Find a Shop Fitter you can trust in Isle Of Benbecula.

On the grand scale of things there isn’t a huge difference between B-rated windows and A-rated windows. Consumer watchdog Which? have calculated an extra 6.5% would be saved on energy bills with A rather than B rated panes. Be aware that A rated windows are slightly more expensive, however.

How Many Solar Panels And Batteries To Power A House?

Do you wish to know the number of solar panels and batteries sufficient for a house? Well, this is a frequently asked question in the solar world which would be very difficult to provide an accurate answer. This is basically down to the fact that all homes are unique with different sizes as well as amount of daily energy requirements. As a result, the number of solar panels and batteries needed would be unique to the house in question. However, we’ll consider the varying influencing factors that will go a long way to help calculate the number of panels and batteries needed to power a house.

First and foremost, let’s take a look at the solar panels. You’d have to start here by putting into consideration all household appliances that makes use of power in the house to get a good idea of how many that’ll be needed.

• How Many Watts Is Being Used In The House On A Daily Basis?

To determine this, simply go through your utility bill for kilowatt-hours (kWh). This varies amongst homes and being able to identify your daily average energy usage will assist you in getting your solar needs.

• What Is The Number Of The Peak Sunlight Hours At The House’s Location?

Having in mind that the solar panels only work when under direct sunlight, the first step to determine the peak sunlight hours. Once determined, you can then multiply the figure in hours by the house’s hourly energy usage and divide by the solar panel’s wattage.

Overall for a 1500 square foot house, the number of solar panels that’ll be required should fall around 15 to 18.

Meanwhile for batteries, there are also some factors to be considered to determine the number of batteries that is required to power a house. These factors include the house’s power or electricity usage, the period of time in which the battery will be used as well as the battery’ specifications.

It may be hard to believe with the summers we have in the UK, but there is more than enough sunlight to power solar panels. Solar PV (photovoltaic) panels operate in daylight, rather than needing direct rays from the sun so they’ll work throughout the year.

If you’re thinking about installing ground source heat pumps for your home, you’ll definitely want to know whether or not its worth the money. In this article, we’re going to look at the various benefits and drawbacks of the heat pump to enable you make an informed purchase decision.

As a result of their high efficiency rate and low running cost, ground source heat pumps are incredibly low carbon heating system which are presently experiencing a rapid increase in popularity, therefore they can actually be a valuable investment. This type of heat pump utilizes the constant temperature of the ground to provide warmth to your home - either for a space or for water heating purposes. Upon installation, the cost of running ground source heat pump is relatively low. What’s more? This type of heating system is eligible for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) which means you can also earn an extra income on the side as well. However, what makes most homeowners think twice before installing a ground source heat pump is the high cost of installation.

Heat pumps are greatly essential especially when it comes to minimizing the UK’s total carbon emissions. At present, there about 240,000 units of the heat pump installed and to help attain the UK’s 2050 Net Zero goals, an extra 19 million heat pumps will have to be installed. If you wish to help in the achievement of this goal, you can start by investing in a ground source heat pump. So let’s look at some of the pros and cons of the heat pump.

PROS

✓ Low running costs

✓ Low carbon heating

✓ Energy efficient

✓ Eligible for grants

✓ Increases property value

✓ Provides both cooling and heating

✓ Inexhaustible

CONS

✓ High installation costs.

✓ The soil type impact its level of efficiency.

✓ It can be hard to install in retrofits.

LNB or Low Noise Block simply refers to the feature present at the end of a satellite dish which is attached to the coaxial cables feeding the satellite receiver. There are varying types of LNB which all works in their own special way, however a general function they all provide is to serve as the satellite broadcast signal amplifier and oscillate the signal to a lower frequency band which can be contained by the coaxial cable without too much loss of the cable and the greater the frequency the better the cable resistance and the quicker you’ll lose signal as a result of the cable strength. It should, however, be noted that most LNBs (and not all), oscillate the signal down to the satellite intermediate frequency band ranging from 950Mhz to 2150Mhz.

