The Home Improvements Thread (2)

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Could use some input here:

7cc421c732b2d443f27d06790b72c481.jpg


I have hot water draining from the geyser at an astonishing rate through the pipe second from top, which you can just barely see wrapping around the geyser on the right, making its way outside to drain off..

I have no idea how long it's been draining like that, went outside this morning and heard it and it's been about an hour and half since with it draining until I now went into the roof and shut off the inlet..

Is my geyser finally giving up the ghost..? No other signs of water in the drip tray at all.. single source of water is from this hot water overflow..
PRV maybe?
 
It is quite easy to convert this to LED, and yes pretty much all of that comes out and you connect using neutral and live coming from the switch to the LED, earth connects to the light fitting (which looks like it is already).

If you are getting someone to do this for you, let him clean that entire mess up, I hope nobody got paid for that wiring as it is (is that masking tape I see there or is it at least insulation tape?).

There are like three different neutral and lives coming from the ceiling. Do I just pick one and tape up the rest?

No idea who installed the current fitting, but I hate fluorescent lights so I'm on a mission to make everything LED warm white.
 
There are like three different neutral and lives coming from the ceiling. Do I just pick one and tape up the rest?

No idea who installed the current fitting, but I hate fluorescent lights so I'm on a mission to make everything LED warm white.

Rather get an electrician.

Agree, I pulled out the internals of fluorescents here and replaced with LED.
 
Rather get an electrician.

Agree, I pulled out the internals of fluorescents here and replaced with LED.
I also have dimmable downlights that apparently you need to replace the unit to use an LED with. They are the old pin downlights and I guess they upgrade them to use GU10.

Noy to mention the kitchen which has those old fluorescent tube lights that make it look like a laboratory. Considering either downlights or spots for the kitchen.
 
Could use some input here:

7cc421c732b2d443f27d06790b72c481.jpg


I have hot water draining from the geyser at an astonishing rate through the pipe second from top, which you can just barely see wrapping around the geyser on the right, making its way outside to drain off..

I have no idea how long it's been draining like that, went outside this morning and heard it and it's been about an hour and half since with it draining until I now went into the roof and shut off the inlet..

Is my geyser finally giving up the ghost..? No other signs of water in the drip tray at all.. single source of water is from this hot water overflow..

time for a new PRV and thermostat from the sounds of it
 
It is not allowed, when you sell a property the plumbing coc checks that no stormwater (i.e rain water from your roof) drains into the sewer system. Can you imagine the influx of water at the waste water treatment works if it rains and everyone just drains their water to the sewer network.
Thanks @Sheppard_za , make sense. Where should the downpipes lead to if there is no storm water outlets to flow into? It will cause issues too if it flows straight into the garden?
 
Thanks @Sheppard_za , make sense. Where should the downpipes lead to if there is no storm water outlets to flow into? It will cause issues too if it flows straight into the garden?
My property has piping underground that goes to the street. As far as I understand, these specific piping going to the street, is only allowed to be used for storm water, eg. water from rain on to your roof. Because the water in the street will eventually go down the street to the storm water drain system, which is only for natural water, eg. no chemicals etc from your pool allowed in there.

When I enquired about getting french drains installed for the garden itself, the installer mentioned he can use the same storm water piping to the street legally, or illegally the sewer drains.

ps. I would like to know which drain network is correct for pool pump.
 
Thanks @Sheppard_za , make sense. Where should the downpipes lead to if there is no storm water outlets to flow into? It will cause issues too if it flows straight into the garden?
They should ideally drain out into the street and most properties should have drainage pipes for this already.. check the pavement in front of your property for holes, which would indicate the existence of these drainage pipes.. you would then need to somehow trace it back into your property..

As for draining into your garden, no one here can say for sure.. we don't know your garden etc.. it could potentially saturate your garden and you have a swamp on your hands.. if it saturates enough, excess water could run to your foundations, boundary wall foundations and potentially into your neighbors yards, causing issues there..

Highly recommended you look at finding a way to drain into the street instead and if you absolutely must drain to your garden, get an expert in to assess the viability thereof..
 
They should ideally drain out into the street and most properties should have drainage pipes for this already.. check the pavement in front of your property for holes, which would indicate the existence of these drainage pipes.. you would then need to somehow trace it back into your property..

As for draining into your garden, no one here can say for sure.. we don't know your garden etc.. it could potentially saturate your garden and you have a swamp on your hands.. if it saturates enough, excess water could run to your foundations, boundary wall foundations and potentially into your neighbors yards, causing issues there..

Highly recommended you look at finding a way to drain into the street instead and if you absolutely must drain to your garden, get an expert in to assess the viability thereof..
CoCT recommends having a backwash recycling system in place and if you don't, to drain into the sewer system..

 
Piping to the street surely only exists when the property is flat or sloped towards the street, I know my property slopes away and doesn't have any drainage to the street. It is my understanding that storm water/ rain should drain downhill into your neighbors property and then drain again from there.
 
Piping to the street surely only exists when the property is flat or sloped towards the street, I know my property slopes away and doesn't have any drainage to the street. It is my understanding that storm water/ rain should drain downhill into your neighbors property and then drain again from there.
Yup thats the problem, street is at the top of my property and and house goes down on the slope of the hill with everything below street level
 
Yup thats the problem, street is at the top of my property and and house goes down on the slope of the hill with everything below street level
An article on the matter, i know its for Centurion, but municipal guidelines are similar, I would confirm what your local municipal guidelines are.

My property for 1 has 2 properties draining into it, and all of that drains to a neighbor below me as he is situated the lowest of the bunch of properties before draining into a greenbelt

I even have some memories as a kid living with my mother, I was woken up 1 night to go knock a hole in a precast wall with a hammer as the neighbor had blocked the drainage into his property and we were having severe rains.
 
Piping to the street surely only exists when the property is flat or sloped towards the street, I know my property slopes away and doesn't have any drainage to the street. It is my understanding that storm water/ rain should drain downhill into your neighbors property and then drain again from there.
Our house is above our neighbours and all of our water flows into the street.
 
The LED converter has a brown and blue wire, but look at the fluorescent thing:

View attachment 1364527


There are like 3 separate wires coming out the roof going to different places. So complicated! And the sales person told me this was an easy swap! "Just take out the old fitting!". :D

I get the feeling that one of those roof wires goes straight onto the led fitting, with blue going to black (neutral) and brown going to red (live). Then I should tape up the other ones coming from the roof, and leave the earth one as it is.
Looks like you took a picture of my nightmare. Had exact same setup, bought the LED like you did, snip, snip, snip until I had only 2 wires left, wired it myself, and frucked it up royally! Got a 'leccy to fix :ROFL:
 
I need something that will remove years worth of hard limescale from a toilet bowl. I've tried vinegar soaking overnight with bicarb and scrubbing furiously, but this is super stubborn.

Anyone had any luck with something else?
 
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