cassie

Sorry to "steal" the main thread but.....I am considering installing electric (matting) heating but surely this would mean up-rating considerably the KW. supplied to the house.......with the considerable increase in abonnement ( standing charge ) this would entail! Power consumption seems to be 100-150 watts per sq. metre of matting. On my , small (110 sq. m ), house this would mean 11-16.5 KW. Add on 2.5 kw for the ballon, then all other electrical appliances, etc. Apart from the fact that not all the matting would be on full power all the time, am I missing something ?

Have got Permis to convert outbuilding into habitation in dept. 35. Quotes for c. h. , plumbing, electrics are double U. K. prices. Can we just fit pressure reducer and then install "English" plumbing system, i.e. mostly 15mm.? Or not ?

Have Permis to convert outbuilding into habitation in dept. 35. Quotations for c.h., plumbing, electrics, etc. are double or more what we pay in u.k. Can we just fit a pressure reducer and then plumb as per U. K. (i.e. 15 mm. pipe pretty much everywhere) and use U. K. appliances which, at least, have instructions in English? Or not ?

The mairie tell me to look in the yellow pages...they do NOT have a list of approved artisans for any dicipline !

I have just got the go-ahead for a renovation and I need quotes for various things: 1) supply and installation of wood-burning stove 2) supply and installation of fosse septique needing "filtre verticale sable " 3) central heating ; pref. airsource heat pump with wet underfloor heating 4)etc. Any help,advice,etc would be appreciated

My supply is single phase. I need more power to supply new, soon-to-be-built , adjoining dwelling to be used as gite. This will be supplied via the supply to my current dwelling, which will, therefore, need up-rating, methinks!

Is there an English-speaking help-line for EDF? My "maison secondaire" is in E. Brittany Do they charge if someone subsequently comes out to inspect and advise? I wish to increase the power rating of my Elec. supply....but am not sure by how much. ( to supply an " extension "). Someone said that if you wish to have 15 kw. or more you will be classed as "commercial " with higher tariffs. Any advice appreciated.

Dear Gluestick a) not sure what cynicism you refer to and b) not sure of the relevance of your thread on photo-voltaic panel.... but.... thanks for taking the time!

Thanks for helpful comments. Not got a U.K. pension.....taking early retirement and living (in a year or so ) on the profit made on selling U.K. house. Re: wood burner..... can you recommend a good make and likely installation costs? ( makes sense to me to have the flue internal and then exiting through roof....to take advantage of as much "waste" heat as possible)

Have got Permis to convert outbuilding into habitation (in the countryside) and are considering what type of c.h. to install. Having read many threads , I have come to these conclusions for which I invite ( helpful) comments: 1) heat pumps are too expensive.....as I am coming to retire I would not be earning any money and, hence , have no tax credits, etc 2) The house will be small (120 sq.m ) and the idea of underfloor heating downstairs appeals on many levels : no intrusive rads., more uniform heat, little or no maintenance, etc. 3)Rads. upstairs, rather than UFH might be easier/cheaper. ( I know that they may have to be double the usual size to take into account the low water temp). 4) Can wood-burning stove/boilers run UFH? 5) Assuming the answer is NO, oil seems the best (low maintenance) solution 6) What size storage vessel would I need; what is the price for a double-skinned one; can it be left, in the open, above ground? ? 7) As a back-up, and cos my wife wants one, would have a wood-burning stove as well. Can they REALLY be kept burning all night?

I am looking to buy a 1 or 2 tonne dumper truck and a washing machine for my house near Fougeres. The seller would have to deliver the dumper as I reckon it won`t fit into my boot!! Thanks

What is "doublage"?

I think oak....but how do you tell? Old ... certainly more than 50 years and probably a lot longer.....but....how do you tell?

I wonder why this is SO much dearer than a Condor??

I hope to get a Permis soon to convert an outbuilding in Brittany into habitation. It seems that mineral wool is the major/only type of insulation that is proposed by builders/architects Nobody seems to have heard of P. I. R. ( poly-iso-cyanurate)... trade name Celotex....which has approx half of the conductivity of mineral wool. This means it gives the same degree of insulation for half the thickness.....leading to significantly increased internal volume. If it possible to buy in France how much does it cost? (It is possible to buy seconds of Celotex in U.K.at a supposedly low price) Also, what is the typical cost of mineral wool in France? and where is the cheapest place to buy it for a non-resident? In the U.K. there are always special offers....not long ago Wickes were doing a "Buy one Get THREE free" deal!!.....But it is a bit bulky to transport!! Any advice would be welcome.

Firstly I would like to thank everybody who has contibuted to this topic ! but....how much does a Klargester system... or a a fosse septique Eparco plus a "filtre compact Eparco" cost ?

I am awaiting Permis to convert atelier into my new home. What should I treat current beams and floorboards with ( if anything) to protect against rot and wood-boring/eating insects?

I am awaiting Permis to convert atelier into my new home. What should I treat current beams and floorboards with ( if anything) to protect against rot and wood-boring/eating insects/beetles, etc. ?

I am awaiting Permis de construire in E. Brittany. My fosse etude shows that, as I have granite sub-soil, I have to have a "sable verticale draine " system. This will be expensive as it means many metres of pipe connecting the new fosse to the 5x4 m. filter bed necessary and then many more metres connecting this to the ditch. I have seen a web-site which gives (very little technical ) information about a " micro-station d,epuration " fom a company called Klargester. Does this replace the , very expensive, filter bed ? Or does it replace both the fosse and the filter bed.....or neither? Or....what DOES it do and what does it cost ? and......will it be acceptable to the French as it is different from their traditional solutions ?

My old washing machine has started to cut out and blow the "fuse" as it starts the spin cycle. The extra effort involved seems to be too much for it ! This happens when all other electrical equipment is turned off. Does anyone know a) what the problem is and b) how to cure it (apart from a new machine ) ?

I have a holiday home in E. Brittany. I can hear a noise from inside the beams. It goes rat-a-tat-tat for 2-3 seconds, then 3-4 seconds of silence...........then it repeats. Does anyone know a) what it is b) how to get rid of it ?

Sorry for not replying sooner...on holiday! Not sure what you mean by "if distance is something I can work on" Also, can someone tell me how I can send a private reply email without it being posted. Thanks

We live just west of Fougeres ; does anyone know if we are able to hire, locally,a 3 tonne mini -pelle and dumper truck for a week on a self-drive basis?

Many thanks for all the replies...Quillan, mayday,albert, etc. Much appreciated

Many thanks. Yes, I DID mean AE. Would be exceedingly grateful if someone could let me know if and when the minimum level of revenue changes