The Retirement Thread

[Dave7]

Good day. It's snowing - nothing major but snow. We planned to go for a decent walk but have to drive 3-4 miles to the start. It will be beautiful so I hope Mrs P is not dissuaded by this. Forecast for 10.00 onwards is good.

We are Tier 4. I've read the rules. The only change for me is riding in pairs, groups kicked in to touch for a while.

No 1 son is returning my hybrid later today. Not sure if this is permitted, probably not but I have to get the bike fettled in time for No 3 son to begin commuting on Monday.

No other plans. There's still debate over seeing the New Year in. For Mrs P, being Scottish, it's a big deal. I'm inclined to go to bed but feel I shouldn't leave her to celebrate alone.

New year (for various reasons) has never really meant anything to us.
The idiots next door used to think it was great fun to go outside at midnight, see how how loud they could shout and sing........sod any neighbours with kids in bed. Their kids have all left now so they have stopped doing it.

 

[PaulSB]

I have 2 valve/tap type thingies beneath the boiler. When the pressure drops I open both, wait till the needle reaches the black then close them. No idea if this is common to all heating systems.

Yes, I have a similar set up but only one tap on our modern combi boiler. It's very simple but I get really nervous of doing it. Daft, I know.

Same with electricity, this is really scary stuff. Even for the very simplest stuff I turn it off at the consumer unit even though I know exactly how to isolate each ring.

My neighbour, highly qualified electrical engineer, did extremely important stuff for BNF, will wander in, poke magic, light-up thingies at wires and declare "you need a new doofer." Later I buy a doofer, he fits it, power on, I hold the steps. 😄

 

[Dave7]

Yes, I have a similar set up but only one tap on our modern combi boiler. It's very simple but I get really nervous of doing it. Daft, I know.

Same with electricity, this is really scary stuff. Even for the very simplest stuff I turn it off at the consumer unit even though I know exactly how to isolate each ring.

My neighbour, highly qualified electrical engineer, did extremely important stuff for BNF, will wander in, poke magic, light-up thingies at wires and declare "you need a new roofer." Later I buy a doofer, he fits it, power on, I hold the steps. 😄

Oh that is me......really.
Some years ago we had a problem with the electrics on the gas oven ie it was "only" the LED clock.........so I opened it up. Truthfully, I recall flying backwards, 12 feet and sliding down the wall

 

[PaulSB]

New year (for various reasons) has never really meant anything to us.
The idiots next door used to think it was great fun to go outside at midnight, see how how loud they could shout and sing........sod any neighbours with kids in bed. Their kids have all left now so they have stopped doing it.

We usually have a rare old shindig with neighbours and friends. Great fun. This year sitting around waiting for midnight only emphasises what a shoot year it's been.

The people we should be singing and hugging with are literally spread over the six houses along our terrace. One house width is the closest. ☹️

 

[PaulSB]

.......and if I am holding the steps they have to be wooden otherwise I want rubber soled footwear.......

😄😄😄

 

[Dave7]

A bit of the white stuff here

View attachment 566356

Our back garden.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Ah, yes that's a plumber problem. Good luck. 🤞

Plumber booked for Wednesday

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I have 2 valve/tap type thingies beneath the boiler. When the pressure drops I open both, wait till the needle reaches the black then close them. No idea if this is common to all heating systems.

Same as ours, but should only need topping up every few months not daily, nice receptionist at the plumbers say they are prioritizing people with no heating or hot water, which is fair enough and why I'm waiting to Wednesday.

 

[Dave7]

Same as ours, but should only need topping up every few months not daily, nice receptionist at the plumbers say they are prioritizing people with no heating or hot water, which is fair enough and why I'm waiting to Wednesday.

What I can't understand is..... if you top it up then a day later it needs doing again, where has that water gone

 

[Drago]

Just waiting for the fog to clear before going for a ride. Fog is the only weather I won't ride in, because of the tin-box-twits.

 

[Dirk]

Morning all

Had to repressurise our CH when we got back yesterday, to get it to fire up.
Well done DaveR on getting a plumber to come out on Wednesday. Virtually impossible to get one to even answer the phone around here.

 

[Blue]

Oh that is me......really.
Some years ago we had a problem with the electrics on the gas oven ie it was "only" the LED clock.........so I opened it up. Truthfully, I recall flying backwards, 12 feet and sliding down the wall

I remember that happening to me in my teens when the electric cooker in my parents house developed a fault - I presume these appliances take a lot of power from the system.

 

[Mo1959]

The Marcothon posts are tumbling in on Facebook of people finishing their month, keeping me occupied. What a great and supportive community it has been. Sorry to say this on a cycling forum, but I honestly think runners in general are friendlier and more supportive of each other!

 

[BoldonLad]

Same as ours, but should only need topping up every few months not daily, nice receptionist at the plumbers say they are prioritizing people with no heating or hot water, which is fair enough and why I'm waiting to Wednesday.

We had a similar problem, a few years ago, with an elderly Volkera Combi Boiler (since replaced).

I was having to "top-up" the pressure every day.

"Central Heating Man" explained there is a a sort of pressure reservoir, in the innards of the boiler, he showed me, it was a metal dinner plate sized thing, and, it had what looked like a bicycle inner tube valve on it. "The man" used a thing like a bicycle pump to re-pressurise it, and said, "if that does to work, you will need a new pressure reservoir. We had a "parts and labour" annual agreement, so, it made no difference to me (except the inevitable wait for parts). Anyway, it worked, and boiler lasted another 4-5 years before replacement with our current Worcester-Bosch Condensing Boiler, complete with 10 year warranty (which may well outlast us).

Good luck, not the weather to have no heating!

 

[Blue]

The Marcothon posts are tumbling in on Facebook of people finishing their month, keeping me occupied. What a great and supportive community it has been. Sorry to say this on a cycling forum, but I honestly think runners in general are friendlier and more supportive of each other!

As someone who has been in both running and cycling clubs I would guess that it's the nature of the group activity that may generate that. Runners tend to run in a tight bunch and chat with everyone in the group. Cyclists tend to just be 2 abreast and may not mix so much with anyone other than their usual 'sidekick'. Just a thought.