Renting improvements

Renting improvements

While I'm waiting on news regarding the site I hope to build on I've been pursuing improvements to the house I'm renting. I got permission to swap out the front / side security lights with LEDs and found a very diligent Electrician who replaced them. They are very impressive, perhaps not quite as bright at the old 400W halogen but cover a much larger area. They recommend leaving them on when triggered for 20 minutes to give them a long life. They were slaved to an existing PIR, I might have replaced that but wanted to keep the cost down. The landlord reimbursed me but it's worked out great and is a welcome upgrade.
The previous lights were very old and giving out. I tried to replace the bulb out of the one I could reach and open myself but didn't insert the bulb properly but time for a replacement was already due. The rear ones are still working away so will leave them for another time, hopefully someone else's problem by then!

I had a problem with an alert from one of the Argos / Kiddie Smoke & CO2 detectors last week. I installed two, one per floor years ago. It turns out this indicates a fault. They are meant to be replaced every 5 years it seems and these are just beyond that. I'd tried changing the batteries but that didn't clear the fault so it was only when I checked the manual I realised. Keep those manuals!!
I had difficulty finding a replacement set, Argos only do separate Smoke and CO2 detectors now. I did find them again on Amazon from a company called "Landlords Direct" and they have a 10 year Lithium PP3 battery included. they are up and functioning now although they don't "speak" so if you hear them it won't tell you if you're going to choke or burn to death, just get out!!

I've been reading up on push to fit plumbing and think there are a few improvements here I could make. One is regarding saving water in the toilets here. Perhaps with a "Delayed action inlet valve" so fresh cistern water isn't immediately added to the water flushed down the loo.
http://www.thomasdudley.co.uk/bathroom/cistern-components/hydroflo-part-4-float-valve.html
There is also a hippo which reduces the amount of water held in the cistern if you have really old Loo's like I have (Pre-2001).
http://www.hippo-the-watersaver.co.uk/buyhippo_eu.html
Small changes but might be worth asking for permission to install.

We have a noisy pipe in the attic, particularly when I flush the loo. This is due to over demand on the pipe. The fix is to reduce the pressure / slow the water if you have a valve in the attic on that pipe you can partially close. The article below is great for helping to understand what diameter of pipe should be used:
http://www.johnhearfield.com/Water/Water_in_pipes2.htm

Finally the push to fit solution I was investigating is this:
http://www.wavin.co.uk/web/solutions/potable-water/plumbing-systems/pushfit/pushfit-hep2o-26.htm
Very easy to spec, buy and install! Something I can do finally! Screwfix also stock them!

So, interesting learning over this last weekend and a few small project I could start to investigate for when I'm bored!!