GrahamC Posted March 6, 2012 Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 I'm having some renovations done at present, and after removing the gib from the bathroom wall, have discovered a 60 cm wall space right next to the chimney stack which leads directly to the roof. It's 1m long but could be 2m if i removed the chimney ( which is being used to vent the gas fire ). There are some cracks in the mortar holding the bricks so perhaps I should think of removing it, but that is a long more work than I had planned. Oddly the chimney is not tied to the house. Maybe that allows the house to move independently of the chimney when there is a quake. If I put an in wall 1m x 55 cm x 60 cm tank, will I be causing myself too much grief lacking access to the back? I would regib the bathroom side as shower is going there, and open it up on the other side over and next to the fire place. I could plumb in waste to go to the bathroom plumbing, or just perhaps put a tap in so I can reuse the water for the household plants, or perhaps plumb it to a large container outside where the fish water can be collected. Another possibility is to put a sola tube in directly above so I can have an inside, in wall aquaponics setup. I have a cupboard below this in wall space where I am growing borer, and I could put the pumps and a sump if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 6, 2012 Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 What fun! We need progress pics :bounce: Make sure you have access from the top - net handles, lifting stuff in and out etc. You don't need the whole chimney to vent the gas fire do you? It has its own much narrower flu running up the chimney? It would be worth the effort to remove the rest and add a bigger tank Your bathroom does have a bath in which you can wallow and watch the tank inhabitants I assume? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodKing Posted March 6, 2012 Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 From recent chimney experience some are to be load bearing and some are free standing. Not sure on the rules or when they have been played with. I know it's fairly extraordinary circumstances but I wouldn't live with a chimney again. I spent weeks pulling them out of peoples living rooms after Sept and Feb. It takes a bit of effort to remove them but it's no more than a weekend to get it all out, re-framed and gibbed. Although, removal then begs the question, do you have to get your flue recertified? My 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamstar99 Posted March 6, 2012 Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 Removing the chimney can certainly be a big job. The demo, re gib, new floor and roof. Do you have any pics of the situation now graham? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 I took some images with my cell. The wall lining has been removed from the bath room, and the in wall piping has been done for the new corner shower. I don't have to remove all the chimney, just that part which is above waist height, and then I would gain a space which spans the bathroom, and is about 60 cm deep. On the other side of the wall is the living room, and fireplace so I would have to figure out what to do about the gas fire vent. I'm not sure people in the living room want to watch me having a shower or bath! I guess I could add some venetians. The walls are not load bearing, and this particular timber is riddled with borer ( presumably bathroom damp has softened the wood). Below the floor, the chimney is encased in concrete in the basement. So I already have to regib ( or glaze! ), no need for new floor if I do a partial tear down, and I could put a solar dome where the chimney penetrates the roof. With that degree of sun light maybe I could grow some corals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamstar99 Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Re the flue, you could just take the chimney down and put a new stainless flue up. that would give you more room but not all the space. There may also be implications with venting you gas as well. Some heaters have limited venting options. I think id just have the viewing from the living room. Not sure how much you want to spend but you will certainly have water tight issues if you had the tank backing on to the shower. Maybe a cupboard or doors over the top of the tank for access. Cupboards under for sump etc. Also have to watch what you are loading your tank down on to as well if your tank starts getting big. PS borer love the old rimu. If its there its probably in a lot of the other rimu around the house as well. Nothing to do with the damp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 I think it would be attractive to me to have access on both sides, and I was thinking of perhaps putting a window type frame around the bathroom side, except where the shower is, and the shower would be sealed off with aqua gib and shower panels etc. I could add some jack studs under the floor in this region supported by the concrete pad of the basement, or perhaps tie the aquarium to what's left of the chimney? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamstar99 Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 yeah as long as the window and access arnt in the shower inclosure it self that will be a nice idea. the chimney will support one end of the tank and if the end is close to walls down stairs it should be ok as long as you arnt loading up any timber joists mid span. