Alan Clarke

I've just seen a passivhaus EPC rating of E - low because air heating had failed and was using portable electric, but also dont think it had correct u-values

ASHP+rads install is next week

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 3d

Solar thermal??

Reposted by Alan Clarke

Juraj Mikurcik @jurajmikurcik.bsky.social · 3d

Pretty happy with the final result!

EPC rating for a house showing score of 102 A

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 3d

OK but it's not tiny, 109 litres + mixing valves.

Interesting to see what you can best package into a kitchen corner cupboard (below worktop) - maybe fitting a combi boiler wall cupboard simply needs 10 kW of direct elec boost?

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 3d

Also interested to know - not repairable??

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 3d

I can't help feeling this would be better if you could control the ASHP and pump speed directly to avoid putting cold water into a hot store.
Also I recall high flow gas combis had a small primary store and then a normal size heat exchanger - may be more components but works better??

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 3d

I may be old fashioned but think a standard cylinder is hard to beat - sounds like you could have fitted 110 litres or so with slim cylinder - which is not bad at all, so I'd spend time working on ASHP reheat without losing the stratification that's so good in bog standard cylinders

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 3d

I think issue is that profit from services helps finance the capital - would be more honest to sell flats at real cost and charge for services only when used.
But this would make upfront cost higher so would they sell?

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 3d

This reads like the one knows him well goes by the name of keir starmer!

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 4d

My aunt bought into a self-managed retirement place - and moved out again as found her professional experience meant she got landed with more work than she wanted - now lives in her own house

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 4d

Fair point.
Basically having a daily care service tied into the lease is a bit of a red flag, as is the 70 years minimum age.
Would be fine if rented of course, with a reasonably short notice period.
Do these leases forbids sublet?

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 4d

What is the solution? Service charges only activated on occupancy? Could this be enforced?

Basically retirement flats are a sound idea - my mum is happy with hers - we worried about service charge when looking but it isn't so high and with flat being 15 yrs old the prices are stable

Reposted by Alan Clarke

Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 4d

Wood burners treble children’s exposure to pollution in homes, study finds

- Research in Wales found that home, not outdoor travel, was largest contributor to children’s daily exposure

#airpollution
Story by @drgaryfuller.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Wood burners may treble children’s exposure to pollution in homes, study finds

Research in Wales found that home, not outdoor travel, was largest contributor to children’s daily exposure

www.theguardian.com

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 6d

Note that ordinary steel towel rails will corrode - this needs stainless steel ones - or you need a heat exchanger to separate the heating circuit from the hot water (and then two pumps instead of one)

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 6d

Fwiw the flow temp now is 37 C and was 35 C earlier in day - obvs this depends on radiators vs heat load

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 6d

The auto control has a weather comp curve but you dont set it - it adjusts according to how well room temperature is being maintained, and does it very well.
Also it changes the curve if you change room temp setpoint, and works as room stat too - ie turns heating off when 1 deg above set point

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 6d

On ecodan using auto adapt - it's the room temperature setting option. This needs a room temperature reading of course - we use the wireless remote for this but if the wired controller is in good location then i think this works too...

Reposted by Alan Clarke

Marianne Heaslip @marianneh.bsky.social · 6d

Friends and colleagues of mine are due to be on this next week.

Hoping the TV people do all their hard work and expertise justice!

Promo for 'Guy Martin's House Without Bills: Monday 9th Feb 9pm Channel 4'.

A man (Guy Martin) with short dark hair stands in front of a suburban English house, smiling a bit. It's evening and the lights are on in the house, giving a friendly glow.

Reposted by Alan Clarke

Passivhaus Trust @passivhaustrust.bsky.social · 6d

📺 Guy Martin's 'House Without Bills'

Passivhaus retrofit takes centre stage in the Channel 4 programme Guy Martin’s 'House Without Bills' on Monday 9 February 2026 at 9pm.

Read more:
https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/news/detail/?nId=1534

AECB Passive House Plus Nesta Passive House Accelerator

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 13d

Morning!

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 17d

The girls skipping should have feet on the ground at that point

The bicycle front wheel isnt between the fork blades

Is trouser clip not on chain side a mistake when sat backwards on the bike?

And i dont know but suspect the street lamp is upside down

Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Alan Clarke

Eleanor Morton @eleanormorton.bsky.social · 18d

Tourguide welcomes you to Scotland in January
youtube.com/shorts/vbtmA...

tourguide welcomes you to Scotland in January

YouTube video by Eleanor Morton

youtube.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Alan Clarke

Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 18d

Isn't this a telling aspiration? To want robots to look after your kids, so you can do stuff, rather than robots to do stuff, so you can spend time with your kids?

The darkness inside these shrivelled men must be like a gaping unfillable void.

NOW - Musk: "My prediction is there'll be more robots than people... everyone on Earth is going to have one and going to want one... who wouldn't want a robot to... watch over your kids, take care of your pets... we are in the most interesting time in history."

4:08 PM Jan 22, 2026
223.8K Views

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 19d

But that is my professional understanding of how IR heating works efficiently - by heating the occupant directly when required and not being left in continuously, which is going to cost more than virtually any alternative.

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 19d

That makes good sense - do the standard EPCs give you enough information to work out import/export/onsite use, or is that something you add?

Alan Clarke @alanclarke.bsky.social · 19d

So probably used a default-for-age cavity wall in the model - if you actually have solid wall then possibly the survey was at fault

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