The grumpy thread

[barefoot]

2 hours ago, myglaren said:

 Too late for real sprouts now anyway, unless they are for christmas 2024.

Way, way too late. Mine have been simmering gently since last Thursday. 

[Zelandeth]

Why is my boiler making *loud* clanging, banging noises...

Edit: Quick diagnosis, the circulator pump isn't running.  Red hot and humming loudly, but not running.  Great!

Sure these gate valves will close and come apart without any protest.

Will be checking the motor run capacitor first as that's by far the easier thing to swap!

[Remspoor]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Why is my boiler making *loud* clanging, banging noises...

Edit: Quick diagnosis, the circulator pump isn't running.  Red hot and humming loudly, but not running.  Great!

Sure these gate valves will close and come apart without any protest.

Will be checking the motor run capacitor first as that's by far the easier thing to swap!

That valve looks a bit iffy. If changing the pump change that too.

[EyesWeldedShut]

Ours stuck once after a summer off and that central screw allowed it to be kick started - bit of a long winded guide below - I just undid the screw and twiddled the impeller a bit, rescrewed and flicked the power on - you may get lucky.

 

[Remspoor]

Had my own CH woes this week.

One of the 4 zone valves had stopped working. Last time this occurred I purchased just the motor head without a valve. To get to the valves I had to remove a Dexion shelving unit and contents.

All the zone valves.

Could not find a head so purchased a complete zone valve from Italy with next day delivery.

Took the head off both the old and new valve. Swapped them over. This si here the fun began.

I thought I had noted which cables went where but I failed and ended up with a non functioning  CH and hot water system.

Above the 4 valves is this wall box. Nothing inside is marked.

This is connected to a  Circuit Breaker box and another wall box under. The latter is yet another junction for the timer/thermostat cables maybe the hot water thermostat connection. (This is on a secondary pump) and can be seen to the left of this photo.

For the live of me I could find how I messed up. I had this PDF. But I do not have a zone valve for the hot water and I have time/thermostats in one unit. It took some thinking about. But I just could not see the error.

https://www.wolseley.co.uk/wcsstore/ExtendedSitesCatalogAssetStore/images/products/AssetPush/DTP_AssetPushHighRes/std.lang.all/ti/on/Center_CB_2-Port_Valve_Installation.pdf

In the end we called the electrician in. He was confused too. A lot of poking around he got it back to work. Here he is working with the power on.

It was good he was here because at the same time the well pump stopped working. The well is located outside under a flower bed. That was down to the condenser packing up. The second one in 20 years.

 

[Zelandeth]

This was working fine an hour ago.

We've got halfway through replacing it and have basically hit a brick wall in that one of the valves is apparently utterly welded to the pump and will not budge even when significant amounts of violence have been applied.

Which means I definitely need to change the valves.  

Which means I need to totally drain down the system.  Which takes about two hours.  Urgh.

[RoverFolkUs]

I absolutely DESPISE this time of year

It really seems to bring out the absolute worst in people 

Thought I'd pop into Asda to get a few last minute bits. I normally wouldn't bother going near a supermarket on the 23rd or 24th Dec but I left it a bit late as I didn't have any spare time in the week

Driving into Asda car park, it's off a mini roundabout, some brain-dead woman in an Astra is indicating left, steers left as if she is turning into the road on her left (the one I'm emerging from) but mid-manoeuvre she goes all the way around the roundabout to turn right! She doesn't look at all, she is staring left into that road, realizes it's wrong and starts steering right, still not looking. She definitely doesn't see me or anyone else.

With her on my right I am obviously giving way regardless of the signal, but as soon as she steered left into the road I slowly crept out and then had to stop. Many people would emerge as soon as they see the left signal and in that case there would have easily been an accident. 

Now I'm entering the car park, a BMW is looking left turning out of a give way at the petrol station. Bear in mind they have traffic approaching on their right who have priority. I.e - me. She pulls out, not looking to her right at all. I stop and blast the horn, she looks around all confused trying to work out who is on the receiving end of the horn, STILL NOT SEEING ME 

A bit further into the carpark, there are pedestrians scattered absolutely everywhere. I honestly felt like it was a scene from the walking dead. Nobody was looking where they were going, they were jumping out in front of traffic when there was a pedestrian crossing a couple of yards away! People staring at their phone while piloting a fully loaded trolley, again with no regard to what cars they may be about to hit, including those parked, stationary and moving! 

I've finally found a parking space, trolleys are few and far between. There were a couple of women actually fighting over the last trolley in one of the trolley bays in the car park... 

Inside the supermarket was a total free for all. People blocking aisles, people pushing past each other and not waiting a couple of moments. I was crouched down getting something, someone had completely obliviously performed a similar manoeuvre OVER me to reach something a shelf higher. If I stood up much quicker it would have been a nasty headbut!

