The grumpy thread

[LightBulbFun]

  On 25/05/2022 at 12:38, Zelandeth said:

Envelope arrived today containing two developed films and two new ones.

Or rather an envelope that has plainly been opened in transit containing one of the new films and naught else arrived.  

Contacted our local delivery office and they have advised that any loose items that have come out of mail are sent to their "dead mail" centre for disposal.  In the case of something like this, destruction.  There's no mechanism at all in place to recover items from there - if the package is damaged in transit and the items fall out, they're gone.

Didn't really expect much luck finding them, but the fact there's not even a mechanism to *try* is really annoying.

Bet someone has felt the envelope and thought it's a greetings card which might have cash in.

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was this via Royal mail?

if so I wonder if @Yoss might be able to assist in someway?

 

its just really frustrating to see all the crap that seems to happen to you, you really dont deserve it! and I wish I could do something about it!

 

 

[Yoss]

No chance I'm afraid. Thirty years ago somebody might have tried. It was a public service then, unfortunately it's just a business now that just happens to involve the public. It's not right but it's how it is. 

[High Jetter]

  On 25/05/2022 at 16:55, omegod said:

Trying to get the MIL over to see her family in Ireland for what may be  her last trip, usually we fly and grab a hire car at the airport for a few days and last time this cost £240

Fuck me with a gilded kipper......£881 for the same deal this time ....... Jeeeesus christ 

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I found the same around Easter, when looking to book a car for a week in August. Decided to leave it for a few weeks to see if things improve. BIL hired something over there for a few days and paid around €1,000!

[chadders]

  On 25/05/2022 at 17:12, PhilA said:

That's not bad, I had to fork out 17k for my roof (not insurance money either, ugh) which is about 2600 sqft. Included removal of old roof, heat sealed rubberized underlayment and new top surface (architectural shingle, wind rated 135mph).

Phil

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We've had some similar work done. Scaffolding alone was several k and as such we decided to get any additional work that would need doing at height in the reasonably near future, e.g. new gutters etc. doing at the same time.

[Dyslexic Viking]

When we are talking about the subject of house roofs and not to brag, the replacement of the whole roof of the house here cost less than 5000 pounds 7 years ago. The job was done properly with new under and over roof wich was of metal sheets that should last 30 years. Was me, my dad and my dads crazy old uncle who did the job and it took a week. Owning a home does not have to be expensive.

[PhilA]

  On 25/05/2022 at 19:09, Dyslexic Viking said:

  On 25/05/2022 at 18:39, chadders said:

We've had some similar work done. Scaffolding alone was several k and as such we decided to get any additional work that would need doing at height in the reasonably near future, e.g. new gutters etc. doing at the same time.

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Owning a home does not have to be expensive.

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Depends. The shingle itself cost best part of 10 grand, the underlayment was 1500. The rest of the cost was 6 guys scrambling about on the roof for the afternoon. Scaffold? Nope. Ladders, and they were throwing the packs of shingles up like baseballs...

[chadders]

I guess it depends on how tall the house is as to whether scaffolding is needed. Ours is 3 storey and each floor has high ceilings.

[PhilA]

  On 25/05/2022 at 19:24, chadders said:

I guess it depends on how tall the house is as to whether scaffolding is needed. Ours is 3 storey and each floor has high ceilings.

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Single storey ranch so ten foot sees you up on the edge of the roof. Shallow pitch, too.

[Dyslexic Viking]

  On 25/05/2022 at 19:18, PhilA said:

Depends. The shingle itself cost best part of 10 grand, the underlayment was 1500. The rest of the cost was 6 guys scrambling about on the roof for the afternoon. Scaffold? Nope. Ladders, and they were throwing the packs of shingles up like baseballs...

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On the roof here we used plates as in the picture. And can add that the house is small by today's standards it helps with costs. And we had no scaffolding even though we probably should have had it.

[PhilA]

  On 25/05/2022 at 19:35, Dyslexic Viking said:

On the roof here we used plates as in the picture. And can add that the house is small by today's standards it helps with costs. And we had no scaffolding even though we probably should have had it.

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Nice.

Single storey here means all square footage has roof over it. Makes for a sizeable roof. Each piece of shingle has kevlar on the back, and is held on by 6 nails. 

Not the cheapest, but it's less likely to blow away. Cheaper than not having it on the house when it rains, at least.

[Dyslexic Viking]

  On 25/05/2022 at 19:41, PhilA said:

Nice.

Single storey here means all square footage has roof over it. Makes for a sizeable roof. Each piece of shingle has kevlar on the back, and is held on by 6 nails. 

Not the cheapest, but it's less likely to blow away. Cheaper than not having it on the house when it rains, at least.

