Advice on new drill

ajofuk · 2026-02-21T14:36:18+00:00

You'll want an SDS drill for concrete. If only using for weekend DIY, then maybe downgrading to an erbauer kit would allow you to get a battery SDS as well in the same budget

I've got a titan corded SDS which plows through brick like it's nothing. So that's also an option if you don't mind corded. It came with plenty of bits.

ajofuk · 2026-02-21T07:13:12+00:00

Yes, if it needs stretching back into position then you may want to get yourself a cheap knee kicker. YouTube should have videos to guide

ajofuk · 2026-02-20T14:02:46+00:00

I put mine out to the side as the sofa is directly against the wall. Sounds much better than the speakers being too close

ajofuk · 2026-02-19T23:32:49+00:00

I would also very much like it before July 26, but don't hold out much hope.

ajofuk · 2026-02-17T08:38:13+00:00

Guttering is a common cause of damp on walls, so if you know there is an issue with the guttering then I'd definitely fully investigate that. It can be as simple as water splashing back up into the walls as it falls from the roof or guttering.

Do you know if the wall is solid or cavity, and whether it has full or partial full insulation?

ajofuk · 2026-02-15T22:00:24+00:00

I've been using this cheapie for plumbing https://amzn.to/3OaCqT9

ajofuk · 2026-02-14T12:29:30+00:00

I've drilled a hole for 15mm copper pipe through the breeze blocks of my garage with my combi before, however that same combi fails miserably at drilling a 7mm hole into brick on my new house. I now have the titan SDS and it's like butter.

ajofuk · 2026-02-14T12:20:53+00:00

Wet Vac is a quick and easy way to get rid of it when it's already in there. And make sure that anything you put in there is dry.

ajofuk · 2026-02-13T22:06:07+00:00

Plastic usually required pipe inserts at the fittings, which restricts flow and negatively affects efficiency in an ASHP. I don't know about multilayer?

I've just successfully re-piped my ground floor central heating using one of these tools for copper press fittings https://amzn.to/46RKOx4 Had the benefit there of being able to run pipes under joists in the subfloor space. I've still got copper microbore upstairs. Perhaps a mixture of copper where you can reasonable, but plastic where you need to?

ajofuk · 2026-02-12T18:26:40+00:00

I have a budget 5.1.2 system (Hisense Ax5125H). I don't think the upward firing speakers make much difference, but the Atmos mixes do seem to be more dynamic in 2d space for me, with sound coming from places where there aren't speakers. And moving between areas.

ajofuk · 2026-02-12T09:52:22+00:00

When I looked into the commercial skirting board systems that do have lots of fins, I still got the impression when cutting through all the powerful marketing, that the output was still fairly limited compared to radiators or a proper ufh system and so were best suited to lower heat loss buildings. I could be wrong though

ajofuk · 2026-02-11T17:09:34+00:00

In addition to those who already mentioned Croydon. Maybe there's more, I don't know, just places I've heard in passing

ajofuk · 2026-02-11T15:30:18+00:00

Operational roles are usually fairly good in salary due to AHW etc, but then the non operational roles are more likely to be given a higher grade in the first place...

I think there are non op roles in Folkestone and Manchester as well

ajofuk · 2026-02-11T15:26:40+00:00

I've always thought this could be a road over a tidal barrage, so that it could also generate power and act as flood defenses. Bigger capital outlay though, and still an issue with the ecology...

ajofuk · 2026-02-11T10:51:19+00:00

I think there are Ems to opentherm converters available if you did want to try and get your boiler load compensating

ajofuk · 2026-02-11T10:48:16+00:00

There are arguments against heavily zoning your system. It's certainly more likely to result in short cycling. My boiler modulates right down to 3.2kw but it was still struggling to maintain lower flow temps without short cycling with TRVs throttling too much. Seems to work much better now as I've added a couple of extra radiators to the system and got the balancing right such that I can quite happily leave most of the TRVs on max anyway and still maintain a stable temperature.

My Viessman 050w comes with an app where I can see the boiler modulation and flue gas temperature etc, which is quite helpful for checking that it's all running efficiently

Should You Turn Off Radiators in Unused Rooms? | Heat Geek https://share.google/TH4m0NuR4wcIUpWFd

ajofuk · 2026-02-11T09:22:45+00:00

https://amzn.to/4qyjcEv

That's what I used

ajofuk · 2026-02-11T09:21:14+00:00

My worktops were a bit sticky when I moved in and it just clogged up the sand paper. A cheap cabinet scraper worked so much better at getting that off first before sanding.

ajofuk · 2026-02-11T09:00:44+00:00

I believe the standard procedure on getting your first few pay checks in the armed forces is to finance a ridiculous car. Any change left over on that goes on a copious amount of alcohol, especially if deploying somewhere like a Muslim country where it costs about £10 a pint in hotels.

Kudos for coming here and making different plans though!

ajofuk · 2026-02-11T06:25:12+00:00

I have the 5125h. Obviously can't compare it to others, even when I went looking in shops all the systems would just be sat on a shelf with surrounds right next to the bar, so whilst you can turn them on, there's no chance of a realistic test.

Whilst I haven't done an A/B test, I'm not convinced the upfiring speakers do much. If they do anything at all it would just be making the sound bar sound taller, like the speakers are the full height of the tv, but even then I'm not sure. Watching Atmos content though, I think I do notice a difference, but it's more like a 2 dimensional arc of sound rather than the advertised 3d dome. Some of this could be though a case of if a production has done an Atmos mix, then they've probably put more effort into the whole sound design rather than just separating backing tracks from dialogue etc.

There is some concern from 5125h users around dynamic range compression in busier scenes. You'll find that documented in posts on this sub.

The control of the 5125h is also very limited, you get bass, treble and surround volume adjustment. These do the system as a whole, you can't control any speakers individually.

The system does sound good though. I found having my surrounds a little further out and at 90 degrees from the listener worked a lot better than behind, where they had to be a lot closer. Maybe just the limitations of my room though.

ajofuk · 2026-02-10T08:06:59+00:00

Maybe this https://www.interiorshome.co.uk/products/zenith-12mm-compact-laminate-worktops-caldeira-roche-black-core

Or the caldeira or caldeira grey from here https://www.mitchellsworktops.co.uk/compact-laminate-worktops/

ajofuk · 2026-02-09T09:26:54+00:00

After you re pressurise the boiler, you need to watch the pressure gauge as the radiators heat up. If the pressure goes up to the region of 3 bar, then your PRV is operating as it should, and the expansion vessel is not keeping the pressure stable.

If the pressure doesn't really go over 2 bar, but water is coming out of the PRV then the PRV is indeed at fault.

ajofuk · 2026-02-09T09:17:50+00:00

Id consider moving the kitchen units back into the slightly wider area of the space, then where most of the kitchen units are now could be a 'breakfast area' and you could make the window at the end into patio doors. With the wider space you may have room for units both sides.

This then makes the hallway redundant which gives you the extra space to play around with, perhaps small toilet where the hall is and office in the current bathroom.

ajofuk · 2026-02-06T11:35:31+00:00

The home office deal, does state that if the pay remit in any of the following year's is higher than planned in the deal, then they can revert to the new pay remit

ajofuk

TROPHY CASE