ASHP & triple glazing

[Moxi]

I expect your SCOP will be into the mid 4's by May if not a bit higher.

Rat wise I bait and trap constantly but only get the odd rat that way as they know the drill here so the rifle is the only way to knock the population back hard, then the traps and bait deal with newbies as they come back to the area until the learn and then the cycle repeats. Its no great hardship I just reverse the RAV 4 onto the drive so I can sit in the passenger seat with the window down and the rifle sat on the door, from that position I can see 85% of the run and I make sure the feeders are located in the zone - usually one or two rats per evening for two nights then a break for a night or two then back at it until theres no shows. Summer is worse as they breed faster and it doesn't get dark till after my bed time but I manage

Moxi

[Andy]

Sorry for derailing the thread with rats JB. Cheers for all the advice all. I am regretting selling my air rifle when the rules changed a few years ago. Although we don't see them outside at all really. Just the odd house invasion. They've already chewed through one window frame in the past :< I'm down to one baby left which I think is chowing down on the new bait in the kitchen so hopefully not too long left.

I've had a variety of traps (snap/humane) and they just aren't interested. Even peanut butter and chocolate spread with oats isn't taken.

[Moxi]

Sounds as though you’re almost sorted if the baits disappeared. They’re smart creatures you just have to find something that they are not familiar with - I saw an electrocution trap from America recently that looked perfect until I saw how small it was in the hand, more of a mouse trap than rats, unless they only breed small rats across the pond ?

Moxi

[Stinsy]

Sorry for derailing the thread with rats JB. Cheers for all the advice all. I am regretting selling my air rifle when the rules changed a few years ago. Although we don't see them outside at all really. Just the odd house invasion. They've already chewed through one window frame in the past :< I'm down to one baby left which I think is chowing down on the new bait in the kitchen so hopefully not too long left.

I've had a variety of traps (snap/humane) and they just aren't interested. Even peanut butter and chocolate spread with oats isn't taken.

I've always used bread and jam on traps.

I guess it is important to vary the bait. If the only peanut butter they encounter is on traps it won't take them long to figure out "peanut butter isn't healthy".

For me traps managed the population, but poison got rid of them.

[Joeboy]

Last of the gas gear removed. This unit hasn't ran for years but was an excellent heat thief. First heat was lost around and through the gas pipe down through the floor.

Before


After


Second heat thief was the gas fire horizontal pipe running to an outside wall. It was constantly at outdoor temps and even though I'd insulated it. It was always at less than internal air temp

Before


After


Thirdly was the heat loss around the wall pass through to outdoors for gas fire exhaust pipe.

Before


After


Fourthly I found a wallslash not a drilled hole for an ariel point pass through. It has since been packed around the cable with insulation.

After


I could genuinely feel the difference once these wee works were done. The whole wall is still coming down so I can earthwool the 50mm cavity and replasterboard for a clean finish but this wee bit of gas gear removal was great. SWMBO was right there beside me, great fun!

P.S I am going to keep an eye on the surrounding plasterboard at the gas outlet hole. It's had decades to cold soak down to that horrendous 10.6 degs reading I reckon it will get back up to at least 15 degs now that it's blocked externally and packed with insulation internally.

[Joeboy]

That's was handy, with absolutely no fanfare at all. The grant money appeared in our account this morning. Good timing as I spoke to the glazing guys yesterday and they're getting back to me today with a date for final measurements and hopefully a fitting start date too for the 3g going in.

[Moxi]

Hopefully some time AFTER the cold snap?

Moxi

[Joeboy]

Hopefully some time AFTER the cold snap?

Moxi

Aye, I am hoping for March. Would like them in before Turkey in April if at all possible. Hoping to have final size survey before Egypt at the end of the month. After that, I'm easy on the times.

We've decided not to pull the living room wall down to insulate the void. Instead I'm going to vermiculite fill it. It's a compromise but one I'm happy to make as it keeps swmbo happy, minimises dust & mess and will improve the insulation value to a reasonable degree.

[Moxi]

Harmony is another efficiency that should never be overlooked!

Moxi

[Joeboy]

Harmony is another efficiency that should never be overlooked!

Moxi

I like being married so I put the effort in! Cleared snow off panels then spent the day getting that wall into a position where I can think about a vermiculite pour to fill the cavity.

Added another twin socket and found horrendous air leaks around the original socket and ariel area. Also found a 50mm high by 12mm hole in behind an.old skirting board. Direct communication to the underfloor temperature.

See the white caulk line at the back right corner? That was the hole.


This is the wall cavity with direct communication to underfloor.


I drilled a series of 8mm holes above the bottom rail about 150mm between the holes and hit them with expanding foam.


Airflow is still present above the top rail into the loft. I'll look tomorrow with an endoscopic camera and see if we sealed off the bottom rail in one go. I hope so.

The temp readings yesterday of 10.6 & 12.6.at the worst spots are now.





Bear in mind this has been a low tech approach with caulk and some old earthwool insulation we had. Might have a fancy heat pump but nothing matches up to plugging holes.

Cost to date is about £300. Vermiculite is an expensive way to insulate a wall but it's low fuss, little mess and can be done in stages to save hassle. This is my 3rd wall of it and no adverse effects.
Gear needed.
7x100ltr vermiculite
1x100mm loft roll
3x 750ml expanding foam
Plaster & caulk