What's made you grumpy today?

[AndyRKett]

Duelling climate control l!!

Normally I’d have my car set all the time to 22-23°c on “sync” so both sides of the duel zone are links so adjusting one adjusts both.

My wife gets in the car and sets her side to -150°c which means I need to set my side to “blast furnace” or “core of dying star” just to keep even remotely warm.

As the sync button is on the drivers side I can tap this when adjusting my side and it sets hers back to what I want, then a few minutes later she’s setting it to “arctic” again

 

[portland_bill]

People run at different temperatures, due to their own metabolism. Generally larger people tend to run hotter, but not always the case. But think about those you know who complain about the cold, they are usually smaller.
In 2005, I taught a learner, who despite being tiny, ran hot. You could feel the heat like a radiator. This created a minor problem during lessons. She practised in her Mum's car, which happened to be a similar Corsa to the school car, so she was familiar with the heater controls.
Lessons were during the winter, and she lived only about half a mile from me, so the car was not yet warm when she got in. A mile or two into her drive, and she'd instinctively reach for the temp control and turn it low. Sometimes the window would open too. A very chilly two hours until arrival at college. Those days, I'd wear a lot of clothing for the first lesson of the day. Car has to be comfortable for the driver, not the passenger.
Her test was also winter. Her examiner, usually chatty after a test, especially after a good drive like she produced, disappeared back into the test centre very promptly. Probably looking for a hot drink and a radiator to lean against.

 

[StevenRB45]

Wonderful placebo effect.

Speaking of which..part of said conversation was "well I turned it up at Blaydon rounderbout it really heated up after"

Blaydon roundabout marks the end of the flat section along the valley bottom and where you begin to climb over the fell...by the top of Blaydon Bank 1.5 miles later she'd have climbed about 500 ft.

Wonder which one lead to the increase in heat...

But the level of mechanical sympathy/knowledge is probably summed up with this question this morning.

"You know how you put the All-seasons on last year? Do they slow you down in cold weather it felt like the handbrake was on this morning. My follow up was "nope they're still round regardless, have you driven home with the handbrake on?" No? OK is one of the tyres currently flat? No? "OK will have a look later"

Will do the pressures, however I'm 99.8% sure what she's noticed is that when cold it doesn't allow full boost until its heated up a bit...only had the car 4 years.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Duelling climate control l!!

Normally I’d have my car set all the time to 22-23°c on “sync” so both sides of the duel zone are links so adjusting one adjusts both.

My wife gets in the car and sets her side to -150°c which means I need to set my side to “blast furnace” or “core of dying star” just to keep even remotely warm.

As the sync button is on the drivers side I can tap this when adjusting my side and it sets hers back to what I want, then a few minutes later she’s setting it to “arctic” again

Sounds a bit like our house.
When we first got married I was the one turning the heating down and she was the one turning it up.
A few decades later and it is role reversal.
I keep telling her that she is doing her bit to reduce our carbon footprint.

 

[AndyRKett]

People run at different temperatures, due to their own metabolism.

At the moment it’s less to do with that and more to do with the 4/5 months of pregnant she’s currently suffering from

Another time it will be boiling hot and she’ll be complaining she’s Cold :bang:

 

[StevenRB45]

At the moment it’s less to do with that and more to do with the 4/5 months of pregnant she’s currently suffering from

Another time it will be boiling hot and she’ll be complaining she’s Cold :bang:

Get her a homing beacon for further on...

One night we were coming back from somewhere or other, drove past the house and indicated right into a new estate we'd looked at before buying the house that is a little further on.

She'd forgotten where we lived, baby brain is real...

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Ah the household thermostat

https://youtu.be/P4_6e5IaQXM

 

[AndyRKett]

Ah the household thermostat

https://youtu.be/P4_6e5IaQXM

Ours is a hive thermostat, so if you want to set it and control your own temperature you just hide it! Lol ?

Also started introducing the hive radiator thermostats as well in the most used rooms so even if someone wacks the heating up to 30’c the radiator will switch off once 21’c in that room is reached. So you’ll end up will all that heat just going to the downstairs toilet or something. Our boiler is kinda smart that if the water is flowing too quick and coming back to the boiler too hot it will turn off and allow the system to cool, so basically protecting against some idiot setting it to 30….

I’m that idiot I hasten to add, I hate the cold and when I get in, in my brain turning it up will have the magic effect of heating up sooner lol

 

[pooroldcodger]

We have a Hive thermostat as well. Excellent - until it isn't if you know what I mean.
Recently we had some plumbing work done so the water, boiler and electric had to be turned on and off a few times. Ever since the Hive thermostat won't keep up with time. It takes its info from the router so it should be accurate but it keeps falling behind. Tried all the self-help methods. Didn't work. Spent well over an hour yesterday to their call centre (in South Africa) whilst they attempted to re-pair the hub, receiver and thermostat. It didn't work. She said she will escalate it to level 2 support. Excellent - then she said that will take 5 days !
At least the heating is working so not the end of the world but it is a bit of a mystery.