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 got the builder coming round this evening to give me a quote ... wife doesn't know yet what is being planned! But I do see cracks in the mortar so that's a good enough reason for me to remove the chimney :slfg: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Builder wants to rip out the chimney to the floor, and also remove the gas heater! Nicholson Glass does all his glass work, so he is asking them to come round to advise on the tank build. I'd imagine that water changes could be quite painful if my TV is going to be under the tank. So, thinking I need a reservoir of dechlorinated water in the basement hooked up to a pump so I can automate water changes. So, I'll need an overflow in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 my TV is going to be under the tank the best place for a TV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepsnana Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Beware the Jandal :slfg: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirt Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Maybe it'd be a good idea to get the tank made a little bit smaller than the width and length and then you can insulate it better? Sound like a good idea, and that wall looks solid brick, our chimney which was taken out (and is now where the turtle tank is :thup: ) was 6 tonnes of brick... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Sure. i was planning on using polystyrene to insulate the bottom, and short sides. As for the TV position, I figure a water spill might mean a new TV every year. My current LCD lacks both a MHL port, and a network port. Of course insurance might object after a few consecutive claims :slfg: 6 tonnes of brick huh? I'll have to think if i can recycle that into some thermal mass somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Beware the Jandal :slfg: That could be an issue. I might have to give up my existing 4 tanks for this one .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 You'll want to be very sure that the heat from the flue doesnt affect the tank temperature?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Builder reckons I should lose the old style gas heater since I've already put in a heat pump in the room. So, no flue proposed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Going to use polystyrene for the non visible sides. Does ECCA provide a grant for this? Also wondering if it would be too expensive/or worth it, to double glaze the visible sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Meeting with Port Nicholson Glass today. Advised to pull everything out and put in a steel frame, and not rest it on the chimney. Steel allows us to relevel and block if the house is not level ( which it isn't). Only one overflow hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 This is the other side of the wall. From left to right the wall is about 60 cm deep, and then changes to 30 cm at about 1.9 m. So, I can't have a Kim Dotcom style aquarium right across unless I fake it. I was thinking of putting a 1.9m x 0.6m x 0.5m (h), and then continuing with xm x 0.3m x 0.5m to the other end. They would be adjacent so first look one would think it's a continuous aquarium but they would be 2-3 tanks placed end to end. I would have cupboard doors ( upwards opening) above provide acccess for cleaning, and lighting, power sockets etc. The plan is to remove the fireplace, gas heater, and mantel piece, and replace the fire place with cupboards for china etc. Other sites I looked at say keep the fireplace as it adds value. Others have put tanks into the fireplace. I'm thinking I should go for a cleaner modern look. I could possibly put more shelving for books etc above the cupboards, but this is the new world ... how many ebooks can one stack? Or just create spaces for vases etc ... Undecided whether to bring a solar tube down where the chimney is being removed so I could possibly run a marine tank in the future, but I'm thinking it might be too labour intensive, and costly for spouse to approve! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 Chimney and fireplace being removed right now! Most painful thing for any tank I think is the PWC so I want to automate this. I was thinking of each tank having an overflow hole near the top, and a pipe that drops down to the middle or near base. On the exterior this dumps to a vertical drain like they use in dishwashers. Don't want a siphon to form. I would then have a reservoir of dechlorinated water in the basement, and a pump that sequentially fills each tank with 25% new water at the top. So I'd lose some of the new water as it goes in but not much. For filtration, depending on the fish. A cannister for gold fish, and perhaps sponge filters for the tropicals. I can use a fluidised K1 chamber sitting above the sponge filter. Like this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Chimney, fireplace and gas heater all gone. Big hole in roof. Sola tube guy came to provide a quote. Considering doing at least some Walstad NPTs using the sola tube to provide the sunlight. And that would hopefully reduce the need to do much in the way of water changes. Still going to put in some plumbing in case I can't get it to work, and now's the best time to do the plumbing. Going to buy some potting mix to try this out on a spare tank ... anyone have a suggestion on a fertilizer free potting mix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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