The grumpy thread

7,055 · January 14

2 minutes ago, artdjones said:

The keys on a ThinkPad unclip with an upward pull on the front edge. Quite often something has got underneath.

Depends on the model. Many don't have that feature.

11,207 · January 14

1 minute ago, horriblemercedes said:

Depends on the model. Many don't have that feature.

I've got 4, ranging from a T43 up to a T460 and they all do it.

7,055 · January 14

Just now, artdjones said:

I've got 4, ranging from a T43 up to a T460 and they all do it.

So does my T530

4,761 · January 14

Bewary of the T101 can be a bit problematic .

19,375 · January 14

4 hours ago, maxxo said:

Been told today by the letting agent I’m getting a new boiler in 2 weeks time

grump is that means gas bills will go up

i don’t understand how it’s possible for them not to

so I’ve got a glowworm micron at the minute according the web it’s a 14kw boiler and a 120 litre or so hot water cylinder

I’ll be getting a 36kw I believe Baxi combi

so heating wise, yes it may warm up quicker but it’ll be using more gas doing so right?

im not happy about having the boiler fire every time I use a hot tap either, that’ll be more expensive over the course of the month I reckon as the cylinder gets heated anyway by the current boiler so I just use that for bathing etc the next morning

im also really not happy about the proposed location, the current one is tiny and in a kitchen cupboard, they’re moving it to where the cylinder is in the front bedroom

ive asked if they could just leave it but no apparently it’s been paid for etc

i absolutely despise combi Boilers as it is, but I just feel this is going to be a lot of faffing around to cost more in gas and have less water pressure

ill be asking them to leave the cold water tank in place for the bathroom, I want a reserve if the water goes off

massive grump from me

You need to see this as very a positive step forward.

Energy used to reach and maintain a temperature is dependent upon the size of the space, the insulation, and the temperature difference between the outside and the inside.

It has very little to do with the size of the boiler. Once you get to the temperature you set on the thermostat, the boiler will stop pumping water around and stop using gas. The only difference is that it will be a more efficient boiler and yes it will burn fuel faster, but for much less time before it cuts off.

You will Love having instant hot water. No.need to heat water in a tank that you may or may not use, which looses heat. You will probably save money.

In 18 years of having a combi boiler, it has never left us without heat or hot water. Except when there was a power cut.

January 15

14 hours ago, maxxo said:

Been told today by the letting agent I’m getting a new boiler in 2 weeks time

grump is that means gas bills will go up

i don’t understand how it’s possible for them not to

so I’ve got a glowworm micron at the minute according the web it’s a 14kw boiler and a 120 litre or so hot water cylinder

I’ll be getting a 36kw I believe Baxi combi

so heating wise, yes it may warm up quicker but it’ll be using more gas doing so right?

im not happy about having the boiler fire every time I use a hot tap either, that’ll be more expensive over the course of the month I reckon as the cylinder gets heated anyway by the current boiler so I just use that for bathing etc the next morning

im also really not happy about the proposed location, the current one is tiny and in a kitchen cupboard, they’re moving it to where the cylinder is in the front bedroom

ive asked if they could just leave it but no apparently it’s been paid for etc

i absolutely despise combi Boilers as it is, but I just feel this is going to be a lot of faffing around to cost more in gas and have less water pressure

ill be asking them to leave the cold water tank in place for the bathroom, I want a reserve if the water goes off

massive grump from me

https://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqownerocc.htm

Uumm GOV.UK says you can't do that ...

12,416 · January 16

On 11/01/2025 at 18:46, Mally said:

Probably for the best. We all make mistakes, as they said when I scrapped a £6,000 panel at Aerospace.

I wouldn't like to be playing with human bodies.

Gf recently sacked two people at work. They scrapped an £80k stainless steel machine one weekend as it hadn't been used for a while.

19,375 · January 16

1 hour ago, paulplom said:

Gf recently sacked two people at work. They scrapped an £80k stainless steel machine one weekend as it hadn't been used for a while.

Bloke I worked with had got promoted because he scrapped £1m of nuclear reactor part by setting the offset on a milling machine incorrectly. I think they wanted him off the shop floor so put him.in quality.

12,416 · January 16

I've got a mate who operates a cnc machine. He sometimes comes home with titanium trinkets (fuck ups) which he's turned into key rings for me.

He's scared incase his gaffer sees them in the scrap bin. I've got about half a dozen somewhere.

19,808 · January 16

27 minutes ago, New POD said:

Bloke I worked with had got promoted because he scrapped £1m of nuclear reactor part by setting the offset on a milling machine incorrectly. I think they wanted him off the shop floor so put him.in quality.

