New Grump of the Day

[LadyArowana]

I don't know.... there's a gorgeous young donkey I've got my eye on.

And you can give him a scientific reason for some fetching stripes..... https://www.theguardian.com/world/...painted-with-zebra-stripes-keep-flies-in-line

Hopefully she wouldn't need a scientific reason to find my stripes alluring!

Well thanks for nothing, I just tried this out in Sainsbury and absolutely nobody found it alluring, I thought I was being socially responsible but had to canter off before security called the men with the nice jacket that has the wrap round arms. Apparently I was upsetting all the normal people. https://mask-arade.com/zebra-animal-mask/

 

[Zebra]

Well thanks for nothing, I just tried this out in Sainsbury and absolutely nobody found it alluring, I thought I was being socially responsible but had to canter off...

But did you notice a reduction in the number of flies that landed on you while you were in Sainsbury's, compared to normally?

 

[LadyArowana]

Well thanks for nothing, I just tried this out in Sainsbury and absolutely nobody found it alluring, I thought I was being socially responsible but had to canter off...

But did you notice a reduction in the number of flies that landed on you while you were in Sainsbury's, compared to normally?

Yes now you come to mention it, nothing followed me home, and my cape sundew is looking a little peaky, didn’t get its regular snack :lol:

 

[paulc]

Sitting here at my desk watching water drip through the ceiling, I realise it is about time I get the flashing sorted around the chimney.... Then I find a damp patch on the ceiling in the kitchen - I guess the flat roof is also leaking.

I would try to drown my sorrows, but the little buggers have learnt how to swim.

 

[RBailey]

Plumbers doing (or more accurately trying and failing to do) electrics :evil:

Heating controller "Re-positioned" by prior owner.


Inside the heating center isn't much better.


Tidy cable runs to.


Scratched my head and got it sorted out last week.


Much more presentable.

 

[Feltwell]

Very tidy!

Mine is like your "before" picture Trouble is it works, so it's low on the list of jobs to do!

 

[RBailey]

Very tidy!

Thanks, quite pleased with myself.

Trouble is it works, so it's low on the list of jobs to do!

Ours was like that and then the heating didn't wake back up after its summer sleep :roll:
I phoned the brother-in-law who is a HVAC control engineer for advice and he just laughed and told me to get on with it and rewire it.

It took a while to get my head around and lots of coloured crayon diagrams it but the systems are very simple. It is all just switched 230 V that runs from the timer to the thermostat to the motorised valve to the boiler. There are a few common neutral's and the switched valve output that make it seem complicated but in reality it is not. Laying it out labeled in a big box with multiple chock blocks (as opposed to just crammed in one chock block in a standard pattress) helped a lot, lots of room for logical flow.

No surprisingly once I got it working the following day the heating stopped working. However, as the control side was working properly I could clearly find the fault and fix it (2 port motorized valve failed).

All in two new motorised valve heads (£55 each) a project box (£15) and some chock blocks from the workshop and I think I saved myself a big wedge of cash.

 

[a twig]

Lovely work - my inner electronic engineer is always soothed by rows of "blinkenlights"

 

[paulc]

- my inner electronic engineer is always soothed by rows of "blinkenlights"

My submission. A mix of green, red, and blue flashing lights. This little box controls the heating system, some of the lights, and also records a ton of data (temperature, humidity, power consumption, etc). Quite soothing to see the hallway lit up by the blue flashes every minute or so in the middle of the night.

 

[LadyArowana]

I just tripped out our sockets, and to access the box to reset I had to move the step ladder, the vacuum cleaner, the ironing board, 3 pairs of shoes and a large quantity of curtain tassels! And why did it trip? Because I was testing a big lantern that was just re-plated to take it from tarnished brass to nickel. So I now have a lovely looking fitting that has issues if you try and turn it on. Next stop the place which claims to be able to rewire these things. I suppose theres always candles :lol:

 

[RBailey]

My submission. A mix of green, red, and blue flashing lights. This little box controls the heating system, some of the lights, and also records a ton of data (temperature, humidity, power consumption, etc). Quite soothing to see the hallway lit up by the blue flashes every minute or so in the middle of the night.

