I have a Logic ESP1 35 gas combi boiler, which is standard hardwired into a 6A breaker in the UK consumer unit through a basic isolating fused switch that I can turn off.

My hope was that I could replace this switch with a socket-switch, and put a 3-pin plug on the boiler cable. That way, in the event of power cut, I could unplug the boiler and plug it into an Anker S2000 power bank for some temporary heating and hot water.

I have seen many people on Reddit discussing this option (using a petrol generator instead of batter power station), and the standard response seems to be "Sure!", "Go ahead", "Great idea!".

However, nickymoo raised a good point here.

I believe my boiler has a flame-detection circuit (it is referenced as a failure mode in the manual), which requires some kind of earth-neutral bond. I am trying to understand whether running this boiler from a S2000 power bank will A) cause any safety issues with the earth, and B) prevent the boiler from igniting because of the flame detection circuit failing.

I am not looking for someone to tell me go ahead and do it, as I am aware this requires professional opinions. I have reached out to Anker support for clarification of the earth/neutral behaviour when power is lost and the unit moves to battery, and I will be having a chat with some electricians this week. But looking to gather a few more opinions if possible. I would like to hear form anyone who might have encountered this issue before.

I was thinking of doing a project on my gragae i want to be the most cost effecient im gonna get the etches in the concrete floor with acid then pour the primer on top but instead of then pouring the epoxy on top i want to just put the mica gold flakes and finish it off with a clear coat would this be possible

Between the bathroom floor and baseboard is caulked in my bathrooms but it looks like crap. What kind of caulk would I ideally like to use to replace this? I bought 100% silicone but seems maybe I'd only want to use that inside the tub and possibly where the tub meets the floor?

I've seen people mention not to caulk the floor and baseboards in the bathroom. Is that accurate? I have little kids that splash water out of the tub and all over the place occasionally. Does that change whether I should caulk or not and what kind I should use?

I'm building a firepit, and was thinking of just using regular concrete blocks. (Not landscaping blocks or anything, just the regular 4x8x16 ones you can get at a hardware store)

Can I use a smokeless insert and not have the blocks crack? The blocks would obviously be shielded from the direct flame, but I know the air in the gap for a smokeless insert gets super hot.

I've been trying to figure out if I can before I bother getting one, so if anyone's done it I'd more than appreciate the advice.

Thanks!

I have a 3M Filtrete undersink water filter. It works really well, has high flow, and you can get cartridges that filter out lead. These lead ones are more expensive though, running $70 per filter which seems like a lot. The non-lead filtering cartridges are $40-50.

Wondering what other people use that's been economical? The lead filtering is a nice peace of mind with old city pipes, but I'm not seeing a lot of simple filters out there like that. I don't think I can fit a RO filter under my sink.

On a very limited budget

Since couple days my washer started making a lot of noise. With a lot of laundry and with just 2 socks.

Video:

Things i already checked:
- Level —> ok
- shocks —> seems fine to me (not stuck or broken), amount of damping is hard to know.

Any advice?

EPS/foam moldings are repeated damaged by wood peckers. Came across some coating product claim that they are woodpecker proof, such as:

https://www.stocanada.com/woodpecker-protection-for-your-home/

https://www.adex.ca/products/graphex-coat/

Found very little comments/reviews of such product.
Wondering if anyone has any experience with them. Do they work? How is the installation process?

Turned on the heating for the first time in 6 months today.

Burner isn't firing up.

I opened the bleed valve and tried the red button while open a few time but no fuel still.

I'm assuming there's an air lock and not enough pressure to pull the fuel through.

I've a quarter of a tank of kerosene in a 900 litre tank.

Would filling the tank help or am I at the mercy of trying to hook a plumber at this time of year when it's hard to get one?

I recently moved into a new to me house with a full basement.

I am starting my plans to build my workbenches and tool stands but am concerned that the humidity will be too high and cause issues with the wood (and with the tool surfaces).

Is there a general rule of thumb on what humidity is appropriate?

FWIW, according to my temp/humidity sensor it is about 75% right now.

Edit/Update: Thank you for the feedback. There is a drain in the floor, so I just bought a dehumidifier with a hose output.

I am currently planning an LED lighting installation for my 5' x 7' walk-in closet and would appreciate some advice.

A closet company is installing a new U-shaped closet system with a toe kick and top molding around the entire perimeter. My plan is to add vertical LED lighting and possibly light some of the shelves.

Here is my current proposed plan for powering the setup:

- Add a second switch box next to the existing light switch at the entrance.

- Run Romex wire down through the wall and exit under the toe kick, adding a vent for access and heat dissipation.

- Place the LED driver under the toe kick, then run the 24V wire to various locations behind the toe kick and drywall to reach the lights.