On more than one occasion I saw someone giving a load of abuse to a poor member of staff over something that was out of stock. One bloke was being particularly nasty and launched a personal attack!? 

People don't seem to think of what the staff have to do on top of their normal duties. I saw things being ejected from trolleys, onto the floor, as if they're too important to put it back. No, that's someone else's job obviously, it's below them.

The checkouts were another level of stupid, queuing down every aisle for each till. Staff at the end filling trolleys with unwanted goods, which they have to put back.

It's like scenes from lockdown all over again, people just spend spend spend on stuff which they are never going to use? Why are people filling trolleys of stuff just because the shops are shut for one day? 

I planned ahead exactly what I'm going to need over the festive period and it's been sat in the freezer. Now I've gone and bought the fresh items that's us sorted until after the new year. £100 spent, a small trolley, and that includes numerous gifts as well, so the actual food spend is next to nothing. 

But I am willing to bet that some of the massive trolleys being filled were going to set them back £2-300. 

About 75% of people in there had one of the biggest trolleys and it was still overflowing! 

What is the need for it?

It's like what little common sense still exists has completely evaporated, they're brain dead in the shops and still brain dead when they get in the car and hit the road!

I dont want to sound like a boring twat but I just hate everything about this time of year. Probably doesn't help that this time of year has always had some form of tragedy for me such as a death in the family.... 

[plumbertony]

40 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

This was working fine an hour ago.

We've got halfway through replacing it and have basically hit a brick wall in that one of the valves is apparently utterly welded to the pump and will not budge even when significant amounts of violence have been applied.

Which means I definitely need to change the valves.  

Which means I need to totally drain down the system.  Which takes about two hours.  Urgh.

Maybe too late, the nuts on gate valve type pump unions are slotted so they can be removed over the flange. By cutting the old nut through the flats and prying off the pump carefully so as not to damage the face the pump and nut can be replaced without changing the valve. Hope this makes sense and helps.

[Rocket88]

31 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

I absolutely DESPISE this time of year

It really seems to bring out the absolute worst in people 

Thought I'd pop into Asda to get a few last minute bits. I normally wouldn't bother going near a supermarket on the 23rd or 24th Dec but I left it a bit late as I didn't have any spare time in the week

Driving into Asda car park, it's off a mini roundabout, some brain-dead woman in an Astra is indicating left, steers left as if she is turning into the road on her left (the one I'm emerging from) but mid-manoeuvre she goes all the way around the roundabout to turn right! She doesn't look at all, she is staring left into that road, realizes it's wrong and starts steering right, still not looking. She definitely doesn't see me or anyone else.

With her on my right I am obviously giving way regardless of the signal, but as soon as she steered left into the road I slowly crept out and then had to stop. Many people would emerge as soon as they see the left signal and in that case there would have easily been an accident. 

Now I'm entering the car park, a BMW is looking left turning out of a give way at the petrol station. Bear in mind they have traffic approaching on their right who have priority. I.e - me. She pulls out, not looking to her right at all. I stop and blast the horn, she looks around all confused trying to work out who is on the receiving end of the horn, STILL NOT SEEING ME 

A bit further into the carpark, there are pedestrians scattered absolutely everywhere. I honestly felt like it was a scene from the walking dead. Nobody was looking where they were going, they were jumping out in front of traffic when there was a pedestrian crossing a couple of yards away! People staring at their phone while piloting a fully loaded trolley, again with no regard to what cars they may be about to hit, including those parked, stationary and moving! 

I've finally found a parking space, trolleys are few and far between. There were a couple of women actually fighting over the last trolley in one of the trolley bays in the car park... 

Inside the supermarket was a total free for all. People blocking aisles, people pushing past each other and not waiting a couple of moments. I was crouched down getting something, someone had completely obliviously performed a similar manoeuvre OVER me to reach something a shelf higher. If I stood up much quicker it would have been a nasty headbut!

On more than one occasion I saw someone giving a load of abuse to a poor member of staff over something that was out of stock. One bloke was being particularly nasty and launched a personal attack!? 

People don't seem to think of what the staff have to do on top of their normal duties. I saw things being ejected from trolleys, onto the floor, as if they're too important to put it back. No, that's someone else's job obviously, it's below them.

The checkouts were another level of stupid, queuing down every aisle for each till. Staff at the end filling trolleys with unwanted goods, which they have to put back.

It's like scenes from lockdown all over again, people just spend spend spend on stuff which they are never going to use? Why are people filling trolleys of stuff just because the shops are shut for one day? 

