Preparedness for when

mardatha

BB if I never see another "expert" it will be too soon for me!!

ALIBOBSY

GreyQueen wrote: »

You're dead right about the condensate pipe from the condensing CH boilers, ALI. We had no end of trouble with them in this city in the bitter cold of Dec 2010.

These short copper pipes stick out of the wall and if they freeze solid, the boiler will shut down. One gas engineer at the time said they were so rushed that they were just cutting them off with hacksaws to get the boilers up and running in a hurry. You might want to think about insulating them beforehand - perhaps that foam pipe wrapping stuff might help?

Have cancelled archery for tonight as feel poorly with a cold so will sign off now. Laters, GQ xx

Yep as soon as we could after the cold and snow cleared OH went out to get some of that pipe insulating stuff. So far we have had no further issues, BUT don't think we have had as cold a winter as 2010. Defo insulate if you can and be aware if it gets really cold you may need to get out with the warm water and defrost.

Ali x

pineapple

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

Yep as soon as we could after the cold and snow cleared OH went out to get some of that pipe insulating stuff. So far we have had no further issues, BUT don't think we have had as cold a winter as 2010. Defo insulate if you can and be aware if it gets really cold you may need to get out with the warm water and defrost.

Ali x

Back in 2011 (I think) Yorkshire Water issued free pipe lagging kits to customers in their area on request. This year they have a fat cake making kit for birds as one option. It's worth checking your particular water region for any freebies on offer

[Deleted User]

Would the old T-Joint on the end of the pipe trick (as used on toilet cistern overflows) not help with the condensate pipe problem?

Perplexed_Pineapple

Found this article which may be of interest to those struggling with the cost of living. Basically this company has compiled an "essentials" index which includes things like food and fuel and excludes unnecessary things like the latest games and plasma TVs. It's interesting reading and it's quite clear from their data why people are struggling:
http://www.tullettprebon.com/announcements/strategyinsights/notes/2010/SIN20130220.pdf
Not much prepping going on today, just tidying and decluttering. Have found a bottle of cheap vodka that someone gave us so going to use some of the chilli glut to make chilli vodka :beer:

Hard_Up_Hester

I notice that tobacco and alcohol are both on the Tullett list as essentials, fortunately they are essentials I can do without. Chocolate, now that is essential.
Hester

thriftwizard

Thank you, Perplexed Pineapple, that makes huge sense to me, trying to work out how our costs have continued to ramp upwards despite one youngster having left home & one away PT - we are now running & paying for two vehicles! And are not in a position to go back to one, thanks to trotting to & fro for the elderlies. I do use it a bit for business (but could cycle with a trailer) and for ferrying the odd offspring around too, but it's having the older generation 26 miles away & too frail to wait on me catching infrequent buses that means I can't do without it yet. And vehicle taxes & insurance & fuel costs are the things that have risen the most...

ALIBOBSY

pineapple wrote: »

Back in 2011 (I think) Yorkshire Water issued free pipe lagging kits to customers in their area on request. This year they have a fat cake making kit for birds as one option. It's worth checking your particular water region for any freebies on offer

My local water company, united utilities are just doing the water saving kit. We don't need the flush saver as we already have a dual flush modern toilet, we already have the shower save device and removed it as it effected the shower too much, can't use the tap device as have only one mixer tap which would be unsuitable. I suppose the shower timer would be of some use, but tbh with 6 of us and only one bathroom no one gets to wallow in the shower lol.

May be some use to others though so thanks for the pointer.

Ali x

ALIBOBSY

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Would the old T-Joint on the end of the pipe trick (as used on toilet cistern overflows) not help with the condensate pipe problem?

The problem is unlike a toilet overflow the water drips slowly through the condensate pipe and its the slow drips that freeze over each other till they block the pipe.

TBH only way to solve it is to have the pipe run internally say into the sink waste pipe or insulate . I have seen sites saying a bigger bore of pipe, above the basic recommended width can help.

Worcester now do recommend the pipe is insulated on installation if it has to go outside so I guess they know its an issue and I even saw a sort of collection unit that can be fitted to the pipe. But I reckon we will stick to the insulation and see how it goes, after all we don't get that many really cold days-at least not yet lol.

Ali x

GreyQueen

Yeah, my rent went up 49% between 2007 and 2013 at a time of nil increases in pay, plus all the usual rises in gas and leccy and foodstuffs.

Many very basic foodstuffs are exactly 100% more than they were in 2008; bread, cooking oil, milk. Even the Sacred Chocolate is up 30-40%. :eek:

It does make you think hard about buying stuff. I went on holiday this year, for the first time in 2 years, to another part of the UK, camping and wandering about with friends. I doubt I'll do something similar in 2014, although I might treat myself to an overnighter at a B & B on the coast, and have two days away. Or possibly just do some daytripping on the pushbike and back home every night. Go out with a packed lunch, with or without a pal or two, and see what kind of Famous Five OS adventures we can have for almost no money.

I don't own a car and haven't since 1997 but the journey I make about 6 times a year across the county to visit my folks used to cost me under £3 each way. That bus service has been taken away and the only way I can get there is riding a Nat Express coach which is going long-distance. It's several times more expensive that the service bus was and the price rises 2-3 times each year.

As more and more of people's incomes is taken by the essentials, there will be less for discretionary spending and shops reliant on that type of spend will suffer. I see a fair few business start up and fail here in only a few months because their line is to cater for the frothy, discretionary part of the economy and the money just ain't there for a lot of people.

Having said that, I did just splurge a whole £3 on a charity shop mirror, but it was something I'd been thinking about for a few weeks, not an impulse. The Cause will benefit.