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Yes where you live is probably more exposed to extreme weather than what we are in the woods in Norway. But our roof will probably withstand what it may be exposed to here.

[grogee]

I really really shouldn't be grumpy about escaping this poisoned isle and its doom-laden grey skies, but... Here's Birmingham airport: our whole plane has one check in desk. 45min in and we're halfway through the queue. 

Then, funtime security queue to follow. Yay!

[artdjones]

  On 25/05/2022 at 18:01, High Jetter said:

I found the same around Easter, when looking to book a car for a week in August. Decided to leave it for a few weeks to see if things improve. BIL hired something over there for a few days and paid around €1,000!

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Yes, at the moment, for a KA or equivalent you are paying something like 1% of the car's price to buy for a day's hire, €650 for 3 days. It's probably down to the extreme shortage of new cars.

[Metal Guru]

  On 26/05/2022 at 11:25, artdjones said:

Yes, at the moment, for a KA or equivalent you are paying something like 1% of the car's price to buy for a day's hire, €650 for 3 days. It's probably down to the extreme shortage of new cars.

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Just before covid (Jan 2020), I got a Ka+ from Luton airport for £48 for a whole week. 

[artdjones]

  On 26/05/2022 at 12:36, Metal Guru said:

Just before covid (Jan 2020), I got a Ka+ from Luton airport for £48 for a whole week. 

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It was almost too cheap then, some of the companies, Greenmotion in particular made it up by withholding damage deposits. Sometimes hire after hire for the same tiny scratch.

[Zelandeth]

You may recall a few years back there was quite a lot of publicity around issues with some very common tumble driers self immolating and there being a big recall surrounding it.

The issue apparently was lint getting into the heater ducting.

Ours was one of those affected, so was replaced.  Given it was going on for seven years old at that point we weren't too put out by that!

The only way I could see that happening though (the in and out air paths are totally separate) is if the drum is allowed to drop, which opens a gap at the front edge allowing exhaust air into the main outer casing.

This is entirely likely to happen as the rear of the drum was supported on a horribly cheap bushing rather than a proper bearing.  I'd replaced this at least twice on our old machine when it started squeaking.

So... you'd think they would have improved that on the replacement model, right?  Nope!

Ours has chewed it's way entirely through the bushing and about 1/8" through the casing.  It only started squeaking about an hour ago.  This machine arrived just before lockdown I think.

I've already looked inside the covers (I was curious to see what they'd changed - as far as I can see bugger all!) so there's nothing changed with regards to the air path, no change to the rating or position of the thermal cut outs etc...so it really feels like they've just chucked new machines out there and hoped that the problem goes away.  They obviously haven't improved the weak bearing situation.

Off to go buy a couple of replacement bushings for this and making a point of treating it as roughly a yearly consumable.  Fact is it's a £2 part that takes about five minutes to install meant it didn't bother me too much prior to the whole recall thing.

Except it now appears to be a £10-20 part....

I have a feeling that I may be measuring the shaft diameter and ordering a nice good quality ball bearing set to do away with this problem once and for all.

 

[cobblers]

A lot of people say "oh they make them to break just after the warranty ends" and I don't entirely believe this for a lot of products/appliances - as we get better at designing and simulating stuff it's simply inevitable that things will be cheaper and last just long enough to not really annoy the customer, in order to reduce the material cost.

 

However, I am 100% convinced they they are making tumble dryers with many weak points like this entirely on purpose, they really want them to fail early on and in a relatively safe but annoying way

[Zelandeth]

  On 26/05/2022 at 16:58, cobblers said:

A lot of people say "oh they make them to break just after the warranty ends" and I don't entirely believe this for a lot of products/appliances - as we get better at designing and simulating stuff it's simply inevitable that things will be cheaper and last just long enough to not really annoy the customer, in order to reduce the material cost.

 

However, I am 100% convinced they they are making tumble dryers with many weak points like this entirely on purpose, they really want them to fail early on and in a relatively safe but annoying way

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Pretty sure this is still under warranty...though trying to claim on it for the sake of a £10 part really isn't worth the hassle.

Thing is this apparently doesn't fail in a safe but annoying way if you ignore the squeak...which I imagine a not insignificant number of people would...eventually it gets to a point where it can fail in a very much not safe way apparently.

[MikeR]

  On 26/05/2022 at 16:22, Zelandeth said:

You may recall a few years back there was quite a lot of publicity around issues with some very common tumble driers self immolating and there being a big recall surrounding it.

The issue apparently was lint getting into the heater ducting.

Ours was one of those affected, so was replaced.  Given it was going on for seven years old at that point we weren't too put out by that!

The only way I could see that happening though (the in and out air paths are totally separate) is if the drum is allowed to drop, which opens a gap at the front edge allowing exhaust air into the main outer casing.

