Category: Phase 1

  • Utility Trench Finished!

    We have completed the task of laying down the three remaining utility supplies; Water, Telephone and Electric.

    Electricty duct and incoming cable

    Electricty duct and incoming cable

    Today we connected our new water supply pipe to the existing pipeline coming out of the meter. It was a mixture of plastic “new” pipes and iron “old” pipe (running off towards the old little cottage). We didn’t know that the plastic / iron adaptor was specially designed to allow the whole adaptor to slide fully along either pipe, we had to assume that this wasn’t possible and decide how to fit a new length of pipe between the meter and the iron pipe without bending or breaking anything! So we dug an extra couple of metres to uncover more of the iron pipe. We hacksawed at that point and moved the original adaptor along to that point (and this is where we discovered about the special design of sliding along!). we then put in a T junction jut after the meter and then finally connected to our new pipe!

    Water connected to mains

    Water connected to mains

    Then it was the nerve racking point of turning back on the water and see what leaks we got!! NONE!! Yippee!

    The garage now has water going to it and the outside tap on the front of the garage now gushes lots of water on demand!

    Trench all filled in

    Trench all filled in

    The whole trench is now filled right up to ground level.

    It is the turn of the Engineers from the telephone and electric companies, who will be called in, to do the final “mile” or rather “yard” to their “live” cables and equipment. This will happen in a few weeks time when we have moved into the temporary quarters!

  • Air Ducting Under floor

    We have finished investigating the problem with our under-floor ducting and why it was not blowing through with sufficient volume of air. It seems to be clear in the channel between the two layers of PU foam (not completely sure without resorting to a fibre optic camera!) but it was noticed that there were many leaks along the concrete floor and the side walls of the channel.

    We think that much of the air is leaking out on both sides of the channel but we cannot reach them and put in a caulk filler, except for a short segment where we can lift the floor cover up from over the Earth Tubes. It was quite noticeable that even just that small segment after it was filled with the caulk filler, the increase amount of air flow. But alas not enough for our temporary living quarters!

    We have learnt a valuable lesson with air ducting! Seal It Up!! Do not assume that a large wooden joint screwed together is a perfect seal!

    The state of this ducting is just about ok for the Garden Room and Garage when it comes solely into its own. But for now we will have to put in another temporary ducting to deliver fresh air to our temporary living quarters.

  • Air Heater coil

    The final part of the air con unit was built today and connected to the ducting running under the floor. The heater water coils was mounted inside a mixing chamber which was connected to a low voltage water pump and in turn connected to the hot water supply.

    Air heater coil

    Air heater coil

    But switching on the air fan to push air down the ducting to our temporary living quarters and the toilet, did not show any sign of flowing air!! Oops! Where is the blockage? Tomorrow we will have to investigate!

  • Chimney Erected!

    The chimney has been erected at the beginning of the Earth Tubes to allow fresh air into the garage and the temporary living quarters!

    Earth tube chimney

    Earth tube chimney


    Earth tube chimney

    Earth tube chimney

    The square chimney made out of old 300mm (a foot) wide 18mm OSB sheets, screwed together and placed against the concrete tunnel coming from the concrete box above the ends of the Earth Tubes. It sticks above the ground about 1500mm (5feet).

    Earth tube chimney

    Earth tube chimney

    a layer of geotextile was stapled over the opening to stop large dust particles and insects from getting into our tubes! And a lid with vertical guards to stop the rain getting in too!

    Earth tube chimney

    Earth tube chimney

  • Repair of Gutter soak-away

    The temporary storage shed building and its gutter have been showing signs of being blocked. So we had a look at the down pipe to the soak-away module and cleared out a couple of inches of flowers and leaves! We put a mesh in the top of the downpipe to stop this! But also discovered that the soak-away modules had sunken by an inch or so which means the downpipe is missing the entrance hole! We extended the pipe!

    Now it is all sorted!

  • Air Con Unit motorised and sealed

    Stephen finished off his assembly of the air con unit by fitting servo motors and connecting rods to the air vent shutters. He also sealed the cover on the front with draught excluder rubber strips.

    Heat exhanger installed

    Heat exhanger installed


    Heat exhanger installed

    Heat exhanger installed

    Next is the little last piece connecting the heater to the air ducting already in place under the floor.

  • Underground Electric conduit replacement

    To meet our electricity distributor’s requirements regarding the underground conduits, we had to replace our original 50mm twin wall conduit with their 40mm solid wall tube. It was a pain but we got there!

    Inside the garage, the new conduit is now poking up from the concrete floor slab and cemented in place alongside our other 50mm conduit which goes off to the main house, which we are happy with.

    Replacememnt electricty ducting

    Replacememnt electricty ducting


    Replacememnt electricty ducting

    Replacememnt electricty ducting

    Now we need to complete the rest of the trench to the point where the electric cables enter our plot, weather permitting!

  • Air Con Unit & 2nd fan

    The air con unit is now assembled together and the “old” extracted air is now going through the heat exchanger and blowing up the chimney to the outside as waste.

    The second fan is installed ready for operation but it will not be working much at all until we have provided a chimney at the very beginning of the earth tubes over by the main house! the other end is still underground waiting for the main house to be built but we can put in a temporary chimney to benefit from drawing in fresh air and cooling it down through the buried earth tubes.

    Heat exhanger installed

    Heat exhanger installed


    Heat exhanger installed

    Heat exhanger installed

    It is getting there!

  • Air Ducting

    Over the last few days, we have installed the air ducting from the fan box, along the ceiling in the garden room, through the doorway into the lounge and then to the sun corridor, and finally all the way along to the end.

    Extract vents and ducts

    Extract vents and ducts


    Extract vents and ducts

    Extract vents and ducts


    Extract vents and ducts

    Extract vents and ducts


    Extract vents and ducts

    Extract vents and ducts


    Extract vents and ducts

    Extract vents and ducts


    Extract vents and ducts

    Extract vents and ducts

    It is quite interesting learning about air ducting and how quiet or noisy air is blowing inside them. These ducting are made of 18mm OSB sheets which are not the smoothest of materials and perhaps that is part of the noise and also the joints needed to be sealed with a little bit of cheap caulk filler!

    Now the next step is to fit the second fan to push the fresh air into the rooms!

  • Heat Exchanger built and First Fan installed

    We have finished the heat exchanger at last! It took three days to build, putting layers upon layers of thin plastic film and spacers to create 50 layers of air “ducts”! 25 for each of the two air streams, separated alternatively in the layers. It was quite difficult to get the plastic film to stay straight and not wobble! We are definitely won’t be using this choice of materials again!

    Heat Exchanger finished

    Heat Exchanger finished

    Also we have put up the first fan ready to pull the “old” air out of the living quarters and the garden room. The ducting will be along the ceiling in the garden room and pop through the doorway into the living quarters. The ducting will be 75mm high and 300mm wide to create a fairly low profile square shape, painted white. This is only temporary while the temporary living quarters are there!

    Extract vents and ducts

    Extract vents and ducts