The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.

[hellymedic]

Batteries: why does one’s stash never contain enough of the size one actually needs?
Bah!

Because you do not employ the Hellibird as Keeper of Batteries, Bulbs and Divers Domestic Requisites…

GadgetCare of Middlesex.

[FifeingEejit]

Is it normal to have a switch upstream of the meter in a domestic installation?  Normally you just get a fuse at the cut-out, and any switching is downstream of the meter.

Hydro* fuse - meter - switch
First time I've seen this set up, seems to save sparks from snipping the wire on the hydro fuse and telling you it was like that when they got there.

* yes yes i know I'm SSEB but Hydro is impregnated in my brane.

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[FifeingEejit]

What do you not like about Power Showers? From your description of what you want it sounds very similar to what's at my mum's. Cold tank in the loft, stored hot water along the hall with a pump to encourage it along. I wouldn't describe what comes out of the shower as 'Power' but perfectly acceptable. The pump is a bit noisy though.

“Power Showers”, or those that I’ve experienced, were so forceful the spray went everywhere (and with a shower curtain, sucked it in) and emptied the tank in short order. I guess it still is a power shower I want, just a bit of a weedy one! One with small pumps built into the box on the wall,  as opposed to a larger pair of inline ones under the bath.

The best Show I've ever had was in the changing rooms at Ninewells hospital
Due to the design of the busking being antiquated at the time there is a hot water system on level 15 or more of the tower that only exists for generation of vaccum by water drop (or something along those lines), the changing rooms are on level 5.

Not just washed but power washed.

Of course that vaccum Generation System was never used because between specification and opening someone in vented desktop vaccum generation or something.

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[Beardy]

A vented vacuum is rarely a suck cess.   

[Cudzoziemiec]

What do you not like about Power Showers? From your description of what you want it sounds very similar to what's at my mum's. Cold tank in the loft, stored hot water along the hall with a pump to encourage it along. I wouldn't describe what comes out of the shower as 'Power' but perfectly acceptable. The pump is a bit noisy though.

“Power Showers”, or those that I’ve experienced, were so forceful the spray went everywhere (and with a shower curtain, sucked it in) and emptied the tank in short order. I guess it still is a power shower I want, just a bit of a weedy one! One with small pumps built into the box on the wall,  as opposed to a larger pair of inline ones under the bath.

The best Show I've ever had was in the changing rooms at Ninewells hospital
Due to the design of the busking being antiquated at the time there is a hot water system on level 15 or more of the tower that only exists for generation of vaccum by water drop (or something along those lines), the changing rooms are on level 5.

Not just washed but power washed.

Of course that vaccum Generation System was never used because between specification and opening someone in vented desktop vaccum generation or something.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk

There's nothing to match being serenaded in the shower.

[Kim]

Batteries: why does one’s stash never contain enough of the size one actually needs?

Forward planning by Stan at a quantum level, ensuring the forward voltage of a white LED is about right for *3* AA/AAA cells in series.

[Kim]

Is it normal to have a switch upstream of the meter in a domestic installation?  Normally you just get a fuse at the cut-out, and any switching is downstream of the meter.

Hydro* fuse - meter - switch
First time I've seen this set up, seems to save sparks from snipping the wire on the hydro fuse and telling you it was like that when they got there.

Eminently sensible arrangement.  Usually installed because:
a) There's more than one consumer unit, and regs require a single isolator switch that kills everything.
b) Work was being done in stages (especially if by-the-book wrt getting someone in orange hi-vis to pull the cut-out fuse), and it was convenient to run the meter tails to an isolator, and jibble about with the consumer unit later.
c) Long cable run from the meter to the consumer unit in a flat conversion or similar.

[chrisbainbridge]

I think this is what Mrs P is hankering for:


IMG_4907_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

I wouldn't do that to my moka pot.

We had one like that in a hotel in China near the wall.  I was only reassured by hearing everybody else having their showers without screams or sudden changes in the lighting.

[Paul]

Is the device on the right for summoning the towel boy?

[grams]

Looks like an RCD* handily placed so you can reset it if when it trips.

