What is a GTIN?

When purchasing plumbing units, what is a GTIN? GTIN stands for Global Trade Item Number. It can be encoded in a barcode or RFID tag.

What are Ceramic Faucet Cartridges?

Ceramic disc faucets are an alternative to rubber washers which degrade over time. They are much tougher and able to deal with extreme temperatures. They are operated by applying a quarter turn (excessive pressure can damage the ceramic discs). Older faucets need two full turns. Ceramic discs can be impacted by hard water making them less durable.

What is the standard distance between bath taps?

 The standard distance between bath taps is 180mm or 18cm.

Set Screw and the "M" Designation Explained

A set screw is also known as a grub screw and it used to attach one object to another.

The "M" designation for metric screws indicates the "nominal outer diameter" of the screw in mm.

A diameter is the longest chord of a circle.

The Allen Key, Allen Wrench or Hex Key (Hexagonal Wrench)

The Allen Key, also known more descriptively as the Hex Key, is used to turn hexagonal screws or drive in hexagonal bolts.

It is an L shape and has a long "arm" which is used to generate torque.

Each key is designed to be used by screws of a specific size, and so the tool is often sold in kits of varying sizes.

Inches to Centimetres

1 inch = 2.54 cm

6 inches = 15.24cm

12 inches = 30.38cm = 1 foot

Dust Masks

Bromsgrove-based Harris make dust masks (more formally known as respirators) for protection against non-hazardous dusts. European standard EN149 defines various categories of dust mask - ranging from FFP1 which filters 80% of airborne particles, FFP2 which works at 94% of airborne particles to FFP3 at 99%. FFP1 is sufficient for paint dust, concrete/plaster and filler dust.

Executive Chairs

There are many kinds of executive chairs and all kinds of interesting features associated with them.

Some alternatives for seats:

1. Leather upholstery
2. Bonded leather - also known as reconstituted or blended leather
3. Faux leather - sometimes called "bicast" leather
4. Air mesh fabric

Glossary of terms:

1. Upholstery - work of providing furniture with padding, springs and fabric and leather covers.

Evo-Stik Serious Glue

This is a product from Bostik suitable for all materials in all conditions and is waterproof as well.  It is also resistant to cold temperatures down to -30 degrees Celcius.

Drywall - also known as Plasterboard

Drywall is known by various names, including plasterboard, wallboard or gypsum board and is used for interior walls and ceilings. It became popular in the 1930s as a replacement for the lath and plaster approach (which actually has better sound proofing capabilities than plasterboard, but is more expensive to install).

Solvent Cement

Solvent cement is used for welding thermoplastic piping and sheets together, It does this by softening the material being bonded and forming a waterproof seal. The type of solvent cement must be compatible with the thermoplastic to form a strong bond.

Engine Oil

Engine oil, or motor oil, is a lubricant for internal combustion engines, found in cars and even lawnmowers.  The lubrication increases the efficiency of moving parts which move against each other. Lack of it increases fuel consumption and can lead to engine failure.

Rubbing of engine parts can lead to microscopic metallic parts deposited and circulated in the oil. Therefore an oil filter is often used to clean the oil.

Fog Lights

In fog, you should use fog lights due to limited visibility. They are designed for use in dangerously thick fog. They are completely separate units from regular lights.

Fog light beams are flat and wide, positioned low on the car. Their goal is to cut through fog and light up the road surface so drivers can see the road and stay in lane.

Fog lights are strong - so most places outlaw their use except in severe weather including thick fog. As soon as fog clears or mist dissipates drivers should turn off their fog lights.

Modern vehicles are typically equipped with front and rear fog lights.

Microwave Wattage

Microwave wattage ("microwattage") typically ranges from 700-1200W. The higher the wattage the faster the food cooks.

AA Batteries - 1.5V versus 1.2V

AA batteries come in two voltages - 1.5V and 1.2V which is more common on rechargeables. Most modern electronic equipment should take into account the lower voltage of rechargeable batteries.

Duracell make a rechargeable AA HR6/NiMH at 1.2V (the prefix HR refers to rechargeable batteries, as compared to LR which are standard alkaline batteries). They last 25 hours in a wireless game controller based on an ANSI Digital Audio test.

Duracell Rechargeables AA-type come in two varieties - 2400mAh which is called Rechargeable Ultra and Rechargeable Plus which is 1300 mAh. The Ultra and Plus are not marked on the batteries themselves, but the mAh are. From a buyer's perspective, the higher the mAh the longer the battery will last. An analogy is the size of a gas tank. A possible way to increase mAh is to increase the strength of the electrolytic solution in the battery. They are made in Japan.

NiMH stands for Nickel metal-hydride and these types of batteries were invented in 1967. The European Union Battery Directive caused NiMH batteries to replace Ni-Cd batteries for portable consumer use. Metal hydrides are metals bonded with hydrogen often in a covalent bond, where atoms share electrons.

What is a Ballast in terms of light fittings?

The ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides enough voltage to start the lamps in a fluorescent lighting system.

What are encaustic tiles?

Encaustic tiles are ceramic tiles which have a pattern on the surface. That pattern is not a product of glaze but of different colours of clay.

The Radiator Key

Radiator keys are used to bleed radiators.

This process starts with first turning off your central heating. thus preventing more air from entering the system.  The key is inserted into a valve and carefully turned anticlockwise (usually a quarter or half turn). The trapped air will start to escape with a hissing sound. When water starts to dribble out the air has been purged.

A cloth or small bowl should be kept underneath the bleed valve to absorb any leaking water. Also protect your hand as any escaping water may be very hot.

Tighten back the valve once done (be careful as water leaving the radiator may be very hot).

Turn back on central heating, check radiator heats up and no more water is coming from the valve.

Tyre Tread Depth

Before checking tyre tread depth, ensure you are on a flat surface with ample distance from the kerbs, the car is switched off and secured with a parking brake.

Tyres must have a minimum of 1.6mm of tread depth across at least 75% of the central width of the tyre and around the entire circumference.

Tyre Pressures

Check your tyre pressures regularly, otherwise you may:

1. Decrease grip on the road (and make steering less precise)
2. Increase braking distance
3. Increase fuel consumption (by increasing rolling resistance)
4. Potentially reduce the lifespan of your tyres

Tyres should always be checked regularly and more so before long journeys.