H1N1 Tips: How Flu Spreads?

The main way that influenza viruses are thought to spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. 

Influenza viruses may also be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else’s mouth or nose) before washing their hands.

People with influenza A(H1N1) who are cared for at home should:

• Check with their health care provider about any special care they might need if they are pregnant or have a health condition such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, or emphysema.

• Check with their health care provider about whether they should take antiviral medications.

• Stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer.

• Get plenty of rest.

• Drink clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants) to keep from being dehydrated.

• Cover coughs and sneezes. Clean hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub often and especially after using tissues and after coughing or sneezing into hands.

• Avoid close contact with others – do not go to work or school while ill.

• Be watchful for emergency warning signs (see below) that might indicate you need to seek medical attention.

H1N1 Tips: What You Know about H1N1?

Influenza A (H1N1) virus infection can cause a wide range of symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with influenza A(H1N1).  

Like seasonal flu, this infection humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. Severe disease with pneumonia, respiratory failure and even death is possible with swine flu infection. Certain groups might be more likely to develop a severe illness from swine flu infection, such as persons with chronic medical conditions. 

Sometimes bacterial infections may occur at the same time as or after infection with influenza viruses and lead to pneumonias, ear infections, or sinus infections.

GUIDEs to install PVC Downpipes

PVC is most common form of downpipes installed by the home handyman or 'DIYer'. Below are intallation instructions for Marley brand downpipes.

You will require a hammer, hacksaw, cloth, ladder or trestles and planks, measuring tape, pencil and rule.

Marley spouting and downpipe can cope with a peak rainfall of 200 mm per hour providing they are correctly installed.

Plan area of roof served by downpipe (in square metres):-

When more than two angles occur in a system the recommended roof area served by a downpipe should be reduced by 5 square metres for each additional spouting angle.

Notes :

• Rectangular downpipes should not be used in a horizontal application, or when subjected to head pressure (for example, connected to a water tank).

• Downpipes should not be used in wall or ceiling cavities.

• If a round downpipe is being installed horizontally, care should be taken that all joints are sealed.

Downpipe installation.

Assemble downpipe, using angles if there are soffits. Where a downpipe has a socket on it the socket on the long section of the bend can be sawn off. This will enable the remaining spigot to fit into the downpipe socket.

By cutting the socket off the long end of a downpipe bend, a tight offset can be made.

Pipe and fittings should be solvent welded together with Marley MCS Welding Solvent Cement; but do not solvent weld the downpipe socket or top bend to the rainwater head outlet.

The downpipe should be fixed to the wall using three pipe clips per length. By using non-corrosive screws to fix the downpipe clips, the downpipe can be removed in the future.

Painting

After installation, Marley downpipes can be painted to any desired colour. To prepare the surface, wipe down with a bath cleaner, and thoroughly wash. Once dry, apply two coats of acrylic paint ensuring the first coat is dry prior to applying the second coat.

Maintenance

To ensure your new Marley downpipes maintain their good looks for years and years, an annual cleaning using warm soapy water and a car cleaning cloth is all that is required. Simply rinse off with clean water.

GUIDEs for Electrical Radial Circuit

Make sure you have isolated any circuit you are working on !

A Radial Circuit is a mains power circuit found in some homes to feed sockets and lighting points. It is simply a length of appropriately rated cable feeding one power point then going on to the next. The circuit terminates with the last point on it. It does not return to the consumer unit or fuse box as does the more popular circuit, the ring main.

The descriptions below apply only to a circuit for power sockets. Lighting circuits are dealt with in a separate project.

There is no limit to the number of sockets used on a radial circuit and, just like a ring main, spurs, or extra sockets, can be added. The number of spurs must not exceed the number of existing sockets. The images below are all rated for use with a radial circuit and can be bought by clicking on them.

Two types of radial circuit are permitted for socket outlets.

* 20 Amp fuse or miniature circuit breaker protection with 2.5 mm² cable can feed a floor area of not more than 50 m². The maximum length of cable is 33m.

