Eco Houses

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Lets put it this way - before the condensing tumble dryer I would have to clean and descale her steam iron monthly and replace it after about 3 years (in East Sussex/Kent a lot of our water comes from the chalk, so is hard). Since the condensing tumble dryer and using the condensed water I clean her steam iron about once pa and have not replaced it in about 15 years! I rest my case!!

If you'd like to collect the bits for the rack, you're welcome to them - 8 miles from J10 M20 towards Tenterden.

Or install a water softener ... operates on the whole system apart from the sink taps.
 
Lets put it this way - before the condensing tumble dryer I would have to clean and descale her steam iron monthly and replace it after about 3 years (in East Sussex/Kent a lot of our water comes from the chalk, so is hard). Since the condensing tumble dryer and using the condensed water I clean her steam iron about once pa and have not replaced it in about 15 years! I rest my case!!
That’s weird.
We’ve got 377ppm and our iron was a wedding present from 2003. It still works perfectly.
 
It's been a nice (if a little chilly) day in Norfolk today and for the first time this year our solar panel energy output has exceeded our consumption.
Given that we are still only a few weeks from the shortest day, this looks promising as the year progresses.
Roll on summer, for so many reasons:cool:
 
It's been a nice (if a little chilly) day in Norfolk today and for the first time this year our solar panel energy output has exceeded our consumption.
Given that we are still only a few weeks from the shortest day, this looks promising as the year progresses.
Roll on summer, for so many reasons:cool:

There's more sunshine pa in Norfolk and Aberdeen than anywhere else in England and Scotland respectively.

You'll be coining it in. Before you know it you'll be able to buy a turnip field and a small tractor. You'll have finally arrived.
 
There's more sunshine pa in Norfolk and Aberdeen than anywhere else in England and Scotland respectively.

You'll be coining it in. Before you know it you'll be able to buy a turnip field and a small tractor. You'll have finally arrived.
The more sunshine thing was brought into stark relief by moving form the NW. We have just about 35% of the rainfall here now.
Didn't really notice it much whilst working, but now we are at home every day, it's much appreciated.
You so wrong about the small tractor! It was sold just before moving here, having been sitting unused for the previous 6 years......
 
The more sunshine thing was brought into stark relief by moving form the NW. We have just about 35% of the rainfall here now.
Didn't really notice it much whilst working, but now we are at home every day, it's much appreciated.
You so wrong about the small tractor! It was sold just before moving here, having been sitting unused for the previous 6 years......

When I lived in Edinburgh, the difference between the East coast and West was really noticeble. I had a load of mates in Dumfries and Gallow and used to often barrel down the A701 down past the Devils Beeftub and onto Castle Douglas.

I'd often leave a clear (but cold) Edinburgh and arrive in a much warmer but wetter CD. Same in reverse.
 
Another unintended consequence of moving back to Norfolk other than having an eco house, is that it is on the edge of the village with line of sight views across (a predictably flat landscape) to Tacolneston Hall.
Early last century it was the home of famous 'Bentley Boy' Sir Henry 'Tim' Birkin. So I shouldn't really have been surprised to find that just around the corner from me is:
IMG_0795.JPG

Which is rather apt given my involvement with Bentley and Le Mans!
Pub quiz question: What year did Bentley first win Le Mans with a forced induction car? :dk:
 
Mactech - I noticed that from your original post that you are probably missing an essential bit of tech kit. This bit of tech kit is an easy after fit assuming you have a suitable location. It works in conjunction with your "whole house air vent heat recovery system" and needs to be installed in a room with an extraction vent. We have ours in our utility room.
Ours is 7 bar and 2.10m long - Kitchen Maid
Hang a load of washing straight out of the washing machine & about 12 hours later it is dry - tumble dryer is obsolete.

We built a pretty large utility room to fit lots of kit in including one of them.

Towels and bed linen go in the drier, everything else goes on that.

The room's got UFH plus the boiler, water cylinder and heating manifolds are all in there.

The hanger dries stuff really quickly and really well.
 
Pub quiz question: What year did Bentley first win Le Mans with a forced induction car?
1928?

In “the fastest upholstered lorry in the world”?
 
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Lets put it this way - before the condensing tumble dryer I would have to clean and descale her steam iron monthly and replace it after about 3 years (in East Sussex/Kent a lot of our water comes from the chalk, so is hard). Since the condensing tumble dryer and using the condensed water I clean her steam iron about once pa and have not replaced it in about 15 years! I rest my case!!

If you'd like to collect the bits for the rack, you're welcome to them - 8 miles from J10 M20 towards Tenterden.
My Quooker was playing up so I had it serviced the other day. A vast amount of gunge came out of it (god know how much space was actually left for water) and they also replaced the heater element & temp sensor (FOC, which was appreciated).

They also reminded me to make sure I get it serviced every 18 months (I'd left it 2 and a half years) as, in London, you need to for that reason.

That reminded me that my ice machine was also faulty - I had a look and right enough the 2 x low water sensors were all furred up. Quick clean and it's back to normal.