This is entirely likely to happen as the rear of the drum was supported on a horribly cheap bushing rather than a proper bearing.  I'd replaced this at least twice on our old machine when it started squeaking.

So... you'd think they would have improved that on the replacement model, right?  Nope!

Ours has chewed it's way entirely through the bushing and about 1/8" through the casing.  It only started squeaking about an hour ago.  This machine arrived just before lockdown I think.

I've already looked inside the covers (I was curious to see what they'd changed - as far as I can see bugger all!) so there's nothing changed with regards to the air path, no change to the rating or position of the thermal cut outs etc...so it really feels like they've just chucked new machines out there and hoped that the problem goes away.  They obviously haven't improved the weak bearing situation.

Off to go buy a couple of replacement bushings for this and making a point of treating it as roughly a yearly consumable.  Fact is it's a £2 part that takes about five minutes to install meant it didn't bother me too much prior to the whole recall thing.

Except it now appears to be a £10-20 part....

I have a feeling that I may be measuring the shaft diameter and ordering a nice good quality ball bearing set to do away with this problem once and for all.

 

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we bought a small  Bush tumble dryer a few years back ....   its shite , you would be better waving wet clothes around your head in a thunderstorm ..

we had a white knight  before hand and it lasted years ( with the odd repair ) , but that setup is shite , what brand is that ?

[Zelandeth]

  On 26/05/2022 at 18:48, MikeR said:

we bought a small  Bush tumble dryer a few years back ....   its shite , you would be better waving wet clothes around your head in a thunderstorm ..

we had a white knight  before hand and it lasted years ( with the odd repair ) , but that setup is shite , what brand is that ?

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Though same model is badged up as about five different brands I believe.

[MikeR]

  On 26/05/2022 at 11:11, grogee said:

I really really shouldn't be grumpy about escaping this poisoned isle and its doom-laden grey skies, but... Here's Birmingham airport: our whole plane has one check in desk. 45min in and we're halfway through the queue. 

Then, funtime security queue to follow. Yay!

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we have a caravan near the lakes 90 mins each way and a car parking place outside the door , no checking in etc , f in 10/10 for travel !!

despite the insurance companies wanting to ream me out for daring to have cancer I have no desire to use an airport

[Floatylight]

  On 26/05/2022 at 18:51, Zelandeth said:

Though same model is badged up as about five different brands I believe.

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We had a Hotpoint/indesit/Creda tumble dryer and it must have been fixed about 8 times in the 5 years we had it, when the bearing mounting sheared out of the back of the drum we binned it  and bought a Gorenge which is now over 6 years old and never given trouble, built properly with decent components

[grogee]

  On 26/05/2022 at 18:53, MikeR said:

we have a caravan near the lakes 90 mins each way and a car parking place outside the door , no checking in etc , f in 10/10 for travel !!

despite the insurance companies wanting to ream me out for daring to have cancer I have no desire to use an airport

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How's the weather in the Lakes?

We're never going on holiday in Brexit Island again. We've got kids and trying to entertain them in a rainy Devon or Cornwall is impossible without £££. So we've taken a "cheap" package deal for some sunshine. 

Basically if the kids are happy then it's a holiday, if they're not then it's hell on earth - hence swimming pools and sun are compulsory. 

[Wibble]

  On 26/05/2022 at 16:22, Zelandeth said:

You may recall a few years back there was quite a lot of publicity around issues with some very common tumble driers self immolating and there being a big recall surrounding it.

The issue apparently was lint getting into the heater ducting.

Ours was one of those affected, so was replaced.  Given it was going on for seven years old at that point we weren't too put out by that!

The only way I could see that happening though (the in and out air paths are totally separate) is if the drum is allowed to drop, which opens a gap at the front edge allowing exhaust air into the main outer casing.

This is entirely likely to happen as the rear of the drum was supported on a horribly cheap bushing rather than a proper bearing.  I'd replaced this at least twice on our old machine when it started squeaking.

So... you'd think they would have improved that on the replacement model, right?  Nope!

Ours has chewed it's way entirely through the bushing and about 1/8" through the casing.  It only started squeaking about an hour ago.  This machine arrived just before lockdown I think.

I've already looked inside the covers (I was curious to see what they'd changed - as far as I can see bugger all!) so there's nothing changed with regards to the air path, no change to the rating or position of the thermal cut outs etc...so it really feels like they've just chucked new machines out there and hoped that the problem goes away.  They obviously haven't improved the weak bearing situation.

Off to go buy a couple of replacement bushings for this and making a point of treating it as roughly a yearly consumable.  Fact is it's a £2 part that takes about five minutes to install meant it didn't bother me too much prior to the whole recall thing.