* 30 Amp cartridge fuse to B888 or miniature circuit breaker of 20amp with a 4 mm² cable can supply a floor area no greater than 75m². The maximum length of cable to be used is cable is 38m when used with a cartridge fuse and only 33m when used with an MCB.

Radial circuits are generally used in larger buildings where, to return the cable back to the consumer unit can effectively double the cost of the installation.

As with a ring main, units and appliances which draw large amounts of current such as showers and electric cookers nut be installed on their own circuit.

Additional wiring can be added to a radial circuit to turn it into a ring main.

Important !

Please also check the rules very carefully for ring mains and radial circuits. You are limited in the length of cable you are allowed to use in both circuits and long spurs could make you exceed the limit. If this is the case you are asking the circuit to use much more energy than the circuit is designed for.

More energy = more heat and cables can catch fire. Part P of the new building regulations could involve a check on any additional circuitry by qualified electricians when you sell your home. This can affect your sale, you could be breaking the law and your house insurance may not be valid.

Please be absolutely sure you know what you are doing and get all of your work checked by a qualified electrician.

TIPS About Gun applied sealants and adhesives

When you walk into a DIY store, you will be confronted by shelves of gun applied sealants to fill gaps and glue. Unlike traditional fillers, most of these stay flexible and will not shrink, keeping gaps filled and, where relevant, waterproof. They usually are available in 'standard-sized' tubes designed to fit in a cartridge gun, this has a trigger operated piston that squeezes the sealant from the tube, through the nozzle and into the required position. There is one popular adhesive which is not in a standard length tube, it's longer and does not fit a 'standard' gun.

To choose the right sealant for the job, you need to think about which features you need in the sealant, the important features include:

• the type of material it will adhere to;

• the size of gap it will fill;

• its degree of mould resistant;

• how waterproof it is;

• whether it can be overpainted, or not;

• whether it can be used indoors and/or out of doors;

• whether it is solvent based or gives off fumes when curing;

• what it is like when it cures, i.e. solid, flexible or very flexible.

When using a sealant, always make sure that the surface is sound, dust free, and dry, the sealant is 'squeezed' onto the surfaces and it often depends on gentle surface contact to create a bond.

Types of sealants

General purpose Water based sealant

General purpose, water based sealants are sealants for indoor use, such as filling gaps along skirting boards, around door and window frames etc. They are usually supplied white as it can be over painted with emulsion or solvent-based paint as soon as the surface has cured.

Some waterproof sealants are water based.

General purpose Silicone based sealant

Silicone sealants produce a waterproof seal that can be used indoors and out. Most manufacturers offer it in white, translucence and possibly a choice of colours. These sealants give off a distinctive smell until it cures.

Kitchen and Bathroom sealant

These are usually designed to seal areas where water seepage is likely (around a sink or bath etc). They need to be waterproof and mould resistant. Usually available in white.

Frame sealant

For external use, silicone sealant is used as a water-resistant sealant and joint filler, formulated specifically to seal between wooden or UPVC door and window frames to the surrounding material. Silicone cannot be over painted but is available in a number of colours.

For internal frame sealant, water based sealant can be used and it can be over painted once the surface of the sealant has cured.

Roof and gutter sealant

An all-purpose exterior sealant that can be used to seal leaking joints in guttering and downpipes as well as stopping leaks in flat roofs. Generally it is only available in black.

Adhesives

A number of adhesives are available for application via a 'sealant' gun. They are able to provide both gap-filling and high strength adhesive in one pack. They tend to be suitable for a very wide range of materials, i.e. wood, metal, brick, plaster, ceramics, glass, plaster, concrete, uPVC etc.

Gun-free sealants

A number of sealant are now available in easy-to-use aerosol dispensers making the use of a cartridge gun unnecessary. The sealant is extruded from a nozzle when the cap on the container is depressed, giving good fingertip control.

Safety

Always read and follow the instructions on the sealant cartridge before using it.