I could mock but my flat is so tiny I can reach the consumer unit without leaving the shower if the bathroom door is open.

* one hopes

[Kim]

Bin day in Smelly Oak.  I put the bins out as usual.

This morning, as is common, the general waste was uncollected.  The recycling had been collected, and the paper/cardboard 'pod' was missing, as usual.  In its place was an assortment of someone else's mixed rubbish.  I had to tip the wheeliebin out and sort through it.  There was schmoo.   

I've reported the missing pod, but I don't think they can provide new ones at present, because brexit.

[Beardy]

We have had a basic savings account with the Yorkshire building Society for a number of years. It’s a simple affair, virtually no interest paid at present, but it allows instant access and has an ATM card. I have perhaps twice done an electronic transfer from the account to pay for PSO flat rental deposits and the like. I’m told it also has Direct Debit facilities, but I’ve never used them.

However, YBS in their infinite wisdom have decided that they want to,be a traditional building society and have withdrawn the DD and ATM from the account, and the teller told me proudly yesterday that in the fullness of time they’ll be issuing passbooks for the account. I did ask if the people at head office had heard that the 21 century arrived some time ago now, and that as a customer all I want is a safe place to put my slush fund with an ability to get at it when I needed. She seemed unmoved.

Because YBS have ceased all their ATM cards I’m now looking for a simple account with a bank or building society that has a branch locally to pay on sundry extras, Christmas and birthday day cheques and the like, with an ATM card. Interest would be nice, but is unlikely for an instant access account. Oh, and no fees. Otherwise I’ll be investing in some shoe boxes to put under the bed.

[rafletcher]

We have had a basic savings account with the Yorkshire building Society for a number of years. It’s a simple affair, virtually no interest paid at present, but it allows instant access and has an ATM card. I have perhaps twice done an electronic transfer from the account to pay for PSO flat rental deposits and the like. I’m told it also has Direct Debit facilities, but I’ve never used them.

However, YBS in their infinite wisdom have decided that they want to,be a traditional building society and have withdrawn the DD and ATM from the account, and the teller told me proudly yesterday that in the fullness of time they’ll be issuing passbooks for the account. I did ask if the people at head office had heard that the 21 century arrived some time ago now, and that as a customer all I want is a safe place to put my slush fund with an ability to get at it when I needed. She seemed unmoved.

Because YBS have ceased all their ATM cards I’m now looking for a simple account with a bank or building society that has a branch locally to pay on sundry extras, Christmas and birthday day cheques and the like, with an ATM card. Interest would be nice, but is unlikely for an instant access account. Oh, and no fees. Otherwise I’ll be investing in some shoe boxes to put under the bed.

Go with any bank, and use the Post Office facility for paying in cash and cheques. We, perforce, have to as there is no bank left in our local town, and it's 5 miles in either direction to the next, whereas we have a local PO in the next village.

[Mrs Pingu]

Looks like an RCD* handily placed so you can reset it if when it trips.

I could mock but my flat is so tiny I can reach the consumer unit without leaving the shower if the bathroom door is open.

* one hopes

That's the left, not the right  . I assume Paul's referring to the funnel shaped thing hanging off the wall.

[Ham]

Technology, eh? Who'd have it. My old bluetooth speaker announces it's connection, it's Bose an' proper posh. So it was quite obvious that I needed to name my work laptop "Fluffy" to have it announce "connected to Fluffy", simple things give me pleasure. Now my new headphones, Bose an' proper posh (and free with my phone) don't attempt to speak the name but spells it "F-l-u-f-f-y". Bah, humbug.

[Pingu]

Is the device on the right for summoning the towel boy?

I think it's an intimate parts sprayer.

[Basil]

I could mock but my flat is so tiny I can reach the consumer unit without leaving the shower if the bathroom door is open.

In my Paris flat late 1980s, i could lean out of my shower stir the porridge on my left, or chat with a young lady sitting on the loo on my left.

[ElyDave]

We have had a basic savings account with the Yorkshire building Society for a number of years. It’s a simple affair, virtually no interest paid at present, but it allows instant access and has an ATM card. I have perhaps twice done an electronic transfer from the account to pay for PSO flat rental deposits and the like. I’m told it also has Direct Debit facilities, but I’ve never used them.