Does this setup sound correct, or is there a better way to do this? I would welcome any recommendations or alternate ideas one might have.

Do I need to screw the toilet to the concrete tiled floor? The person at a plumber suppliers said no just silicone around it? Please advise?

I'm planning on making some plush aquatic flatworms, and I need some sort of plastic U shape so that the head will hold its shape.

I need to fix a problem with my shower/tub.

For months now the hot water has been constantly flowing, like pretty steadily. I turned off the hot tap in the panel behind the shower and that fixed it for a little, I’ve been turning it on and off to shower every day but recently the leak came back and it’s just getting worse. The flow gets stronger every time I use the shower and turning off the hot tap doesn’t do anything

The sink in the bathroom is unusable as well, it completely fell off the wall. This isn’t my home and it’s been like this since I moved in. This isn’t the typical renter situation where the landlord has to fix these things. So I’ve just been living without a sink in the bathroom the whole time.

Would adding insulation panels to the ceiling of our below grade garage help keeping the great room above it warmer by much. The garage doors allow a lot of cold down there and I spend most of my time in the room above it. Recommendations for the proper product would be great too. Thanks in advance.

Whats going on here? Replaced and sealed the cap and realized something else is happening.

Hey guys. I was wondering if anyone had tips on how to make a large t-shirt smaller without the use of sewing/stitching? All the tips I see online usually center around cutting and sewing, and I was just wondering if there were any other methods. Thanks 😊

Hello all,

Looking to replace my hollow core door with a solid core door.
Any tips!
Should I remove the hollow door with the hinges attached and then transfer the hinges to the solid door?
Or leave the hinges on the frame?

Thanks

hello! i am attempting to make a plant pot with a glass bottle. i have never done anything with glass before. i'd like to break the glass at certain point and sand down the rough edges and put soil in it. however, i don't know how safe it is to sand glass down indoors. i have eye protection, a k95 mask, and gloves, but i live in a dorm and we can't open the windows for ventilation. i don't want to poison myself or my roommate. is it okay to do it outside? can i even use regular sand paper? i really don't know anything so any and all advice is appreciated. thank you

Hello everyone.

I am looking for a suggestion or tips on doing a repaint of my negative sides concrete wall.

I already completed skimcoating on one side. However, I encountered one challenge i would like to avoid when i do the other 3 sides of the room . I can say i have done an extensive amoubt of research already, but this question i have now is something i am still not very confident with.

I am hoping that i can strip what is only really needed to be stripped from the current old paint. I am using this stripping tool that is using a utility knife blade, so it is sharp and thin and can easily strip away paint that you want. However , it is also easy to strip even those intact paints.

So my question is simply, is there a better way to strip just so i am only stripping what is really already loose paints?

By the way, most of the paint i am stripping are those affected by hairline cracks, and they are crispy like crackers...

Hello looking to build a outdoor playset is their a place to go to downloand plans to make your own? I can't seem to find any sources that offer playsets.

We are buying a 1950s house with block basement. At some point in the distant past there was water infiltration. Additional measures (extending downspouts, grading, drylock etc) are recommended by a professional to be safe but the report said there is no evidence of existing moisture or mold. Still we want to plan right just in case there is moisture at some point.

We’d like to put up moisture and mold resistant drywall to finish the walls. Would adding vents to the drywall allow any ambient moisture permeating through the block to be picked up by a dehumidifier?

My concern with interior seals and insulation is that we would simply trap the water behind the wall and leave it in the cinder to deteriorate and giving it no place to go.

Thoughts?

Hi everyone! 👋
I'm a student at University College London (UCL) conducting a quick academic survey on home DIY power tools for an academic project.
If you live in Europe and use power tools—whether professionally or for home DIY—I would really appreciate 3 minutes of your time to share your insights:
🔗 Survey Link: UK Consumer Research: DIY Power Tools and Home Care – Fill in form
The survey is completely anonymous, strictly for educational research (no selling or promotion), and takes less than 3 minutes. Thank you so much for helping a student out! 🙏

Hi,

My wife wants me to construct a house(or two separate houses) for two dogs that were abandoned near our villa and since winter is coming soon, I have no choice but to build it now. (Before anyone says anything - no, we can't take the dogs home)

Has anyone ever built such a house? What's the cheapest way for me to do it? I don't have any spare money for a side project this month anyway but I'll give it a go regardless.

What materials do I need? Are there any alternatives to the materials that I can find in my basement? For example, can I substitute the glass mineral wool with something else? Thank you guys.

Hey so I’m trying to do a thing for one of my classes that involves slush (like wet snow). Where I live it hasn’t gotten to that point of the year to allow for snow to fall and slush to form just yet. I’m wondering if anyone knows how or if they have any ideas on how to make slush themselves. (Maybe like altering an already existing homemade snow formula?)

Any help would be very much appreciated.