The water here is terrible......
 
1928?

In “the fastest upholstered lorry in the world”?
It was a little later... Who would have thought that the person who made famous 'fastest lorry' remark would have his company and Bentley owned by the same group?
 
My Quooker was playing up so I had it serviced the other day. A vast amount of gunge came out of it (god know how much space was actually left for water) and they also replaced the heater element & temp sensor (FOC, which was appreciated).

They also reminded me to make sure I get it serviced every 18 months (I'd left it 2 and a half years) as, in London, you need to for that reason.

That reminded me that my ice machine was also faulty - I had a look and right enough the 2 x low water sensors were all furred up. Quick clean and it's back to normal.

The water here is terrible......
Water in Norfolk is 'well 'ard'.......which is why the house has a water softener. It eats more salt than is healthy for a whole army of humans!
 
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Who would have thought that the person who made famous 'fastest lorry' remark would have his company and Bentley owned by the same group?
Ironic, indeed.

Have you ever visited the museum in Mulhouse? Last time I was there they had an exhibition of Bugatti's race engines from the 1920's and 1930's with accompanying soundtracks of them being run. I don't remember which particular engine it was, but one of them screamed at (from memory) 13,500rpm. Astonishing when everyone else was running at <6,000rpm.
 
Actually, after a bit of research, I believe the 1928 win was in a NA 4 and a 1/2 litre, so was it 2003?
Yes, it's a popular misconception that all Bentley wins 'back in the day' were in Blower Bentleys. Truth is whilst they may have been good at forcing the pace, they were all actually won by NA cars until 2003.
 
Ironic, indeed.

Have you ever visited the museum in Mulhouse? Last time I was there they had an exhibition of Bugatti's race engines from the 1920's and 1930's with accompanying soundtracks of them being run. I don't remember which particular engine it was, but one of them screamed at (from memory) 13,500rpm. Astonishing when everyone else was running at <6,000rpm.
I really must return to France with a more social agenda when we are allowed. I've spent a lot of time there, but mainly at race circuits.
 
Water in Norfolk is 'well 'ard'.......which is why the house has a water softener. It eats more salt than is healthy for a whole army of humans!

My FIL had one in his last place in Oxon and he used to get through a lot.

We debated getting one for this place but for some reason or another didn't do it.

It wouldn't have helped for the Quooker, anyway.

More to the point (eco houses) this place was refitted on the ground and 1st floors to minimum building regs and by Christ can I feel it at the moment. The ceramic splashback in the kitchen is icy to the touch - unlike our previous 30's detached house there's no cavity wall insulation.

Also, lots of drafts around the kickplates in the kitchen & utility where the builders haven't sealed the brickwork round the pipes properly - once it warms up a bit I'm going to fill the gaps with some expanding foam.

This is what I mean about the UK vs Germany - we're so shoddy about this sort of thing.

I buy a 1.2 Fiat 500 to do the right thing driving round town but my house is the equivalent of a top fuel dragster.
 
My FIL had one in his last place in Oxon and he used to get through a lot.

We debated getting one for this place but for some reason or another didn't do it.

It wouldn't have helped for the Quooker, anyway.

More to the point (eco houses) this place was refitted on the ground and 1st floors to minimum building regs and by Christ can I feel it at the moment. The ceramic splashback in the kitchen is icy to the touch - unlike our previous 30's detached house there's no cavity wall insulation.

Also, lots of drafts around the kickplates in the kitchen & utility where the builders haven't sealed the brickwork round the pipes properly - once it warms up a bit I'm going to fill the gaps with some expanding foam.

This is what I mean about the UK vs Germany - we're so shoddy about this sort of thing.

I buy a 1.2 Fiat 500 to do the right thing driving round town but my house is the equivalent of a top fuel dragster.
Yes, I was lucky that the guy who built this house was building it for himself and was living just a few meters away during the build, as it was built in the grounds of what is now next door. Every detail was agonised over and he was on site to see it was done correctly. It has complex systems but it all works.
I can only take credit for paying the money and moving in.
It wouldn't surprise you to find he was driving a BMW i3 which he charged here for free....and it fitted in the garage....
 
More to the point (eco houses) this place was refitted on the ground and 1st floors to minimum building regs and by Christ can I feel it at the moment. The ceramic splashback in the kitchen is icy to the touch - unlike our previous 30's detached house there's no cavity wall insulation.

Also, lots of drafts around the kickplates in the kitchen & utility where the builders haven't sealed the brickwork round the pipes properly - once it warms up a bit I'm going to fill the gaps with some expanding foam.

This is what I mean about the UK vs Germany - we're so shoddy about this sort of thing.
It's really important to look at the building fabric first. The two we are currently building we are making as air tight as possible with vapour barriers. They are relatively low value buildings so we are not fitting MHRV but sticking with individual extractor fans in kitchens & bathrooms and all windows have to have trickle vents. Makes you wonder if we would be better deleting the fans & trickle vents and deleting the vapour barrier:doh:
 

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