Preparing for winter II

tru

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

However, I have come unstuck with changing the bulbs in the outside lights on the house (one front & one back) - the screws are rusted solid:(.

I've tried WD40 but no joy - any other ideas?

You need a really good grip on the bulb, which you won't get while it's in one piece. Smash the bulb then jam a large potato onto it. You should be able to turn it, now that you're not trying to save your hands being cut to ribbons

ETA - Oh ignore me, I thought you meant the bulb was stuck

ScottishOstrich

tugrin wrote: »

Hi
I have had a panic attack about all this!!! Two things I really need advice on -1- I have a completely useless onpen fire with pathetic back boiler. Meant to heat up 3 radiators but doesnt get more than lukewarm and isnt even connected to water tank so have to have immersion on anyway. This year Im thinking I will just block the chimney and use my electric radiators. After all coal is £20 a bag and I used a bag in 10 days + electricity last year.

Hi I too have a back boiler
Have you cleaned out the chimeny bit
I was shown a trick. If you pull out the bit that increases the draft etc, and then lift out the metal plate
If your back boiler is like mine, you will see the pipes that are heated up.
These get caked in baked on tar and this forms a crust. I scrape this off with a knife and brush out all the other soot that forms there. It is a very messy job, but was a chimney sweet guy that showed me how to do it
The first time i did this, wow, my back boiler was bubbling in no time.
i also found that getting the heat really up in the back boiler helped when i was bleeding the radiators.
Not sure if that will help you but I hope it does

Stay cosy

Ostrich xxxx

tugrin

Bless you Rainy Days I was right you are a lovely kind person/

toottifrootti

turgrin I have seen a whole room done in the carpet sample squares that you can get from carpet shops - they sometimes sell them at 50p/£1 and my friend gathered up similar colours and did a carpet - it started as a rug and she kept adding to it until the whole room was covered - they are usually well finished so she just oversewed the edges together with wool - the end result was shades of browns and creams and was fantastic - and you could always replace a square if old doggy marked it too much to clean.

rising_from_the_ashes

abwsco wrote: »

Can anyone point me in the direction of dark coloured flanelettte bedding for my nearly 21 yo DD please that won't break the bank. We're sorted as we got a woolen duvet last year but we can't afford one of those for her at the moment:( Needs to be double as well. Thanks

I'm also struggling to find dark ones. I got a cream one at John Le*wis (only white & cream) and looked in Dun*elm (cream, white, pale pink, pale blue).

annie123 wrote: »

http://www.essortment.com/yourself-remove-rust-stuck-bolts-screws-11819.html

Fantastic! Thanks, having a read through ...... my neighbour tried (he's a LOT stronger than me, and also couldn't budge it:(. He did suggest heating it which is on the list, but neither of us have a blow torch! Will give Confuzzled's diet coke idea a try first tomorrow. If not, neighbour, like Extrolley suggested sawing off and replacing ......

Tugrin welcome! I also managed to get a carpet off free*cycle for my spare room last year so keep an eye out on your local one. It's not what I would pick but is clean, warm and a lot better than what was down before - it's on the list of things to be replaced but is way down at the bottom!

This might sound totally ridiculous but I'm wondering if you could get a couple of tent groundsheets (http://www.poundland.co.uk/product-range/a-z/outdoor-solutions-ground-sheet/) and put them over the concrete to help stop the cold a bit (they would also be easy to clean any accidents off).

Or the travel/picnic rugs as they have a similar type backing (http://www.poundland.co.uk/product-range/a-z/foldaway-picnic-blanket/) and then a few fleeces over the top.

Re the dog, I use a single duvet & cover (cheap & easy to clean).

toottifrootti

abwsco wrote: »

Can anyone point me in the direction of dark coloured flanelettte bedding for my nearly 21 yo DD please that won't break the bank. We're sorted as we got a woolen duvet last year but we can't afford one of those for her at the moment:( Needs to be double as well. Thanks

Hi abwsco I had some great links last christmas for dark purple flannelette sheets that i wanted from my brother for my present but he didnt buy them and I cant remember who it was:( - I have since been searching for dark colours too - the only darkish ones I have found are on Littlewoods website - they have teal and midnight blue.
toots x


ETA just a passing thought - maybe the darker colours will appear with the winter collections?

ChocClare

abwsco wrote: »

Can anyone point me in the direction of dark coloured flanelettte bedding for my nearly 21 yo DD please that won't break the bank. We're sorted as we got a woolen duvet last year but we can't afford one of those for her at the moment:( Needs to be double as well. Thanks

Unlikely as it may seem, Littlewoods is good for flannelette bedding. It's not exactly cheap but it IS buy one get one free, which makes it far more affordable. DH and I bought the stripey duvet/pillowcase set with fitted sheet last year and it is - warning!!!!! - SO COSY YOU DON'T EVER WANT TO GET UP :rotfl:
:rotfl:

You can see what I mean here (they do different colours but you said dark which is why I selected this one!!).

I bought it on 20 weeks @ x amount - no interest to pay, so it was quite a good way to spread the cost.

Prudent

ChocClare wrote: »

Unlikely as it may seem, Littlewoods is good for flannelette bedding. It's not exactly cheap but it IS buy one get one free, which makes it far more affordable. DH and I bought the stripey duvet/pillowcase set with fitted sheet last year and it is - warning!!!!! - SO COSY YOU DON'T EVER WANT TO GET UP :rotfl:
:rotfl:

You can see what I mean here (they do different colours but you said dark which is why I selected this one!!).

I bought it on 20 weeks @ x amount - no interest to pay, so it was quite a good way to spread the cost.

Oh dear. I am totally seduced by this idea. It looks so cozy. I truely don't need more duvet covers. What a shame the sheets are not bogof yoo.

ChocClare

Yes, I noticed that. They were when we bought them and they keep the same stock year round so maybe it's worth buying the duvet cover(s) and hanging on until the sheets come back on bogof? Otherwise it does hike the price up rather.

Gigervamp

We have oil heating and the price now is twice what it was a couple of years ago. (Hoping MSE Martin will get on to the government about getting heating oil regulated like electricity and gas is. Martin are you listening?)

We bought 500 litres at the end of spring when our oil ran out and haven't used it, but I'm going to order another 500 because I don't want to run out when the price is high and deliveries are difficult due to the weather.

I try to just use the heating on the timer, ie, 3 hours in the morning and about 5 hours in the afternoon/evening, but as I'm at home all day, it's difficult. I wear so many layers as well as wrist warmers or gloves, but have found they're not practical as I have to take them off and put them back on all the time. And wearing so many layers makes me feel like the Michelin Man or a bodybuilder on steroids! Not practical!

And when my lips turn blue, I realise, it's a tad too cold for me, regardless of trying to save on heating costs!

We do have a Calor gas fire which gets used sometimes and one of those halogen heaters which is really good as even with both bars on it only uses 400 watts and it gives out a lot of heat.

But, we really, really need to get the chimney sorted out so that we can use it.