With the availability of a wide range of LNB types, makes and models, picking the right one for your satellite is crucial as the wrong one may imply your satellite will not work. The most common LNB types are single LNBs and Quad LNBs. The major difference between all types is the amount of output possessed by each LNB. This is what allows extra satellite receivers to be added for additional TV points as well as the inclusion of satellite PVRs which features recordable, play, pause and rewind TV services. For example, a single LNB possesses just one LNB connection for a coaxial cable to be attached. This allows you to connect a standard satellite receiver such as Freesat box or Sky. There are also dual or twin LNB, quad LNB and octo LNB which allows for two (or one satellite PVR), four (two PVRs or one PVR and two standard satellite receivers) and eight separate satellite receivers (four PVRs or combination of both) respectively. There are many other LNB types you can choose from with varying features, so it all depends on your requirements.

Your LPG storage tank should have a gauge that shows you how much fuel it has in it. Most LPG suppliers suggest that you arrange a fuel delivery when the level in your tank gets down to about 20%. Make regular checks, particularly in the winter when you will use more, so you know when levels are low.

How To Replace Roof Tiles

If your roof tiles is cracked, missing or damaged in one form or the other, you may want to read up to see if the replacement is something you can do by yourself. The answer is yes, roof tiles replacement can be done as a DIY project especially if you’re an experienced DIYer or confident enough to tackle the project. However, if you lack the confidence needed to take on this task, then we’d strongly recommend you get in touch with a professional roofer who can guarantee the best results for help. In this article, we’ll show you how you can replace your roof tiles with relative ease. Let’s take a look!

✓ As you would have rightly guessed, the first step to replacing your roof tiles is to remove the existing damaged roof tile to create space for the new tile. In the event whereby the roof tile is nailed to down, you will have to pry the nails off before proceeding with the broken tile removal.

✓ Once the damaged tile has been removed, the next step is to replace the roof tile as there’ll now be a gap in the roofing area. Simply position the new tile rightly into the space that was formerly filled by the old damaged tile.

✓ After successfully placing the new tiles in spot of the removed tile, you’ll now have to replace the overlapping tiles to their correct position to secure them. To this with a hammer to lift the overlapping tiles a little bit, so you can pull them back into the appropriate place.

✓ This final step is not a necessary one. However, if you’d like to secure your roof tiles further, you can simply nail it into place with a hammer.

How To Plaster A Ceiling

Generally, plastering is a very tricky and time consuming job which usually require lots of efforts and practice to get right - with that in mind it gets even a lot trickier when it comes to ceiling plastering.

However, when you’re able to acquire the right know-how as well as tools, ceiling plastering can be completed by any confident DIYer enthusiast without the need to call in a professional. However, if you lack the needed confidence to pull off this task, then we’d recommend you get in touch with a trustworthy professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this guide, we’ll take you through the ceiling plastering process.

You’ll need the following materials to get started: plaster, mixing bucket and paddle, plasterer’s float, plasterer’s towel, bucket trowel, protective gear, bucket of clean water and wide brush.

✓ Prepare the area. When it comes to plastering a ceiling it’s almost unavoidable to leave a mess around and no matter how you do it, your plaster will drop on the floor. Therefore you have put drop sheets on the floor, cover the furniture and put thing you don’t want to get dirty out of the way.

✓ Prepare the ceiling to be plastered. Sand down the uneven patches on the ceiling. Once done, wash the ceiling with a sponge and warm soapy water while also removing all cobwebs as well. Leave the surface to dry once completed.

✓ Mix the plaster or buy a premix plaster. To mix the plaster, simply use equal parts of plaster and water for mixing the plaster,

✓ Plaster the ceiling. Apply a little quantity of plaster to the edge of your trowel and try to spread it in rows to do the job without much hassle. Ensure that the thickness of the coat is thin and even throughout the application. The rough edge of the trowel should be used for the spreading as it’ll help you create scrapes or scratches in the plaster.

✓ Sand the surface