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In My Home MoneySaving sticky
Please be aware of the MSE Forum rules, notably that you mustn't post personal information. Take extra care when uploading photos and make sure that they don't contain personally identifiable information. 🏠 Here are some Forum threads you might find useful: * Please ensure your electrics are up to date * Find Instruction…
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Failed window units. Who pays for labour?
Hi all. My daughter had triple glazed windows (new frames and glazing) fitted about 2 years ago. The frames and glazed units were supplied by a window company. Her dad is a fitter and removed the old units and fitted the new ones. The window company make the frames and they use a different company for the glass but both…
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Combi boiler costing more than previous system boiler.
In January we swapped our system boiler for a combi having been advised it would save us money. Compared to the same months in 2023 we are using significantly more gas and electricity so much so Octopus is increasing our DD. We can’t lower the water temperature to reduce costs as, for a comfortable temperature, it’s set at…
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Devastated: Hot water cylinder flooding house any day now and no money for replacement
My hot water cylinder has started to fail (very rusted and leaking from the bottom). A plumber has had us turn off hot water etc. because it is likely to completely fail any day. We don't have any money to pay for a new one because I'm unable to work due to a neurological disability. I am on full PIP, my wife is my…
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Electric costs
Hi folks, I recently hired an electric company to change a fuseboard/consumer unit in my house. Ever since they completed the work, my lights have been tripping once or twice per day. It seems to occur when I press the light switch in the kitchen and oddly, it only seems to trip after 9pm. Having communicated it to them,…
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Displaying ignorance again: replacing bit of outside downpipe
Hi all. After living in my (rather ramshackle) Edwardian terrace since September, my attention is now turning to the outside. A plumber visited yesterday, and in passing he said that I could do with putting a longer bit of pipe on front and back downpipes, since the water from the shoe end thing will overshoot and bounces…
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Expecting a massive price uplift - radiator install
A few weeks ago I had a local heating engineer quote me a price to install a new radiator onto the existing system (not replacement - new install). Said it would be less expensive if I sourced the parts myself and he wrote out a list of exactly what was needed. The list included a freeze kit as he stated that the job…
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Embarrassed/ashamed of my council flat that needs cleaning
(where do i start lol) Hi, I live in a disabled council flat, im disabled but not quite disabled enough for a carer. My flat has barely ever been cleaned in the ten years I've been here and I need it cleaned, especially the dust as i have asthma. I have had two cleaning companies come round to assess what needs doing but…
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Where should you put a smart thermostat in a home with TRVs (non motorised)
Evening all. I am currently looking at upgrading my central heating, for this winter, with a Hive Smart thermostat and also some TRVs. I would be grateful for your thoughts on where to place the thermostat in my home (which dictates which radiator should have no TRV on it). I have read some guides that say it should be in…
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Why are my radiators only half working?
As the title suggests, most of my radiators are only half heating up. I've just bought the place, and I tried to bleed them. However, as soon as I turn the valve to bleed them, water comes out immediately, instead of air. They seem to warm up on some of the radiators, and the rest stay cold. The one in the bathroom does…
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Need to replace electric loft hatch belt - Measure size?
Afternoon all,I need to replace the belt which opens the motorised loft hatch. It's stretched so keeps coming off. Just need to work out how I find out what size I need to order and whether these kind of belts have a particular name at all?(I had to cut it to get it off) Thanks in advance
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Repairs to access road
I am not sure were to post this but I am hoping someone might be able to help. We access our property off a highways owned road. It is a very busy single track road and people use our gateway as an unofficial passing place and it is eroding the road so badly there are massive potholes exposing underground cables. The…
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Additional labour costs
After the boiler was serviced our boiler kept flagging up an error code and kept cutting out. The plumber came out and replaced the heating pump. Once he left the boiler kept cutting out and we had to keep resetting it. We were left with intermittent heating and hot water. I called them to come back, they investigated…
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Request for feedback on how long it takes Google (Streetview) to blur a house.
Good afternoon. I submitted a request to blur on Google Streetview. I received the auto e-mail saying they will look into it. Does anybody have any feedback on how long this normally takes? Do they always action the request? (I did submit on Dec 28th, so maybe New Year is also interfering with the timing?) Thanks all.
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Advice For Condensation Over Winter
Hi all I am after a bit of advice. Every winter, we get a lot of condensation on the front windows (never the back). If it is not managed it leads to mould on the window seals, wall paper seems moist and develops mould spots. It has started to effect the clothes and bedding in the house. They are not wet, but seem to…
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Part Chimney Breast Removal - Advice
Hi There, We've recently bought a house and need some advice! We have these 2 chimney arched alcoves in two down stairs rooms in our property, we've thinking the best option is to remove the arched area of the chimney breasts and keep the main stacks? - do you think this would be possible or very expensive? Do you have any…
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Leak under kitchen unit, where is it coming from?
Hi there, We recently noticed a wave-like damp patch on the side of our wooden kitchen unit. It's grown over time and seems to have peaked now. I investigated underneath the the units and I can see quite a large sodden damp patch on the concrete. My first thought was the washing machine, but that's relatively new and we…
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Removal of Asbestos (Artex) from inside Garage Ceiling?
Hello all, As part of my garage conversion research, I understand that my garage ceiling might contain Asbestos, as it is 1960's built. I am thinking of getting a survey which after enquiring costing around 240. But the thing worries me is the cost to get the ceiling removed if it has asbestos. (18 sq meter ceiling ). From…
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Best thing behind shower panels
So I'm putting shower panels in the bathroom, but the wall behind isn't nice - ie it is uneven. There are tiles on part of it and not on the other part, on one small section I tried to remove the tiles, but this makes things worse as it seems the tiles have not been tiled onto the smooth wall, rather the top half has been…
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Who is responsible for the wiring between National Grid and Meters?
I own a Leasehold in an Apartment that has 4 others all together. All of the meters are in the communal area as you come in and each has their own meter. I am trying to get a Smart Meter and I have had both Octopus and British Gas out who have said they can't do it because of the wiring leading to the meter. (This is after…
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No insulation (and no space for it) = damp
What do you call the roofline of a 1950's semi - when the roofline on the first floor is such where the ceilings are virtually touching the tiles - on the outside 3 feet of the rooms ?So the house looks like it has a skirt on it. We have such a property and damp is now appearing on the ceilings