Category Archives: Regular Update

Outbuildings: Week 34, Day 5

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Outbuildings: Week 34, Day 5

Close to zero progress on the Groundworks, after concluding the precast concrete headwall delivered yesterday – with a much larger pipe aperture and protective grating than specified – can’t be used, so needs to be replaced.

The team from Carbon Legacy were back on site to complete the installation of the Tesla PowerWall 3 system, which was finished by lunchtime. All of that seems to be working well – including the 90m Current Transformer clamp connection back to the House, to let the PowerWall monitor the generation from the existing AC-connected solar PV system – and the temporary hook-up of a wired network connection for the PowerWall (which happily connected at 1Gbit/s).

For now the PowerWall monitoring is purely a ‘real time’ display via the Tesla smartphone App; I need to investigate the options for API access and integration into Home Assistant.

The outdoor unit for the air-to-air heat pump was due to be delivered today, but that will now arrive tomorrow. The team from Chellaston Renewables dropped off the three indoor units which they had previously collected from the distributor, ready for installation to start over the weekend.

Outbuildings: Week 34, Day 3

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Outbuildings: Week 34, Day 3

The crushed-stone pathways across the Courtyard were completed, following the good progress yesterday, despite some wet weather at the start of the day.

Most of the flow control units finally arrived – except for the concrete headwall which allegedly got damaged during transfer to the delivery vehicle so a replacement is expected tomorrow.

Western end of the rainwater attenuation pond – where the concrete headwall will be located. The black polythene cylinder is the housing for the 30mm orifice plate that will restrict the outflow from the pond.

Things are pretty wet at the bottom of the pond – believed to be as much due to the high water table as recent rainfall that’s unable to infiltrate the ground. The plan is to connect up the outfall from the pond first, before the inlet, since quite a head of water will have built up in the underground pipework that (currently) has nowhere to drain to. The bottom of the polythene chambers will need bedding in concrete so much of the water will need to be pumped / bailed out in the morning – hoping the holes don’t immediately refill. Fortunately there’s no rain forecast overnight or all day tomorrow.