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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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
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Water under floorboards
Just discovered standing water under floorboards and plumber coming Wednesday to check pipework. Does anyone know if this water will disappear or will it need pumping out? Thanks in advance.
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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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What kind of roof , when replacing the flat roof on garage with pitched roof.
Hello all, As part of our internal garage conversion, I am planning to replace the flat roof of the garage with a pitched roof ( i know it triggers the planning application). I am also planning to add a open brick porch and have a common roof to the porch and the garage. The total external area would be 9 sq m ( 3.5 * 2 -…
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Cooker socket, can I plug in a 9kw heater
I heard the cooker socket only supports 3kw, but how about the wire? Is the wire shared with cooker wire? Or it has it own separate wire? How about of replacing fuse with higher amps Thanks
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Electrical safety concerns Dunelm Savona 3 ceiling light
Recently bought and installed two of these fittings. Added an earth to each of them as they are all metal. After a few days I decided to adjust them from downlights to up lights as the individual shades can rotate 270 degrees. No problems turning the first 4 of 6 shades. Number 5 shade partially turned and almighty blue…
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GreenSpace / Thermotec replacement conservatory roof
Hello all, I have a 17 year old victorian style conservatory with a polycarbonate roof, approx. 3.6M x 4.5M, 9 polycarbonate panels. Usual problems of too cold in winter, too hot in summer. So I was looking at replacement roof options. I understand about needing planning permission, loading on the structure etc., so not so…
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How to fund garage conversion?
We have recently been discussing converting our garage, which is integral to the house, into a bedroom with accessible en suite. We are both pensioners so, essentially this is to future- proof our home. Joint Monthly income £3k We have no mortgage, nor out standing debt. But no savings either ( having cleared mortgage, car…
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Have Osteoporosis- is a electric lawnmower a lot lighter to use than petrol.
Hi Folks, I have a Rover push petrol lawn mower that has served me well for 27 years, but having being diagnosed with Osteoporosis a few years ago and had a bone in back broken through lifting, now in my sixties, just wondering if an electric lawn mower might be more suitable for me to use on a medium sized lawn at front…
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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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Upgrading shed project!
Hello all! According to my research, a shed needs to be on a level with no sloping. Our shed is already on a concrete base but for some reason the shed is on a slope (apparently fitted 2.5 years ago by the previous owner) Facing the shed: Side of the shed: Which is probably why the door isn't straight: I was thinking of…
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Repairing plaster/curtain rail
This morning the curtains, curtain rail and crumbling plaster came away when I opened the curtains. Photo of damage attached. It's very old plaster and clearly the screws weren't long enough to hold through that material. Curtains have been up for a few years. My question is, if I patch repair those holes with a suitable…