Kitchen Refurb

[Stanley]

I thought about you and Col this morning. It was a cool night and the low CH heat is very welcome. Hope Col came up trumps!

[Wendyf]

The heating was up and running last night after a couple of false starts. The burner needed some attention, and then a joint started to leak once it warmed up meaning the system had to be drained again. Unfortunately the hot water tank in the en-suite bathroom didn't heat up, so he needs to have a re-think. Every room in the house is disrupted....I'm looking forward to it being sorted!

[Stanley]

Give the man my best!

[Wendyf]

He has realised what the problem is....took much resistance in the pipe, so the water is taking the easy, shorter route to the other bathroom. He needs another valve to shut that route off.

[plaques]

This type of preferred thermal cycling is always a problem. It just so happens that I have a couple of motorized valves and their motors in my garage which I retrieved from my last CH update. If they are any use they are yours. If you want to wait until Col has tried a simpler method that's Ok they are going nowhere.

[Wendyf]

Thanks Plaques, I'll pass that on.

[Stanley]

Would you believe I gave my valves and cocks to the lads when they visited! He'll sort it. One good thing is that a balancing problem like that is a stable parameter and once he gets the restriction right in the offending line it should not need any further adjustment other than a tweak as you use the system.

[Wendyf]

Col has quite an assortment of pumps & valves in his stores, but thanks for the offers. I got back late from a lovely day out yesterday to find an exhausted husband. He had put a valve in the other pipe run but it didn't make a scrap of difference. In despair he decided to try a different pump ...in reverse? I don't know, I probably tell you all sorts of nonsense...he gets very irritated by my questions! Whatever, the different pump cleared some massive air locks and the tank heated up in 10 minutes. He has drained it all down again this morning to test it again. Fingers crossed!

[Stanley]

Good! That makes sense, air locks can be very unpredictable and a bugger to identify. Hope he has a successful test. Tell him I am with him in spirit, I have been there on a bigger scale.....

[Wendyf]

All sorted with a new pump installed, the system is working much more efficiently than before. It will take a few days to put the house back together and clear up, then back to the kitchen!

[Stanley]

Wonderful! Don't press Col too hard on the finishing touches, plenty of time for them when he has slacked off a bit. The poor bugger must be knackered!

[Wendyf]

I never press him......he just thinks that I do!

[Stanley]

I have a pressie for him when you call in this morning......

[Wendyf]

A peep into the working heart of the house....electrics still to complete.

[Stanley]

Tidy pipework......

[Stanley]

How is he doing Wendy?

[Wendyf]

The electrical side of things took a while to sort out...a few days of "why has the heating come on now?" and "why is that pump running, it shouldn't be on!" He still isn't completely satisfied but has promised to put the house back together and get on with the kitchen. Lots of pipe lagging and cable tidying going on before the floorboards on the landing go back down.

[Big Kev]

I'm still adding to the decor 2 years after my kitchen refurb, this might not be to everyone's taste but I like that it's recycled

[Wendyf]

Very good Kev! I see that speakers play an important role in your kitchen too...ours will be built in this time.

[Big Kev]

Very good Kev! I see that speakers play an important role in your kitchen too...ours will be built in this time.

Thank you, Wendy. The whole house is 'wired for sound'.

[Stanley]

Kev.... You've excited my interest here. As my hearing deteriorates (or is it the quality of the sound my old equipment turns out) I get more and more dissatisfied with the present arrangements. Can what you describe be done wirelessly?

[Big Kev]

Kev.... You've excited my interest here. As my hearing deteriorates (or is it the quality of the sound my old equipment turns out) I get more and more dissatisfied with the present arrangements. Can what you describe be done wirelessly?

It is predominantly wireless, you can buy individual wireless speakers and control the lot from either a dedicated controller or an application you download to your PC/phone/laptop.

Have a look here Sonos

Garlick's are a supplier...

[PanBiker]

My daughter has a Sonos system at their house. Small CD and radio deck downstairs, remote speakers, MP3 tracks on NAS storage and all the lot controlled from an IPad or an app on their smartphones, works very well.

[Big Kev]

My daughter has a Sonos system at their house. Small CD and radio deck downstairs, remote speakers, MP3 tracks on NAS storage and all the lot controlled from an IPad or an app on their smartphones, works very well.

I have the Sonos 'Bridge' which is wired to the router and I stream everything. I have room for up to 50,000 songs on Google Play Music (for free) and have the Controller configured for radio stations and Soundcloud as well. All seems to work well now Openreach have removed the sticky taped joint (somewhere out in the back street) and replaced the wires...

[Stanley]

Thanks for that. I have bookmarked the site.....