Replacing Radiators, Imperial to Metric

These last few winters in the dale have taken their toll on us, in our quest to keep warm we have introduced double glazing, draft proofed the doors and installed a Chimney Sheep.

The last job on the list to improve the warmth was the central heating upgrade. I could put it off no longer It was time to bite the bullet and replace the radiators in the house.  The old ones are well… really old, painted (I hate painted radiators), chipped, flaky and cold.

Technology has moved on somewhat and for the same size radiator today, you can get a lot more heat output - ‘British Thermal Unit’ or BTU - for your buck. So by simply replacing the radiators, like for like, type 11 and type, 21 as appropriate I was hoping to warm the rooms a little better than before. All new radiators have fins or convectors, which my old ones sadly lacked.  These fins or convectors increase the surface area, without increasing the size of the radiator and allow more heat to be radiated away and into the room.

Ever the optimist, I was hoping it would be a simple job of lift off, lift on, but nothing is ever as simple as that, is it.

Measuring up, it became all too apparent that the radiators I have don’t conform to the standard sizes of today.  For example, the width of the bathroom radiator was 520mm, while the standard radiators today come in 100mm increments; 400mm, 500mm or 600mm etc wide.

What made my job a little more difficult is the fact that all of our heating pipes are plastered into the walls so repositioning the pipes was, in my opinion, going to create far too much work.

The likes of B&Q have telescopic radiator valve extenders but the reviews of them left a lot to be desired, with a tendency to leak and at £8.00 each, not something I was prepared to put my faith in.

I eventually found some solid radiator extensions in a place call toolstation, I’d not heard of them but service and quality of items was great.  It’s a bit like Argos for tools, if you pardon the expression.  The solid radiator extensions are considerably cheaper too, starting at £0.68 for the 10mm and going all the way up in 5mm increments to 40mm at £2.60 ish.

Happily, this meant that it was eventually a case of ‘lift off, lift on’ after some alterations to the wall brackets.
 
The picture below shows a 40mm extension in place on the living room radiator. (I've put a 40mm extension on both sides of the radiator).

The picture below shows a 10mm extension in place on the bathroom radiator. (Same again here, I've put a 10mm extension on both sides of the radiator).

Job done.

How to install a boot light in a Fiat Panda

This panda of mine is strange, for some reason it doesn't have a boot light, another cost saving measure from Fiat I guess. Luckily most Pandas come with everything installed for the boot light except the light itself.

The photo below shows the whole in the left hand side of the boot under the parcel shelf (2). You will have the mounting but no light fitting. The two cross head screws (1) and a hole for black plastic clip (3).
 

(Cam C902)

Firstly you need to gain access to the wiring, begin by removing the two cross head screws (1) in the picture.

After the screws are out pull the top of the carpet away from behind the plastic shelf fittings and from the rubber seal around the door frame.

 

Locate the wire with the white plug from behind the carpet. As in my picture it will most likely be taped to the bigger bundle of wires, if so remove the tape.

You can then feed the plug, the black plastic clip and the wire thorough the prepared crosshair cut in the carpet. The picture below shows the plug, wire and clip correctly inserted through the carpet.

Make sure the black plastic clip can reach its hole in the shelf fitting (marked as (3) in the first picture), then slide the carpet back into place behind the plastic fittings and fix into place with the screws.

Pass the wire through the light mounting hole (2) and then connect the light which should, in theory illuminate. Remember that the boot light times out after a certain length of time, so don't panic! Closing and re-opening the boot should activate the light.

The light fitting slides up into the mounting and will then snap in to place. The black plastic clip that supports the wire pushes, from behind the bracket, into the hole (3).

The last job to be done is to put the carpet back behind the rubber boot seal.

 

The light fitting is Fiat part number 0051878127

The door switch to turn the light on and off should already installed. BUT...do check!

Do make sure your car has the appropriate boot latch incorporating the microswitch for detecting open/closed condition or you will be disappointed. I have read that some models don't have the appropriate boot latch.

I don't know how you tell, but thinking out loud here...I would expect the 'door open' dashboard light to be an indicator that you have the appropriate boot latch. For example, with the engine on, all four doors closed and the boot open making a red 'door open' dashboard light appear, I assume this means I have the appropriate boot latch incorporating microswitch for detecting open/closed condition. That's the test I did before buying the part.

Good luck

Installing a 12v power socket in a Fiat Panda

I’ve just been getting a 2009 Fiat Panda 1.3 Multijet.  For some strange reason it doesn’t have a 12v socket for the likes of my sat nav or ipod.  Doing some reading on the Fiat forum it appears that this is not an unusual occurrence, and doesn’t necessarily follow any model / spec detail??

 

This is where the 12v socket should be in the Panda (Cam C902)

Very strange? Why Fiat would leave out a £20 fitting that seems to be standard in all cars is any ones guess, welcome to the world of Fiat I suppose.

