Avoid using GAS and ELECTRIC !

Penelope_Penguin

Gangstabird wrote: »

I have discovered that everything cooks so much quicker doing this. I was really wasting gas before.

I expect it has been done but I have just cooked pasta to perfection in about 5 minutes less than without a lid.

:beer:

Well done :T Lidding your pans also helps to keep your kitchen free from condensation

I'll add this to the Avoid Using Gas and Electricity thread to keep ideas together.

Penny. x

richardc1983

Please be carefull when you are using wheat bags as I read this on a website:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article4160379.ece

Safety alert after woman is killed by heat pack fire

An elderly woman who had been given a microwaveable heat pack as a safer alternative to a hot-water bottle died after it caught fire in her bed.
Relatives of Doreen Ghiloni, 82, from Leeds, thought that the £14.95 Hottie would spare her the danger of scalding while filling a traditional bottle with hot water. She is understood to have been overcome by fumes from the smouldering wheat-filled pack and she died the next day.
Fire investigators in West Yorshire say that they have dealt with another six incidents involving the heat packs in the past year.
Mrs Ghiloni’s family is campaigning for manufacturers to change the safety instructions on the packs to prevent any other loss of life or injury, and to advise against their use in bed.
The instructions on the packaging are to place a cup of water with the pack in the microwave. The water prevents it from drying out and smouldering. Mrs Ghiloni’s son, Ian, 51, believes that the instructions should be on the product. He said: “I don’t think people should be taking these things to bed. I think that needs to be clear. I don’t want anyone else to come to harm.”
Aroma Home, the manufacturer, which is based in Swindon, declined to comment yesterday. Trading standards officers in the town said that they would investigate.
Wheat bags have been used for many years as a supplemental therapy, in particular by older people with arthritis. The structure of the wheat grain allows it to warm up quickly and then slowly release its heat. But as the bag ages the chemicals in the wheat break down, making it prone to overheating.

ceridwen

kittie wrote: »

gangsta and anyone else: pasta will cook if you boil 1 min, switch off, put lid on and leave 15 minutes

Yep - that one works. Thats how I do pasta (and the orange lentils too). I just leave my pasta 10 minutes after it has come to boil and it seems fine (even though its wholemeal pasta - if tht makes any difference).

ceridwen

Couple of things:

1. I think my bathroom extractor fan must be letting in a lot of cold air when just sitting there not in use - so am wondering what I could usefully do to block this out when not in use - that can be temporarily whipped off each time I want to use it (and that wont look too odd). Wishing now I had kept those couple of drawstring fabric bags I had that handbags I bought came in:mad:

2. Can anyone tell me if its safe to just turn that gas lever switch by the meter off when I'm not using any gas anywhere in the house? As the only gas use I have in the house is central heating/sitting room fire/the water in the hot taps (my shower being electric) - then I am thinking that I could just boil a day's supply of hot water for all purposes and put it in the 2 pump-pot vacuum flasks I have just bought and I wont want any gas at all in warmer weather.
(Reason for wanting to switch the gas off totally being that my pilot light in the sitting room fire will be using a bit and my gas boiler keeps switching itself on and off and using gas maybe? electric definitely).

[Deleted User]

fantastic to see the OH`s Dh`s come on board. Lol it takes a while but well training is like that, subtle and gentle and it eventually sinks in :rotfl: . My dh came down and first thing he did was fill the camping kettles and the solar shower to put outside as it is going to be a lovely sunny day. 12 litres in the solar shower today as we are going to be out for hours cycling so if you see a bum-weary ample supergran, accompanied by a fit-looking slim supergrandad later today on a bike, then that will be me as we are doing 35 miles in a round trip. First time so far

xxx

Gigervamp

Ceridwen, I guess it depends on how easy it is to relight your pilot lights. I remember the gas boiler at my old house was a pain to relight (it kept getting blown out by the wind).
You should be able to set your thermostat or timer so that the gas doesn't come on all the time.

richardc1983

ceridwen wrote: »

Couple of things:

1. I think my bathroom extractor fan must be letting in a lot of cold air when just sitting there not in use - so am wondering what I could usefully do to block this out when not in use - that can be temporarily whipped off each time I want to use it (and that wont look too odd). Wishing now I had kept those couple of drawstring fabric bags I had that handbags I bought came in:mad:

2. Can anyone tell me if its safe to just turn that gas lever switch by the meter off when I'm not using any gas anywhere in the house? As the only gas use I have in the house is central heating/sitting room fire/the water in the hot taps (my shower being electric) - then I am thinking that I could just boil a day's supply of hot water for all purposes and put it in the 2 pump-pot vacuum flasks I have just bought and I wont want any gas at all in warmer weather.
(Reason for wanting to switch the gas off totally being that my pilot light in the sitting room fire will be using a bit and my gas boiler keeps switching itself on and off and using gas maybe? electric definitely).

It is probably safer to leave your pilot light on, they use hardly anything up it is a tiny flame, prob the size of a candle flame, leave it on it is safer.

Re your bathroom fan , you can buy flaps that are self closing that go on the outside of the wallthat close when the fan shuts off, they will keep the drafts down, or you can buy fans that have the self closing flaps on the inside also but i think you would need to repalce the whole fan as these are built into the fan workings.

juliettet

ceridwen wrote: »

Couple of things:

1. I think my bathroom extractor fan must be letting in a lot of cold air when just sitting there not in use - so am wondering what I could usefully do to block this out when not in use - that can be temporarily whipped off each time I want to use it (and that wont look too odd). Wishing now I had kept those couple of drawstring fabric bags I had that handbags I bought came in:mad:

Hi Ceridwen,
My Mum has a shower cap over hers.

ceridwen

Oh well....my shower cap matches my decor....could be the shower cap then!!:rotfl:

squiggles

ceridwen wrote: »

Couple of things:

1. I think my bathroom extractor fan must be letting in a lot of cold air when just sitting there not in use - so am wondering what I could usefully do to block this out when not in use - that can be temporarily whipped off each time I want to use it (and that wont look too odd). Wishing now I had kept those couple of drawstring fabric bags I had that handbags I bought came in:mad:

2. Can anyone tell me if its safe to just turn that gas lever switch by the meter off when I'm not using any gas anywhere in the house? As the only gas use I have in the house is central heating/sitting room fire/the water in the hot taps (my shower being electric) - then I am thinking that I could just boil a day's supply of hot water for all purposes and put it in the 2 pump-pot vacuum flasks I have just bought and I wont want any gas at all in warmer weather.
(Reason for wanting to switch the gas off totally being that my pilot light in the sitting room fire will be using a bit and my gas boiler keeps switching itself on and off and using gas maybe? electric definitely).

I am on the lookout in cheapy shops for a small key cabinet to place over my extractor fan in the bathroom.My plan is to remove the back of the key cabinet and secure it over the fan by using those picture frame hook things,the ones that allow you to screw your picture flush to the wall.I know where the electric cables are so no chance of me blowing up when drilling :)Then every time the fan goes off i can open the little door and shut it again to stop draughts and muck/dusty bits coming in.I do supose i could make a little tiny cabinet thing myself but i was looking for the easy way out buying a ready made key cabinet

my gas is turned off at the mains using the lever as i dont need gas in summer months.But i live in council property so when i need the gas back on i just ring for a workman to come around and switch it on again.

saying that its been so damp and misserable these passed few weeks i could have done with the pilot light being lit.