Except it now appears to be a £10-20 part....

I have a feeling that I may be measuring the shaft diameter and ordering a nice good quality ball bearing set to do away with this problem once and for all.

 

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I have been involved in the restorations of a number of properties following tumble drier fires. I can’t remember the make but one customer’s machine had already had the manufacturers approved modification prior to it still catching fire. The “modification” was a self tapper through the drum to try to scrape of any build up of lint. Very effective*

[MikeR]

  On 26/05/2022 at 20:02, Wibble said:

I have been involved in the restorations of a number of properties following tumble drier fires. I can’t remember the make but one customer’s machine had already had the manufacturers approved modification prior to it still catching fire. The “modification” was a self tapper through the drum to try to scrape of any build up of lint. Very effective*

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I actually had a machine where the internal wires for the machine rubbed against the drum , the drum wore the wire insulation and " started a lot of electrical noise " on my sons sterio , the penny dropped , I fixed the problem and informed the supplier , who offerd a new machine !!

[MikeR]

  On 26/05/2022 at 19:13, grogee said:

How's the weather in the Lakes?

We're never going on holiday in Brexit Island again. We've got kids and trying to entertain them in a rainy Devon or Cornwall is impossible without £££. So we've taken a "cheap" package deal for some sunshine. 

Basically if the kids are happy then it's a holiday, if they're not then it's hell on earth - hence swimming pools and sun are compulsory. 

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we have some woods, parking and wifi  , deer and F all else , but it works , the more u wont , the more u miss , center parks it is not , but I dont  miss the book in and parking

[Wibble]

  On 26/05/2022 at 20:17, MikeR said:

I actually had a machine where the internal wires for the machine rubbed against the drum , the drum wore the wire insulation and " started a lot of electrical noise " on my sons sterio , the penny dropped , I fixed the problem and informed the supplier , who offerd a new machine !!

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Thank goodness you twigged what was happening. I attend the aftermath of house fires every week. My advice to all is do not leave anything on, or on standby, overnight or whilst you’re out. The exception of course being fridges/freezers, as you have no choice. Most fire claims we deal with are electrical, although not all. One major one was caused by sun reflecting through the owner’s crystal ball, setting light to the sofa. I really struggled not to ask how she hadn’t seen that coming😬

[RoverFolkUs]

  On 26/05/2022 at 18:51, Zelandeth said:

Though same model is badged up as about five different brands I believe.

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Absolutely would never buy a Hotpoint appliance... Ever. (Or whirlpool, indeshit etc) 

When they looked like this, they were ok.. excellent in fact 

 

Late 2019 they issued a recall for a list of models for recall. An elderly relative had one of the models, but in a different colour. I couldn't fathom how the colour made any difference but since it wasn't on the list we weren't concerned. You may remember at the time it was all over the news how people were told not to use their washing machine right upon Christmas 

Fast forward to April 2020, quelle surprise, elderly relative's model is added to the list. I knew it deep down. The recall is those models sold between 2014 - 2018. Elderly relative bought it in 2015, and it was an affected model on the list

Phoned up customer service* to be spoken to like some sort of delinquent.. I gave the model and serial, and after a couple of seconds "nope, that ones not affected pal" - I asked how he's come to that conclusion "it just isn't affected"

I was extremely dubious, and asked if they can put it in writing that this model and serial number is not affected because as far as I'm concerned it's part of the recall, and should it catch fire then the insurance company would wonder why she was using an appliance announced as unsafe and condemned for use "no sorry can't do that" 

I was very unhappy, and so was the relative who was now worried that the washing machine could catch fire without her noticing until it was too late.

Not something either of us were willing to risk so just took the fucking washing machine to the tip in the end, absolute bag of noisy shite it was anyway. The bearings were noisy from about 18 months old, conveniently just out of warranty but never got any worse strangely. 

https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/2019/12/hotpoint-and-indesit-washing-machines/

[adw1977]

  On 26/05/2022 at 22:34, RoverFolkUs said:

Absolutely would never buy a Hotpoint appliance... Ever. (Or whirlpool, indeshit etc) 

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This.  Absolutely shameful company.  Sold lethal machines and then fucked people about making them wait months for repairs or replacement instead of doing the decent thing and just giving them their money back.

[RoverFolkUs]

  On 26/05/2022 at 22:43, adw1977 said:

This.  Absolutely shameful company.  Sold lethal machines and then fucked people about making them wait months for repairs or replacement instead of doing the decent thing and just giving them their money back.

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I recall people waiting upto a year for replacement tumble driers back when that scandal first started. And they were forced to pay an £80 excess, and it seems as zelandeth mentions above the replacements may not have been any different anyway, bunch of sharks!