"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

greenbee

Plumber has been, and the larger radiators make a difference. I've turned them down now I've realised he left them on full! I need to check with him what he's set the boiler flow temperature at too, as I may need to adjust some other radiators as a result. For now it's a question of getting the boiler running more efficiently (oil boilers don't - with a few exceptions - modulate, and run at the same temperature for hot water and heating) by turning the flow temp down and using the immersion (via solar and/or cheap electricity) to heat the hot water tank hot enough to kill legionella. So I need to check the flow temp... and check the water temperature coming out of the taps/showers. TBH I've been more concerned about scalding with the existing set-up.

Electricians are due on Thursday and Friday, so need to move some stuff for them. In fact, I probably need to make a list for tomorrow (I have the day off as it was going to be trades-free, but it looks as if the neighbour doing the fencing is going to be back and should get it finished).

• Empty dishwasher
• Clear/dust sheet studio and sitting room for electricians
• Take Stinky to vet to be weighed and have flea/worm treatment dispensed
• Make up kongs and lick mats and freeze
• Contact plasterer and get dates in diary
• Choose carpets and get quotes
• Clear a bit of space in the greenhouse (put seed trays and pots into crates in shed, put away bamboos)
• Repot last houseplant and clear up potting stuff
• Move compost to greenhouse
• Find heated propagator, seed trays and seed compost

I might not get it all done, but some of it would be good! If I do get it all done, then maybe I can also start prepping some food for myself. 

rtandon27

Wow GB - that is some list for a day off!

Personally I'd move your own food prep way up the list - you can't live on air hun! (This coming from someone who lived on microwave popcorn and doritos once upon a time!)

greenbee

I have food for myself, but I could do with creating some meals/making soup rather than just throwing together salad a couple of times a day. Sorting dog lick mats and kongs is important, as it keeps him busy while i'm working.

Miserable weather again today. I had a bit of a lie-in after letting the dog and one cat out (and bringing the dog back in), but not for long as Stinky gets bored and he needs a walk before breakfast. We had a nice long (for him - half an hour, which is his maximum at the moment) walk, and were berated by the cats when we got back as breakfast was unacceptably late!

Everyone has now had breakfast, I have had coffee, Stinky is bored, but I need to chip away at my list - getting the gardening stuff out of the kitchen so I can do food probably needs to be next, so a trip to the greenhouse for a bigger pot and dropping the food waste off in the hot bin are on the cards shortly. 

I'm debating going to my mum's for coffee and a short after we go to the vet, but it'll take a big chunk out of the day. I might call her before we go and see if she's about. 

EssexHebridean

If your immersion is mains, rather than tank, fed, then you don't need to worry too much about the legionella thing as I recall, because the water is clean to start with and doesn't sit for long enough to be a risk after that. Obviously double check for your own reassurance, but that has certainly been said on here before. Some folk do turn it up to the requisite temperature once a month or so just for "belt & braces" I think. Ours at the flat was tank fed, and the thing I found oddest to get used to when we moved was having hot water that was the "right" temperature to start with, rather than always needing cold added! 

themadvix

I’ve heard similar to EH - If you have a heat pump fitted it won’t heat that high anyway and the recommendation is just to turn the immersion on once a month.

greenbee

I've been reading up on it and I think my heating engineer is overly cautious - and as it's showerheads that are the problem rather than tanks, and showerheads are after the mixer, heating the tank high doesn't solve the problem (it just causes limescale issues). So I need to check that he turned it down and what to (the hot water still feels very hot). 

Some heat pumps run a legionella cycle on a regular basis, so it depends on the model (and how you set it up). Much like everything with heat pumps (and other heat sources to be fair), it's all about how you set it up!.

Stinky has been weighed, so I can pick up his pills on Friday. Thanks to @redofromstart he's much happier in the car as he has a non-slip bed and a seat belt attached to the luggage clips rather than the travel crate (so that needs packing up and taking out of the car). 

Compost has been taken to the hotbin, a pot has been collected from the greenhouse for the last house plant, more pots and seed trays have been packed into crates in the shed, and some of the billions of bamboos have been sorted. The propagator seed trays and cloches have been located and washed, and the propagator has been brought in. So I'm getting closer to getting my peppers and aubergines sown. 

greenbee

Dog snacks have been prepped - freezing the lick mats takes time as they need to be done one at a time to avoid sticking to each other. But the kongs are all in. I do now need to prep more BNS/carrot/sweet potato etc for the freezer though. 

Managed to get all the bamboos out of the greenhouse, and the ones for the workshop are outside it waiting for me to unlock it. Houseplants are all dealt with (just need to get orchids out of the washing up bowl). 

Food for me has been extracted from the freezer - although not in time to defrost anything for tonight! 

Fence is now fixed (I have the bill). There is more work for my neighbour to do as the chickenwire bit needs dealing with, but that's not so urgent. I also need to measure so he can make the hard standing for my IBCs to go on, and work out where the veg plot fence will be so he can do that too. And then think where I want to put post and wire for climbers, which he'll also probably be the best person to do. 

I haven't cleared the spaces I need to for the electricians, and annoyingly neither my mum nor I can locate the dust sheets, so I need to try to remember where on earth I put them all. However, they won't be in the back bedroom, so I can shove stuff in there and use the dust sheets that were on those beds in the studio. I don't think this week will be too messy as they just need to drill holes to poke wires through into two rooms. I assume they're also going move the consumer unit, but will need to confirm the plan when they get here tomorrow. 

Still haven't messaged the plasterer... 

greenbee

Got things cleared up before the electricians arrived, so they're now getting on with sorting out the last of the data points and we've had a chat about the next phase of the solar. Hopefully most of the upstairs mess will be done by the time my cleaner arrives. 

Last of the lick mats is prepped and waiting to go in the freezer. Soup I made last night and shoved in the thermal bag is cooling to go into the fridge and freezer. I need to try it, as I think it smells a bit weird, but that could be my current long covid relapse. 

This weekend will hopefully be spent getting the house back to normal. Although I should probably sort out the plasterer before doing too much. 

Jessy103

Hi greenbee, have you seen snuffle mats for dogs? We recently bought ours these and they absolutely love them, we just put their normal food biscuits in there as well. Don't know whether it might be of interest to Stinky 🙂

greenbee

Thanks Jessy - we've used those at training I think they'd probably be a good addition to the 'need to keep him busy without adding extra food' as they can just be a different way of delivering part of it.

It's been snowing since about 3pm, and despite the forecast saying it's sleet, is settling happily. Stinky is DELIGHTED and ploughing through it nose-first every time he goes out. One cat is sitting in front of the fire with me, the other is in a cat bed on the underfloor heating by the window. Stinky is in his bed between on the underfloor heating but can see into the sitting room as the doors are open between the two rooms. 

I brought some seed compost in earlier to warm up, but will need to brave the cold tomorrow to visit the shed and find some small pots so I can get aubergines and peppers (and maybe some tomatoes) going. 

I've ordered some raised beds that should fit round some of the veg beds so I can get rid of the old loft boards etc around them. I'm only getting shallow ones as it's really to contain the edges so I don't have to spend ages keeping them neat. I've also ordered bathmats and towels using a voucher I had for Christmas. Once I can unpack the stuff I've packed away I'll know what more I need. One of the bathmats is an experiment to help me decide on colours for the main bathroom. 

Some tidying has been done, and the rooms that can be put back together have been. I still haven't called the plasterer, and I also need to decide whether to try to get some other things fixed or just live with them.