Very good !

Not sure I could handle random flashing blue lights though (not that I have a guilty conscience of course :lol: )

 

[DJH]

I just tripped out our sockets, and to access the box to reset I had to move the step ladder, the vacuum cleaner, the ironing board, 3 pairs of shoes and a large quantity of curtain tassels! And why did it trip? Because I was testing a big lantern that was just re-plated to take it from tarnished brass to nickel. So I now have a lovely looking fitting that has issues if you try and turn it on. Next stop the place which claims to be able to rewire these things. I suppose theres always candles :lol:

Get the footman to test it Lady A...

 

[Feltwell]

My grump is, when is Doug going to start his "Lead projects I've done over the years" thread? :wink:

 

[LadyArowana]

I just tripped out our sockets, and to access the box to reset I had to move the step ladder, the vacuum cleaner, the ironing board, 3 pairs of shoes and a large quantity of curtain tassels! And why did it trip? Because I was testing a big lantern that was just re-plated to take it from tarnished brass to nickel. So I now have a lovely looking fitting that has issues if you try and turn it on. Next stop the place which claims to be able to rewire these things. I suppose theres always candles :lol:

Get the footman to test it Lady A...

Alas he’s self isolating down in the wine cellar, which will probably be empty by the time he leaves

 

[paulc]

Sat down to hammer in some metal fence post supports. Tried to get up and.... Ouch. Sharp pain in the groin area. After speaking to GP, it looks like I have a slipped disc.
That has put a stop to some work on the exterior over the long weekend...

This "getting old" lark is starting to suck.

 

[Cubist]

I hate grass; every day it just keeps growing.

Oh, and I hate my mower too.

 

[Feltwell]

I dragged my mower out yesterday, one that my Dad gave me at least 15 years ago with the proviso that "it's getting a bit tired but it'll do you for a bit".

Started 2nd pull Usually after winter it needs the plug taking out and giving a bit of a warm up with a blowtorch, but yesterday it was happy.

So I don't hate grass. I hate honey fungus :evil: It's killed most of the mature trees in my back garden, and now I think it's killed one of the trees I planted to replace them. A tree especially chosen for it's honey fungus resistant qualities :roll:

Clearly no one told the tree.

 

[a twig]

Turns out that the surveyor who blithely assured my that the garage ceiling was certainly plasterboard was an incompetent *bad word* and its actually all asbestos cement board, which I only suspected when I cut into it to install a new light.

Sent away for testing and it contains both brown and white - hurrah... :evil: :evil:

On the plus side (desperately searching for a positive) our bedroom is above the garage, so at least I know we are very safe from any fires :lol:

 

[Feltwell]

if you don't need to disturb it, leave well alone!

Grump from Feltwell Towers - kneeling doing bathroom floor tiling has damaged my knee, not quite sure how but it hurts like hell, I've done soft tissue damage. Visit to GP yesterday results in a very clear "Go directly, right now, to the Acute Medical Unit at the local hospital, do not drive, they will be expecting you, your blood pressure is way, way too high".

Several hours and many, many tests later they think it's just the pain from the knee causing the blood pressure to go so high :roll:

Bloody bathroom. This getting older lark is no good either, it seems that a different bit of me every week decides to temporarily stop working as it should! I really wasn't kneeling for that long, and it was on nice smooth plywood as well.

I've got to praise the NHS though - they didn't mess about, the full MOT was done, lots of tests and specialists all seen very promptly. Nursing staff on the ward were fantastic, rushed off their feet but all smiling and joking and clearly working with real care for their patients, and whilst I had a lot of hanging about they always let me know what was going on.

So I've now got ruddy great splint on my leg to immobilise my knee, no working on the house for me. I jokingly said I reckon I could still climb a ladder, to which Mrs F informed me that if falling off the ladder didn't kill me then she would.

 

[RBailey]

So I've now got ruddy great splint on my leg to immobilise my knee, no working on the house for me. I jokingly said I reckon I could still climb a ladder, to which Mrs F informed me that if falling off the ladder didn't kill me then she would.

Get well soon.

Cheers,
Richard B.