Blog

As part of the temporary nature in using the garden room as our kitchen, we have laid in mains cables for the cooker hob and the ovens, and the immersion heater. The ring mains is also laid in. all it needs is to have the sockets and switches installed in the utility rail etc.

Five cables (two 4mm2 and three 2.5mm2) were routed from the Consumer Unit, along the utility rail to the garden room. Then one 2.5mm2 cable was placed in the utility rail, all the way around the Garden Room itself.

The next task is to wire up all the sockets and switches which will be mounted in modules and fitted in the Utility Rail. This will be done later.

The rain tank had a submerged pump lowered down into the water and connected to the pipe that goes up to the header tank. It was tested and a gush of water duly occurred!

The total head difference between the level in the underground rain tank and the level of the input pipe in the header tank up on the roof is about 5metres (16feet) and the flow rate was quite respectable.

Also a level detector was designed and built using 7 little float switches separated by 150mm (6inches). This will go down into the rain tank so we can keep an eye on the level of the water, recording how much rain we have collected and knowing when the tank is empty so that the pump doesn’t run dry.

Float switch

There is a similar level detector on the header tank as well but this time there is only 2 float switches, set 100mm (4inches) apart so we can control when to start filling the header tank up using the water from the rain tank and when to stop filling!!

In situations where we have run out of rain water then the old fashioned cistern ball valve will keep the header tank topped up with mains water, but at a reduced level.

We have been putting insulation panels in and around the tank and the pipes to protect them from frost. We used 50mm (2inches) of PU foam so it should survive the Winter months.

The last job to do on the header tank is to wrap the final structure in rain proof material.

The finished special “U” pipes for the roof was installed today. Then connected the 4 cold water pipes inside above the hot tank, the mains water, the rain tank feed, the hot tank expansion overflow and finally the header tank down feed. Then went up on the roof to connect the other half, the other side of the “U” bends and bring the 4 pipes to the header tank itself.

Header tank plumbing connections

Header tank plumbing connections

Header tank plumbing connections

Header tank plumbing connections

Apart from one air lock situation, the header tank filled up nicely, the hot tank was filling up, water was coming out of the basin pipes! The air lock occurred in our “U” bends we think and we got rid of it by getting the garden hose up to the header tank and blasting mains pressure down the cold water feed from the header tank! One loud gurgle later and everything resume flowing quite nicely thank you! It is very interesting in how the slightest angle off a pipe might end up that would cause an air lock. Amazing!

While the header tank was filling up we fitted the basin in the toilet.

Bathroom basin installed and working

And also we installed the toilet pan too!

WC installed and sealed in

WC installed and sealed in

We now have water in our basin, from both taps but both cold! For now! The cistern fills up too but we haven’t pulled the handle or rather in this case push the button! We wanted to make sure the sealant is fully cured around the soil pipe connections before subjecting it to too much water, but tomorrow .. .. we will definitely christen it! Smile!

we carried on making the “U” shaped set of pipes to take the various water pipes up to the roof to the header tank and to our future solar water collectors. A mixture of 15mm copper (4 pipes) and 22mm copper (2 pipes) plus one plastic electric conduit. They go out through 7 holes out of the back wall above the hot water tank, bend upwards to pass the Oak Facia board and bend back onto the roof.

Today we have finished soldering 4 of them and screwing together the other 2 copper pipes (the last 2 pipes has to withstand high pressure and temperatures so soldered joints of the standard lead/tin kind isn’t strong enough). We bent the plastic conduit (25mm) by heating it up using a hot air gun and pushing inside one of those 22mm diameter coiled springs to help keep the walls from crumpling up and bending it on a jig!

Roof bypass pipes

Roof bypass pipes

Tomorrow we can put it up and start connecting the mains water to the header tank and the see if it works!!

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.

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

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!