Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [uk]

Questions specific to DIY projects in the United Kingdom. Use with any relevant project tags (i.e. [electrical])

265 questions
35
votes
10 answers

Why are “Wire Nuts” not used in the UK?

I have never seen a wire nut used in the UK, but they seem to be very common in the USA, why?
Walker
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32
votes
8 answers

Why am I getting an electric shock from the water in my hot tub?

I have noticed that when I touch the water of my Hot Tub when I am grounded (barefoot standing outside of tub) I am getting a very small electric shock. Using a multimeter it is reading 2Vac between the water and the ground outside. I have an RCD…
Lee
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27
votes
8 answers

Why do British houses have "indoors" windows in some rooms?

Example: I've seen this many times. Apparently, it's a thing that in the UK, they have rooms with windows that lead to other indoors areas, located high near the ceiling. What is the purpose and history of this practice? What is the point to have…
H T
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25
votes
4 answers

While drilling into kitchen wall, hit a wire - any advice?

While fixing the extractor hood yesterday, I accidently hit a wire when drilling and exposed the copper. The wires are too tight to get some kind of a box in there and putting an electrical tape may be too fiddley. Any advice will be greatly…
user1607035
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24
votes
16 answers

How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office

I'm trying to dig a trench for the electrical cable for a shed/office I'm building in my back garden. This is about 7 m long and should be 0.5 m deep. My soil seems to be about 5 cm of soil/turf and then soil which is full of gravel, stones and…
Matthew Dresser
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23
votes
10 answers

My inflatable hot tub says "don't use with an extension cord"... but can I?

Sadly they don't explain WHY not to use it with an extension cord. I wonder if it's to do with the risk of having such connections outside in the elements? The cord it comes with is 7m long, and where we want to site it is 6m from our outhouse. I've…
Codemonkey
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19
votes
6 answers

Why is my background energy usage higher in the first half of each hour?

I have a smart electricity meter, which reports half-hourly readings to my supplier. I’ve noticed that when I’m not in the property, there seems to be an oscillating pattern to my energy usage: the first half of each hour often has a higher power…
DavidH
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19
votes
2 answers

Is there supposed to be a gap between the wall and the roof?

We bought a new house last year. Going up to the loft we noticed there is a considerable gap (5-6 cm) between the roof and the wall, like this: Is it supposed to be like that? It's freezing up there but I'm more concerned about animals entering the…
algiogia
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17
votes
5 answers

What should I be aware of in buying second-hand sinks and toilets?

I am planning an extension to my house, including a new ensuite bathroom and a downstairs WC. To save money and embedded energy I'm thinking of buying secondhand basins and toilets. There seem to be plenty around, but I wonder if there is anything…
aucuparia
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13
votes
1 answer

Where can I get a cover for a main supply?

My house (I live in the UK) failed an electrical safety inspection because of a missing main supply cover. I have tried using google to find one to buy but can't find anything at all. Does anyone know how I can go about getting the right kind of…
lapsel
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13
votes
8 answers

Is it possible to replace just the antique locks or will I need to get whole new doors?

In the house I bought the doors are old but ok. However, the handle & locks are very old and we prefer to replace them. I am referring to the doors for the rooms inside the house. Now the question is, is it possible to replace just the handle and…
gyuunyuu
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13
votes
3 answers

Bang sound and breaker has tripped, anything else to check?

Today I heard a moderately loud "bang" sound whilst in the house, similar to someone dropping a heavy book, and the upstairs sockets all lost power (sockets has its own breaker). I noticed that the breaker had tripped (not the RCD) and after…
SomeoneLostPower
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13
votes
2 answers

Contractor work caused a water leak in the house - UK

I’m renovating a kitchen, together with small hallway and a cloak room toilet. I hired a company to do all the work although I now realise I don’t have a formal contract with them, only with their sister company for supply and installation of…
kacpr
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13
votes
7 answers

Outdoor burst pipe best practice for the winter

We had an outdoor tap (faucet) fitted in the summer last year here in Edinburgh UK. The temperature here often dips to just below freezing over the winter. Outside, at least. The plumber suggested we should turn off the water under the kitchen sink…
paul_h
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13
votes
2 answers

Are USB sockets on wall outlets live all the time, even when the switch is off?

I got a USB wall socket fitted. When it was installed, I tested the USB port with a tester with the switches off, but the USB outlet was live. Is this normal?
sean kelly
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