However, YBS in their infinite wisdom have decided that they want to,be a traditional building society and have withdrawn the DD and ATM from the account, and the teller told me proudly yesterday that in the fullness of time they’ll be issuing passbooks for the account. I did ask if the people at head office had heard that the 21 century arrived some time ago now, and that as a customer all I want is a safe place to put my slush fund with an ability to get at it when I needed. She seemed unmoved.

Because YBS have ceased all their ATM cards I’m now looking for a simple account with a bank or building society that has a branch locally to pay on sundry extras, Christmas and birthday day cheques and the like, with an ATM card. Interest would be nice, but is unlikely for an instant access account. Oh, and no fees. Otherwise I’ll be investing in some shoe boxes to put under the bed.

Go with any bank, and use the Post Office facility for paying in cash and cheques. We, perforce, have to as there is no bank left in our local town, and it's 5 miles in either direction to the next, whereas we have a local PO in the next village.

This.

We moved to Halifax 20 years ago when I was working in Solihull as there was a branch there, our nearest is now Newmarket (I think) 20-odd miles away, but we also have a LLoyds account and can do Halifax business in the branch in Ely.

You can, generally, these days also pay in cheques electronically with phone banking apps that scan the cheque for you, so physical branch location whilst nice and comfy is not strictly necessary these days.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Needed to seal from new window/door to barn blockwork - building foam filled the gaps, now for silicone bead on the outside.

MrsC picked up some brown sealant for me. Says 'window sealant' on the tube, but also says 'paintable', so it must be acrylic rather than silicone. Also says 'slow curing'.

Forecast good last night, no rain, little wind. So I get the most important bits done, usual messy business. Still, in and smoothed.

Check it this morning.

It hasn't even started to cure.
Also, it rained this morning and the raindrops have given my carefully-smoothed beading acne.

Probably going to have to remove all of it and redo with silicone. That will be an effing messy job.

[Zipperhead]

I could mock but my flat is so tiny I can reach the consumer unit without leaving the shower if the bathroom door is open.

In my Paris flat late 1980s, i could lean out of my shower stir the porridge on my left, or chat with a young lady sitting on the loo on my left.

Mon cher, je pense que vous avez besoin d'un léger changement de régime. Ça sent comme si quelque chose avait rampé là-haut et était mort. Soyez un cher et passez le savon, voulez-vous?

[Basil]

I'd probably not be that formal to a young lady using the loo next to me first thing in the morning. 

[T42]

Whither the double bidet?

---o0o---

Missed a parcel delivery yesterday so La Poste, may their knickers rot and drop off, left me a bit of paper telling me to go to a particular URL before midnight, enter the number on the paper and reschedule delivery.  Which I did. Result:

modification.livraison:500

500 = Internal server error

So now I have to go to a neighbouring town with a Thou-Shalt-Not-Park street system and fetch the §"$%&/( thing.

[Beardy]

In the mean time, because the 500 was a failure to deliver the confirmation message, la poste will deliver the parcel to chez 42 and finding no one in willl leave another piece of paper with a similar missive. Rinse and repeat until you stop la poste wagon on the road a la Dick Turpin betwixt the two towns.

[Mr Larrington]

Unit recalls the time Porcel Farce tried to deliver a very small but requiring a signature package to Larrington Towers.  “You were out so we left it at the sub post office up the road where it was signed for by Mr Singh”.  Sub post office denies all knowledge of either the package or Mr Singh.  Porcel Farce, both on the phone and in person, no use whatsoever.

Weeks later an e-mail from the sender appeared.  “O hai!  Your package has been returned as undeliverable to us in our bike shop in exotic Seattle.  You want we should try again?”

I got them to send it to work second time around, where it arrived safely a couple of days later.

[orienteer]

Something I ordered from John Lewis two weeks ago has apparently remained in Royal Mail's Milton Keynes sorting centre ever since. The tracing system provides no means of pursuing it, so I am now waiting for JL to sort it out.