Anyway, after lots of reading on various Fiat forums two things were clear to me; if the wiring loom had a connector under the central console for a 12v socket, AND you had a fuse sitting in position F85 then I think it’s safe to say that your only missing the 12v socket fitting. 

PLEASE NOTE - Some owners have reported having either the connector or the fuse, but not both and in these circumstances any upgrade didn't work!  Therefore please check before buying any parts.

A quick check showed I had both, phew!

In short…. If you have one of these….

And one of these…See the highlighted fuse in position F85 (Fuse box in the engine compartment )

Then you only need this…..

Fitting Instructions
Ok, here’s your fitting instructions, you need two small flatbed screwdrivers and less than half an hour of your time.

Fitting is quite simple, pop out the tray in the central console with some flat blade screwdrivers.

Fit the orange casing through the new console trim making sure you align the cap to the right orientation.

Fit the 12v socket through the orange casing (it will only go in one way)

 

Connect the wiring loom connector to the socket and test with a suitable appliance (sat nav).  Remember the socket only has power while the ignition is switch on.

 

Once you have confirmed power is getting to the socket switch off and snap the trim in to place.

Job done.

Original part number for the trim 0735441990
Original part number for the 12v socket 0735383175

I got my parts from ebay, but any parts department should be able to get them.

Good luck.

White Knight Tumble Dryer Repair

We’ve have a White Knight 38 AW Tumble Dryer for the last three years.  Last week during a cycle it began to make the most horrendous rasping noise, as if the drum metal was rubbing against the outer casing.

 

White Knight 38 AW - ready for it's operation... (Cam C902)

It turns out that the dryer drum rests on some felt padding attached to the casing.  The felt padding had completely warn away and the drum was indeed rubbing (metal to metal) against the casing.

 You can see the felt has completely gone! (Cam C902)

The felt must be replaceable as checking web-sites for replacement parts I found some replacement sticky-back felt strips for £2.80 so thought it was worth having a go at repairing it myself, £2.80 isn’t going to break the bank nor can I make the problem worse. I ordered two strips, thinking one would be a backup in case I made a mistake but as it turned out, I needed both to complete the repair.  My order came to £9.50 (inc delivery).

 Felt Strips... not very high tech  (C902)

Time to strip the dryer down… First job was to remove the lid, attached by the three screws at the top of the casing.

 The back ready to be stripped (Cam C902)

Next for removal is the fan and element protector panel, (screws) followed by the heating element itself (more screws).

Nothing difficult so far... (Cam C902)

To make sure I remember where to replace the wiring I always take pictures for reference, (very handy for writing the blog too).

  The wires need to be removed so it's important to replace them correctly (Cam C902)

 Then the back casing can be removed… but not completely.  The fan blades do not allow you to remove the back casing totally but for this job you don’t need to.  As long as the back casing is tilted on an angle so that the ridge for the drum is exposed that’s enough.

 Time to clean and repair (Cam C902)

I then gave the ridge a good clean and vacuum,  the cleaner the better so the sticky felt strips have more chance of adhering to the ridge surface.  Sticking the felt strips on couldn’t be easier, just take your time and align them well.

 Felt strips in place (Cam C902)

Getting the drum back on the rim might be a little tricky as it’s now padded with new felt, it may help if you have someone to take the weight of the drum from the front to allow you to position the back casing.

 Nice snug fit (Cam C902)

Fitting is the reversal of the removal, remember to check your wiring too.  Job done! A £10 repair and an hours labour at most.  That's got to be better than £129 to buy a new dryer.

It’s obvious that the replacement felt was not a direct replacement part, nor does it appear to be as thick as the original but it works.  I will no doubt keep my eyes out for some similar sticky-back felt as it’s sure to ware out again.

Hope you find this useful.

Building a wildlife pond - Part 4

You can find Part 1 here  

You can find Part 2 here  

You can find Part 3 here  

Once you have added underlay protection to your pond and bought your pond liner you are ready for the last steps. A flexible liner is a popular choice for several reasons: it’s easier to transport since it comes folded in a box; it’s easier to install, it also allows you complete freedom of choice as far as the pond shape and depth is concerned.

9. Position the liner over the hole.
Lay the liner across the hole. Handle it gently and only tread on it with soft-soled shoes or bare feet. Weigh down the edges with enough rock to hold the liner in place, but not so much as to stop it from folding in to the pond as the liner fills with water. 

The most awkward job of the whole project. The small liner was 0.5 meters too small by my calculations and I couldn't take the chance. I had to go for the medium one which left lots of spare and much more cumbersome to move and arrange. (Cam C902)

Try and adjust the liner as you go. Tricky, very tricky (cam C902)

10. Start filling the pond liner.
As the water level rises the weight of the water will pull the liner into the contours of the hole. Adjust the rocks as required around the edge to allow this to happen.
You can cut off any excess liner once the pond is completely full but don’t do an exact trim until all your edging material is laid.  Remember you can trim any excess underlay material at this stage.

