after looking at the house - it would be a bit of a project.
|
Cement or lime render.
Investigate and pose your question at periodproperty.co.uk they love talking about render there!
|
|
As an aside, has Evelyn been kicked off? I'm seeing her haranguing people on a couple of other forums and did wonder?
|
|
Without wishing to drift this thread, who is Evelyn?
|
|
I'll email you, to prevent drift/personal debates etc.
|
|
|
|
|
Looks like cement and some of the paint is peeling off. Walls inside did not look damp when we saw it. I don't think removing the render would be an option as it would damage the face of the bricks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ok complete non-gardener here ! I need 2 bushes to fill a has between my conifer trees and my house - basically an extra screen that extends above the fence. I believe it is a bad idea to plant trees near your foundation so any recommendations ? Quick growing and pretty bushy !
|
Choisya Ternata? Evergreen (cheery in winter), good attractive flowers, pretty tolerant of shade, moderately quick growing, fence height or a bit higher...
There are other choisyas with similar characteristics. Google "Mexican Orange Blossom".
Edited by Dipstick on 11/02/2010 at 16:36
|
I'd go with Dipstick on Choisya. We've had them for years. Rub a leaf between your fingers and smell the fragrance. Easily sculpted to shape with shears, I keep ours neatly ' ball ' shaped. They don't seem to mind a bit.
I have some sort of Laurel which is also evergreen and grows pretty quickly. I keep it around 6' high. Plenty of leaves but no floweres.
Ted
|
|
|
|
This is a fast growing hedging plant ~
www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Portuguese_Laurel_...l
|
Choisya ternata
Nice shrub, but if you go for it, I hope you have better luck with yours than we have had with ours. It is anything but quick growing. This could be either because we got a poor specimen or because we live near the sea and it doesn't care for salt spray. Other shrubs that I have planted have done a lot better.
|
|
|
|
|
