Search:

I've just got an old kero heater. Good enough for the purpose (wouldn't want it in the house though). Kero's getting more expensive, but I only use 25 litres or so a year so it's not too bad.

I'm not sure how much the temperatuce fluctuates with the gas water heaters, but with electric there is a heat, cool and heat again cycle of a few degrees even with no water use.

When heating...

Can't argue with that.

But in my opinion any hot water service that doesn't supply at least 60 degrees to the kitchen and laundry is, from the average consumer's perspective, faulty since it...

Correct. :)

Agreed about the efficiency of heat pumps but I'm puzzled as to why you'd want to turn it on only every two days?

If your aim is to cut greenhouse gas emissions etc then I can see the benefit in...

Thanks everyone. :)

I've been closing the top vent and leaving the bottom one open so it sounds like I've got it completely the wrong way around. I'm guessing this might have something to do with...

I have a Saxon wood heater and it's making a smell. I don't mean smoke coming out of the flue, I mean a burning / smoke smell coming out of the heater itself. It's not enough to see, but I can smell...

I pay for electricity at 3 different rates and have one of these meters plus a conventional analogue meter.

The rates are:

Off-peak (for the hot water).

Space heating (my utility charges...

Take note about that capacitor. It's charged and dangerous even whem the microwave isn't plugged in. You'll know all about it real quick if you come in contact with it.:o:o:o

The local council sent me a set of guidelines when I enquired about this a few years ago. Mostly the requirements were distances from anything flammable rather than specifying actual materials - it's...

Having spent 13 years working on traffic lights, I've changed a bulb or two... :D Actually, I'd estimate that it's in the order of 25,000 that I've changed.

Bottom line is problems generally are...

Agreed they should be tested.

One problem with some inverters though is that the thermostats are outright dodgy.

Say you set it to 22 and it's in heating mode. Obviously if the temp drops to...

I'm not convinced about Fujitsu, at least not for heating in a cold climate (eg Tas).

Bottom line is at work we have a Fujitsu and last winter it was constantly cutting out on the coldest...

Why would you want to rinse things before putting them in the dishwasher?

I have a Westinghouse and it works fine. I just put everything in as-is with no scraping, rinsing or anything like that....

Is NEFA not a good brand? :?

What I am trying to work out, by checking the relief valve maximum discharge rate when open, is whether the problem is on the inlet or outlet side of the hot water cylinder plumbing. That is, not...

Put a new anode in and with a bit of luck it will last a while yet.

Surburban line configuration varies a bit between locations but the following is the most common arrangement in Tas.

Top - 3 wires for the 11, 22 or 33kv high voltage.
Next row - 4 wires at...

You could patch it and it would probably work. But if there's a hole then it means the whole cylinder is almost certainly very rusty on the inside (and will still be rapidly corroding away assuming...

1. Have you measured the flow from a cold tap? If so, how many litres per minute?

2. Have you checked that the inlet valve to the water heater is fully open?

Also, does the flow drop...

Also it is common to run more than one circuit on a pole or tower. So the six wires on a transmission line are two (3 phase) circuits.

The ends of those may be in totally different places - the...

Be warned that if you end up with one of these tempering valves installed on the kitchen supply then in practice your hot water is useless. At best you'll be forever running it through the pipes to...

I'm not a plumber (sparkie) but it looks stuffed to me judging by the rust stains.

Leaks usually occur because the cylinder has corroded from the inside. The metal would be getting pretty thin...

This is a professional testing tool used to test wiring. It must never be connected to any electronic devices or it WILL fry them. Used properly it performs a useful function.

Used incorrectly...

If you use a heat pump then electricity is at least as efficient from fuel in ground to hot water at the tap. In most cases it is more efficient though not by much. Ordinary electric systems are a...

It's hard to comment site unseen but if it's only 15A then it will probably just be a case of some work in the switchboard and at the oven with no new cable required. I did say probably though as it...

I wonder if the Qld government realises that water consumption will certainly rise with these units? Every time you turn on the tap, several litres are wasted before hot water comes out of the unit...

Just point about the flow restrictors.

The supposed benefit of the instant units is that they use less energy. Unless you don't have somewhere to put a decent sized tank, that's really the only...

Messing about adjusting the temperature of the hot water would be a bit irritating in my opinion. I like being able to run the washing machine on warm, fill the sink with genuinely hot water or...

I'm interested in finding out a bit more about actual, as opposed to award or any other commonly quoted figure, rates of pay for certain positions.

Labourers (skilled)
Electricians
Supervisors...

If the voltage is right and the globe isn't overheating (for example, in a small enclosure) then vibration is the most likely explanation.

I've installed an awful lot of cables into new and existing underground conduits over the past decade or so and my observations are this:

1. Do NOT use any conduit less than 50mm.

2. If the...

Bosses like that haven't worked out how much it is costing them. Either that or they are duds themselves who don't care anyway.

As for me, I go out of my way to actively encourage feedback both...

For me honesty and reliability are absolutely the most important.

That's closely followed by productivity - but I'd rather have a slow, reliable and honest worker than a fast, unreliable and...

Yes, very good with the woodheater going. Not only brings the heat down from the ceiling but keeps it a lot warmer at floor level too - no more cold feet. That's all I use mine for and it's placed...

I'd be highly surprised if a failed fan really requires replacing the entire unit. Unless the something has been seriously warped, melted etc then just replace whatever part (bearings?) has failed...

If it's turning quickly, turns the right way, the blades are around the right way and aren't warped or damaged then the only explanation I can think of is that it's too close to the roof.

The...

Yep. I know that. :U :U

For the moment it's on a power circuit, same one as the dishwasher and a few other minor loads. But I can't see the dishwasher and oven on at the same time (wouldn't make...

In Tas we have electrical inspectors but most individual jobs aren't checked unless it's an unusual installation, involves high voltage, is done by a newly licensed person or is done by a person with...

Best way I've found to brush up on skills is to apply them. If you own any property then (this might vary by state?) you don't need a contractor's license to do electrical work on it. Likewise any...

I have a similar setup with a freestanding electric oven/grill with gas hob. The power is simply connected by an ordinary 10 amp plug - it literally just plugs into an ordinary power point. It was...

Is this an electric oven with electric top also?

Or is it electric oven with gas top?

Yes, it makes a pretty big difference to what needs to be done.

I assume the present cooking is all...

Probably just as well I only used it temporarily then...

Best advice I can give for finding a good electrician is to avoid the very large contractors with lots of employees. They tend to be the "employer of last resort" where there's always a job...

Just make sure you get the wires around the right way. It DOES matter and it will be dangerous, potentially deadly, if it's wrong.

No problem fitting an Australian plug though, as long as it's...

I was told that it would be quite safe to use a water hose for gas some time ago as I couldn't get a proper gas hose at the time - and this meant 4 people and machinery standing around doing nothing...

There certainly is asbestos roof insulation. It's loose fill - so no panic if you have batts. Note however that most loose fill is NOT asbestos - it's rockwool, shredded newspaper or less commonly...

What colour are you looking for? Black or something else?

No need to seal it and it would be safest not to unless you're absolutely sure whatever you seal it with won't burn (and worse still, burn and melt / drip burning goo at the same time).

The flue...

Black high temperature paint for pot belly stoves etc is readily available in from most large hardware or paint stores. Comes in a tin or aerosol and is commonly known as "pot belly black".

Be...