Trim the edges to something more manageable. Cam C902)

11. Lay your edging material.
Depending on what you are using for the edge of the pond this will either be number 11 or 12 on the job list.  I was using rocks from around the garden and wanted them to lay on top of the liner with the liner folded up behind the rock so that I could fill the pond further to allow the rocks sit in the water.  (If you are finishing off with turf or paving slabs then when the pond is full trim the liner and bury the edges in a trench filled with soil and cover with turf or paving slabs).

12. Trim off excess liner when the pond is full.
Once I was happy with the placement of all the rocks I gave the liner a final close trim.

13. Stock the pond with oxygenating plants.
Give your pond a day or two for the chlorine in the water to dissipate and then add your oxygenating plants.

Final jobs consisted of planting the submerged plants and marshy type plants. Arranging the rocks so that there are a few entrance and exits for any frogs or other wildlife. (Cam C902)

This visitor has come of his own accord, hope he is checking the pond out with a view to moving in. (Cam C902)

And that’s about it… don’t worry about the wildlife, it will find its own way to your pond.  All you have to do is sit back and enjoy.

And here is my pond three or four months old, it looks quite established now.  (Cam C902)

Good luck with your pond, let me know how you get on.

Building a wildlife pond - Part 3

You can find Part 1 here  

You can find Part 2 here  

Hopefully, you have decided the location, shape and size on your pond.  You have dug it out and re-deposited the soil and removed any sharp objects, stones and root systems.

All roots and sharp stones removed (Cam C902)

This next bit is a lot of fun…

7. Line the hole with a layer of soft building sand
If you enjoyed playing on the beach and building sand castles you’ll enjoy this job.  The sand sticks to the sidewalls of the pond much better than I expected so it's just a case of having fun.

Lined with sand, the first line of protection for the actual PVC liner. The sand was really fun to do and it started to look half decent. (Cam C902)

8. Line the sanded hole with underlay material.
This is the second line of protection for the actual PVC liner.  I used some bits of carpet underlay for the base of the pond and some spare roof liner material for the base and walls of the pond.  I held them in place with a few rocks.  (Doesn’t matter what this looks like as once the pond is finished you’ll never see it)

Lined with underlay the second line of protection for the actual PVC liner (Cam C902)

The liner will sit on the top of this and before you create a pond lip with the pond liner you trim off all of the visible excess underlay material.

I used a flexible PVC liner, these are the most common as they will adapt to any size and shape pond.

To calculate the size of the liner you require get you calculator and tape measure out and use the following formula

Length = length of pond + (2 x maximum depth) + 1m edging
Width = width of pond + (2 x maximum depth) + 1m edging

There are a few online calculators like the one here

Only a few steps to go now.

You can find Part 4 here

Building a wildlife pond - Part 2

You can find Part 1 here

So, hopefully you have though about the location, shape and size on your pond.  Now it’s time to get your hands dirty.

This space is just crying out to be used. (Cam C902)

2. Clear the top surface area of the pond from gravel, turf, grass etc and either reuse in other parts of the garden or keep to one side for any finishing touches.
This is a simple task and can be done in a spare half an hour, maybe after work through the week.

3. Before you dig know where the excavated soil is going to go.
This might seem like a simple consideration but believe me, more soil comes out of the ground than you can ever get back in.  What I didn’t consider until I starting digging was how compacted the soil was.  The very act of digging aerates the soil, which means you have about twice in volume to dispose of as comes out of the hole. 

Think about where this soil will go, unless you can disperse it elsewhere in the garden or you are planning to use it as the base for a rockery or other raised feature, you will have to order a skip and have it taken away.

I didn't consider this and had to do a bit of garden design on the hoof.  I ended up creating a whole new bedding area as a result.

After my first session, clearing the gravel, having a bit of a dig and realising I was going to have a lot of soil to get rid of. (Cam C902)

4. Dig the pond site to your planned shape and depth.
I dug the pond over a few days as I was re-depositing the soil as I went along.  I only have a small pond and I still found this hard work so spread it over a couple of evenings after work so that I could do the liner at the weekend.  I also didn’t want to make myself sick trying to do everything in one go.

 Doesn't look any different but I removed lots more soil.  Looks like I settled on a giant foot shape! (Cam C902)

Any larger stones I kept to one side until I was completely finished in case they were needed later.

5. Measure the deep end to make sure you are down far enough.
Dig a hole approximately 20cm deeper than required to allow for sand, matting and liner. Remember the deepest point needs to be at least 75cm so adding the 20cm mean a hole depth of 95cm.  You don't have to have a even depth at the bottom, as you can see below I opted for a deeper section to one end.

A final deep hole that should resist freezing. All roots and sharp stones removed (with a cut finger for my troubles) (Cam C902)

6. Clear the hole of any stones, roots, sharp edges and loose dirt.
This can be time consuming but the more diligent you are the better for the pond and the less likely you are at putting a hole in the pond liner.  You'll notice all the roots in the first photo have disappeared by the second photo.

You can find Part 3 here  

You can find Part 4 here