I remember reading about a russian aircraft on youtube. One comment was from a Russian who explained his father's factory was constantly failing inspections. They solved this by stopping inspections.

24,185 · January 16

On 14/01/2025 at 16:42, maxxo said:

Been told today by the letting agent I’m getting a new boiler in 2 weeks time

grump is that means gas bills will go up

i don’t understand how it’s possible for them not to

so I’ve got a glowworm micron at the minute according the web it’s a 14kw boiler and a 120 litre or so hot water cylinder

I’ll be getting a 36kw I believe Baxi combi

so heating wise, yes it may warm up quicker but it’ll be using more gas doing so right?

im not happy about having the boiler fire every time I use a hot tap either, that’ll be more expensive over the course of the month I reckon as the cylinder gets heated anyway by the current boiler so I just use that for bathing etc the next morning

im also really not happy about the proposed location, the current one is tiny and in a kitchen cupboard, they’re moving it to where the cylinder is in the front bedroom

ive asked if they could just leave it but no apparently it’s been paid for etc

i absolutely despise combi Boilers as it is, but I just feel this is going to be a lot of faffing around to cost more in gas and have less water pressure

ill be asking them to leave the cold water tank in place for the bathroom, I want a reserve if the water goes off

massive grump from me

You'll definitely save money with a new combi over an old standard boiler.

1: New boiler will be more efficient than the old one, so will use less gas for the same heat output. If you can keep the house warm with a 14KW, then turn your flow temps on the rad right down to about 55c and you'll get the boiler operating in its most efficient zone.

2: All the time your tank is full of hot water, it's leaking heat out. Constantly, 24/7 wasting energy. With a combi, you only heat the water you actually use, as you use it.

The only real disadvantages you'll have are the fact that it could take longer to run a bath, and there will be a delay when using a hot tap before the boiler kicks in.

Combis are absolutely fine and if fitted halfway right, they are now very very reliable.

When can you ever remember the water going off? I'm nearly 40 and I think it's only ever gone off once in my life, and that was last week because we live in a tiny village with it's own private water supply and the big tank on the hill froze up!!

7,359 · January 16

I've been selected by the DVLA to complete a Motoring Survey. They've sent me it in English and Cymraeg so that runs to 10 sheets of A4 plus a pre-paid envelope to return it in.

The covering letter helpfully explains

So why the juddering fuck didn't they just email me a link?

12,416 · January 16

1 hour ago, cobblers said:

You'll definitely save money with a new combi over an old standard boiler.

1: New boiler will be more efficient than the old one, so will use less gas for the same heat output. If you can keep the house warm with a 14KW, then turn your flow temps on the rad right down to about 55c and you'll get the boiler operating in its most efficient zone.

2: All the time your tank is full of hot water, it's leaking heat out. Constantly, 24/7 wasting energy. With a combi, you only heat the water you actually use, as you use it.

The only real disadvantages you'll have are the fact that it could take longer to run a bath, and there will be a delay when using a hot tap before the boiler kicks in.

Combis are absolutely fine and if fitted halfway right, they are now very very reliable.

When can you ever remember the water going off? I'm nearly 40 and I think it's only ever gone off once in my life, and that was last week because we live in a tiny village with it's own private water supply and the big tank on the hill froze up!!

It won't be 36kw Maxxo unless you live in a mansion. A flat or small house will be 24kw.

A combi only operates full whack on hot water mode it only uses about half the kw on heating the rads iirc.

That micron you have will be 80% efficient at best. Modern combis are 95%+. Plus your not heating a full cylinder of water just to do the dishes.

4,761 · January 16

3 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

I've been selected by the DVLA to complete a Motoring Survey. They've sent me it in English and Cymraeg so that runs to 10 sheets of A4 plus a pre-paid envelope to return it in.

The covering letter helpfully explains

So why the juddering fuck didn't they just email me a link?

It's that sort of altitude that costs jobs or gets you a management posting.

12,927 · January 16

5 hours ago, paulplom said:

It won't be 36kw Maxxo unless you live in a mansion. A flat or small house will be 24kw.

A combi only operates full whack on hot water mode it only uses about half the kw on heating the rads iirc.

That micron you have will be 80% efficient at best. Modern combis are 95%+. Plus you’re not heating a full cylinder of water just to do the dishes.

I reckon the preheat function that everyone thinks is a waste of gas uses about 1.5 kWH a day (32kW boiler), so about 8p. Not worth turning off especially if you have metered water.