I planned ahead exactly what I'm going to need over the festive period and it's been sat in the freezer. Now I've gone and bought the fresh items that's us sorted until after the new year. £100 spent, a small trolley, and that includes numerous gifts as well, so the actual food spend is next to nothing. 

But I am willing to bet that some of the massive trolleys being filled were going to set them back £2-300. 

About 75% of people in there had one of the biggest trolleys and it was still overflowing! 

What is the need for it?

It's like what little common sense still exists has completely evaporated, they're brain dead in the shops and still brain dead when they get in the car and hit the road!

I dont want to sound like a boring twat but I just hate everything about this time of year. Probably doesn't help that this time of year has always had some form of tragedy for me such as a death in the family.... 

You’re not a boring twat at all….. I agree whole heartedly 

[Zelandeth]

15 minutes ago, plumbertony said:

Maybe too late, the nuts on gate valve type pump unions are slotted so they can be removed over the flange. By cutting the old nut through the flats and prying off the pump carefully so as not to damage the face the pump and nut can be replaced without changing the valve. Hope this makes sense and helps.

It does.  In fairness though those valves have been weeping for ages at some point (and have started actively leaking as soon as I disturbed them) and really want to be changed.  I had the forsight to buy those along with the pump as I knew they looked crusty.

There's a zone control valve which has been seized for about a year now I've been putting off replacing because it's such a PITA to drain/refill this system so will get that done while I'm in there.

It's been three or four years since I last drained the system anyway so was probably due a fresh dose of the inhibitor magic potion anyway.

[plumbertony]

Probably best to change anyway it looks awful. 

 

 

[Zelandeth]

3 minutes ago, plumbertony said:

Probably best to change anyway it looks awful. 

 

 

Exactly my thinking.  

Still sad that when we eventually wind up having to upgrade the boiler that this will likely wind up consigned to the scrap heap.

I keep meaning to add an anti-cycle timer in here as our (modern wireless tat) thermostats don't have any adjustments for hysteresis or time constraints, so the boiler gets short cycled horribly when we're near the setpoint which can't be good for anything.

[myglaren]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

This was working fine an hour ago.

We've got halfway through replacing it and have basically hit a brick wall in that one of the valves is apparently utterly welded to the pump and will not budge even when significant amounts of violence have been applied.

Which means I definitely need to change the valves.  

Which means I need to totally drain down the system.  Which takes about two hours.  Urgh.

I wish that I could remember the fix explained by my installer.  I think it involved removing the screw in the centre of the pump and applying lightly percussive force to the spindle.

[plumbertony]

21 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Exactly my thinking.  

Still sad that when we eventually wind up having to upgrade the boiler that this will likely wind up consigned to the scrap heap.

I keep meaning to add an anti-cycle timer in here as our (modern wireless tat) thermostats don't have any adjustments for hysteresis or time constraints, so the boiler gets short cycled horribly when we're near the setpoint which can't be good for anything.

If you are happy to keep the controls as is a new boiler could (without looking) be connected to to the end of the primaries and minor wiring alterations would make it all work.  Assuming you have gas, condensing boilers all have anti-cycle timers internally and are also modulating to heat load anyway.  

[Zelandeth]

15 minutes ago, plumbertony said:

If you are happy to keep the controls as is a new boiler could (without looking) be connected to to the end of the primaries and minor wiring alterations would make it all work.  Assuming you have gas, condensing boilers all have anti-cycle timers internally and are also modulating to heat load anyway.  

Do wonder how many of these are left in service!

[Pieman]

1 hour ago, RoverFolkUs said:

I absolutely DESPISE this time of year

It really seems to bring out the absolute worst in people 

Thought I'd pop into Asda to get a few last minute bits. I normally wouldn't bother going near a supermarket on the 23rd or 24th Dec but I left it a bit late as I didn't have any spare time in the week

Driving into Asda car park, it's off a mini roundabout, some brain-dead woman in an Astra is indicating left, steers left as if she is turning into the road on her left (the one I'm emerging from) but mid-manoeuvre she goes all the way around the roundabout to turn right! She doesn't look at all, she is staring left into that road, realizes it's wrong and starts steering right, still not looking. She definitely doesn't see me or anyone else.

With her on my right I am obviously giving way regardless of the signal, but as soon as she steered left into the road I slowly crept out and then had to stop. Many people would emerge as soon as they see the left signal and in that case there would have easily been an accident. 

Now I'm entering the car park, a BMW is looking left turning out of a give way at the petrol station. Bear in mind they have traffic approaching on their right who have priority. I.e - me. She pulls out, not looking to her right at all. I stop and blast the horn, she looks around all confused trying to work out who is on the receiving end of the horn, STILL NOT SEEING ME 

A bit further into the carpark, there are pedestrians scattered absolutely everywhere. I honestly felt like it was a scene from the walking dead. Nobody was looking where they were going, they were jumping out in front of traffic when there was a pedestrian crossing a couple of yards away! People staring at their phone while piloting a fully loaded trolley, again with no regard to what cars they may be about to hit, including those parked, stationary and moving! 