 

[portland_bill]

Technology is great, when it works.
Our heating system is old school, the boiler has an internal stat that heats the water when the incoming is below threshold, and all the radiators except the bathroom have thermostatic valves. Simple, and working well. Did have to replace all the thermostatic valves a few years ago, that was fun. Got a little wet.

 

[mowermender70]

over here in the back of beyond solar water panels connected to wood burning stove, stove in winter panels for the rest of the year . 5 deg outside to warm inside opened window to cool it down best buy i have ever done

 

[varesecrazy]

over here in the back of beyond solar water panels connected to wood burning stove, stove in winter panels for the rest of the year . 5 deg outside to warm inside opened window to cool it down best buy i have ever done

We were going to use the 'backboiler' bolt-ons on the woodburner in Llandovery.. would have taken the chill off the place I'm sure

 

[AndyRKett]

I don’t like change…….


Everything has changed !!!

 

[portland_bill]

over here in the back of beyond solar water panels connected to wood burning stove, stove in winter panels for the rest of the year . 5 deg outside to warm inside opened window to cool it down best buy i have ever done

A house opposite has solar panels, for electricity I think. They are set off the roof of course, and the space below is now inhabited by a family of doves. They can be heard from across the street, so must be annoying living under them. I'd have expected a little mesh fence to prevent such things.
Last night we got a flurry of snow. Less than 5mm, but enough to make it all white. As of 10:30 this morning, still covered in snow, despite being in the sunlight, so no benefit from the panels.
Do the water panels have an option to push warm water through to defrost?

 

[mowermender70]

A house opposite has solar panels, for electricity I think. They are set off the roof of course, and the space below is now inhabited by a family of doves. They can be heard from across the street, so must be annoying living under them. I'd have expected a little mesh fence to prevent such things.
Last night we got a flurry of snow. Less than 5mm, but enough to make it all white. As of 10:30 this morning, still covered in snow, despite being in the sunlight, so no benefit from the panels.
Do the water panels have an option to push warm water through to defrost?

 

[mowermender70]

hi pb water panels have a antifreeze solution which pushes round heating the water in a huge tank this gives us hot water and also heats towel rail in the kitchen this time of year log burner does both OH HEAVEN snug as a bug in a rug

 

[Cheest]

Because it's Monday, coworkers have been bugging me since 7am despite the fact than on both company email and company phone, there are messages to leave me the hell alone until Wednesday.

 

[portland_bill]

Because it's Monday, coworkers have been bugging me since 7am despite the fact than on both company email and company phone, there are messages to leave me the hell alone until Wednesday.

Turn off the company phone, ignore all company emails. Just let them build up without replies.
Then sit back, relax, forget work, and do your own stuff.

I used to work in an office, with many emails every day, from coworkers sitting within speaking distance. Madness. A day or more out of the office would result in a page or more of emails, which would take half a day to sort through.
So one day, late, just before departing for a week off, I set an 'out of office' message along these lines.
"I will be out of the office until Monday %% . On my return, due to the number of emails, and the potential time wasted by them, all unread emails will be deleted without reading. If your message is urgent, please contact another member of the team. If it is important, please resend after my return."
On my return, deleted all emails, (of course they sat in my deleted folder) and carried on with more important work. No crisis, no comebacks.
Did it again every holiday.

 

[Cheest]

This. This is making me grumpy.

Actually, it's the 50 year old 60cc Kawasaki engine that's supposed to make it move is making me grumpy. Recalcitrant little booger. I pride myself on being able make things run, but this one is making me question my abilities. I refreshed all the gaskets and seals. Those I can get. Zero ignition parts availability, so convert to electronic. Spark that would set you one your backside...for a little while. I don't know yet if I have a bad ground, a broken wire, or the module failed. I'll check on that later today. Zero carb part availability, so I dismantled it and threw it in my ultra sonic cleaner. Everything looks good and it is moving fuel. Good compression, timing is spot on. New spark plug. Pull the rope, nada. Heck, I can't even find specs on this little engine.

I have a dislike of two smokes, so that's not helping either. Something so simple that can be a major PITA. The only engine I dislike more than a 2 smoke is the 200cc little snot that came attached the Triumph Tiger Cub. But that's another rant for another time.

 

[portland_bill]

How long since it last ran?
A 2-stroke needs to pressurise the crankcase, so the seals at each end of the crank need to be good. If it has sat for some time, these may have hardened and now leak.
Did you make sure the piston rings are all intact and free to expand and seal the bore?