10,613 · January 17

I guess it’s just unfamiliar territory the closest I ever got to a combi long term was the potterton powermax at my exes house but that was a huge thing with essentially a cylinder inside

certainly my parents and grandparents don’t have a combi in their houses and those are the only ones I tend to frequent

i did have one in the flat I lived in for a month, but it was hopeless and wouldn’t get anything above lukewarm which is what I’m worrying about

8,942 · January 17

Got a badly needed haircut today. That in itself isn't the grump, rather the fact that a basic bloke's trim is now £12, the last time I went it was a tenner, the time before that it was £8.
Didn't even ask me if was I working today or it was my day off...

January 17

My chronic insomnia has reared its ugly head once again. I guess I don't sleep now. Lovely.

19,524 · January 17

3 hours ago, MondeoBlues said:

My chronic insomnia has reared its ugly head once again. I guess I don't sleep now. Lovely.

you have my sympathies, but hey I suppose that makes ~4 of us now! as im currently telling @reb about the technical eccentricities of @Zelandeth's house and how I am Jealous of the fact it has a 3 phase electrical supply

23,469 · January 17

1 hour ago, LightBulbFun said:

you have my sympathies, but hey I suppose that makes ~4 of us now! as im currently telling @reb about the technical eccentricities of @Zelandeth's house and how I am Jealous of the fact it has a 3 phase electrical supply

Don't mean to be rude but has this helped @reb sleep?

14,967 · January 17

Just now, Dyslexic Viking said:

Don't mean to be rude but has this helped @reb sleep?

I've already slept!

14,520 · January 17

14 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

I've been selected by the DVLA to complete a Motoring Survey. They've sent me it in English and Cymraeg so that runs to 10 sheets of A4 plus a pre-paid envelope to return it in.

The covering letter helpfully explains

So why the juddering fuck didn't they just email me a link?

If you were randomly selected, then I’d expect that the reason these are posted out rather than emailed is that it’s likely the most accessible format if you take an average across all the recipients, and a postal database will almost certainly be their most comprehensive database for contacting service users.

I expect accessibility is weighted higher than what’s easiest and quickest when making communications, but then as a respondent you’re given an option of how to reply so that you can use the method most suited to you.

If it’s something which you had to apply to be held in a pool for, and you supplied your email as part of this, then I agree that it is daft to then send it to you by post.

25,276 · January 17

8 minutes ago, Rust Collector said:

If you were randomly selected, then I’d expect that the reason these are posted out rather than emailed is that it’s likely the most accessible format if you take an average across all the recipients, and a postal database will almost certainly be their most comprehensive database for contacting service users.

I expect accessibility is weighted higher than what’s easiest and quickest when making communications, but then as a respondent you’re given an option of how to reply so that you can use the method most suited to you.

If it’s something which you had to apply to be held in a pool for, and you supplied your email as part of this, then I agree that it is daft to then send it to you by post.

It'll be the one time they send an email to a blind person and they complain to the papers about how the council isn't considerate to the needs of <insert disability here> that keeps them doing it.

No human would have touched that paper, would have been out of the printer and straight into the envelope stuffing machine then dropped pre franked into the post tray. X 40000 or so😂

7,055 · January 17

13 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

It'll be the one time they send an email to a blind person and they complain to the papers about how the council isn't considerate to the needs of <insert disability here> that keeps them doing it.

No human would have touched that paper, would have been out of the printer and straight into the envelope stuffing machine then dropped pre franked into the post tray. X 40000 or so😂

Emails are no difficulty to the blind. Screen-reading software is very popular.

Letters in non-Braille formats are the problem.

14,520 · January 17

The accessibility issue I meant was access to the internet - I imagine that there are people who drive, who do not have ready access to either the internet or an email.

Seeing as by holding a licence or having a vehicle registered in your name means that you have supplied your postal address, sending communications by post means that you should theoretically not exclude any of your service users from receiving the communication.

7,359 · January 17

It's a bit early in the day to be applying logic, reason or the needs of others to my grumps @Rust Collector! Time for another coffee.

6,201 · January 17

Idiot sister is thinking* about getting rid of jeep because she nearly dumped it in a river trying to drive over black ice. So it's obvs a shit car when it doesn't drive on ice.

She wants a bini next. Countryman, or clubman or something, I wasn't paying attention. Something 4x4. Yes, I've already told Ma I know fuck all about them and don't want to know. Give her the advise of on the test drive try going backwards as well as forwards this time, and if possible exceed 5 mph.

7,359 · January 17

I've completed the survey now and it was largely about whether you're aware of what services the DVLA offers online and where you get information about DVLA services from so of course @Rust Collectorwas right that it was imperative that they posted it out to get a representative sample.

New grump then: usually if I complete an online survey I get entered for a prize drawer - could they not have offered a month's tax free as a prize?

19,808 · January 17

My 30 year old selmar turbo 12 battery charger has finally died.

10,374 · January 17

^ Nothing lasts any more.

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