I've finally found a parking space, trolleys are few and far between. There were a couple of women actually fighting over the last trolley in one of the trolley bays in the car park... 

Inside the supermarket was a total free for all. People blocking aisles, people pushing past each other and not waiting a couple of moments. I was crouched down getting something, someone had completely obliviously performed a similar manoeuvre OVER me to reach something a shelf higher. If I stood up much quicker it would have been a nasty headbut!

On more than one occasion I saw someone giving a load of abuse to a poor member of staff over something that was out of stock. One bloke was being particularly nasty and launched a personal attack!? 

People don't seem to think of what the staff have to do on top of their normal duties. I saw things being ejected from trolleys, onto the floor, as if they're too important to put it back. No, that's someone else's job obviously, it's below them.

The checkouts were another level of stupid, queuing down every aisle for each till. Staff at the end filling trolleys with unwanted goods, which they have to put back.

It's like scenes from lockdown all over again, people just spend spend spend on stuff which they are never going to use? Why are people filling trolleys of stuff just because the shops are shut for one day? 

I planned ahead exactly what I'm going to need over the festive period and it's been sat in the freezer. Now I've gone and bought the fresh items that's us sorted until after the new year. £100 spent, a small trolley, and that includes numerous gifts as well, so the actual food spend is next to nothing. 

But I am willing to bet that some of the massive trolleys being filled were going to set them back £2-300. 

About 75% of people in there had one of the biggest trolleys and it was still overflowing! 

What is the need for it?

It's like what little common sense still exists has completely evaporated, they're brain dead in the shops and still brain dead when they get in the car and hit the road!

I dont want to sound like a boring twat but I just hate everything about this time of year. Probably doesn't help that this time of year has always had some form of tragedy for me such as a death in the family.... 

Scenes like that make me wish we'd just adopt American attitudes to guns, then there'd be no one left.

I walked through a town centre/high street near my place a few days ago.  Everyone looked like they were either high on smack, too gormless to add two numbers together, or were waiting for the world to end.  It's no wonder I fucking hate the general public with a passion.

[EyesWeldedShut]

MoT is booked for 28th.
Putting new front tyres on I find the (previously not found) torn ball joint boot that was listed this car's advisory last year.
Great - thought that had been fixed before we bought it, plainly not. Grumpy
Rummage the shed - got one that'll fit. Ball joint freed with a single tap. Happy days.
Start the car up and it sounds like a bucket of bolts rolling down a concrete slope. Missing badly.
Codes read - it's on two cylinders. Much swearing,swapping parts and fucking about - looks like a coil pack needed.
Earliest I can get it?

29th. FFS - truly grumpy

Happy Christmas everybody  

[Timewaster]

10 hours ago, horriblemercedes said:

I find it difficult these days - so many soft drinks are just horrible since they ditched sugar and went to sweeteners. I've always found diet coke absolutely disgusting.

Well today brought a new discovery.

I had to reluctantly throw away a big greedy slice of apple pie because the custard tasted like paint.

Turned out to be Ambrosia "lighter" custard that is low sugar and full of bloody sweetener.

Low sugar custard. WTF?!

Who would want that?

I realise I am part of a small minority that can taste aspartame but it is absolutely horrible and is turning up in more and more stuff.

[Wibble]

10 hours ago, horriblemercedes said:

I find it difficult these days - so many soft drinks are just horrible since they ditched sugar and went to sweeteners. I've always found diet coke absolutely disgusting

 

My favourite soft drink these days is Tropical Blast at Aldi. Their version of Lilt. No sugar but heavy in aspartame 

Aspartame is fucking poisonous. Some years ago, Mrs W was suffering with breathing difficulties and suspected heart problems. Cardiology couldn’t find anything wrong but acknowledged she had a problem.

She was drinking two cans of Diet Coke a day and, googling her symptoms (I haven’t listed them all) found a link to an American thread, where Aspartame was causing such problems.

She cut out the Diet Coke and the symptoms disappeared quite quickly. Believe it may now be banned in the states but certainly isn’t in Diet Coke in the USA anymore.

We now check everything, aspartame is banned in our household.

[Timewaster]

A friend had constant diarrhea for months, even ended up in hospital with a camera up his butt. Couldn't find a cause.

Then he stopped drinking diet coke and the problem went away after a couple of days.

This must have been 25 years ago.

[Floatylight]

....sakes

Just hit a deer, bent front  wing, smashed grill & bumper damage...

[Pieman]

2 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

....sakes

Just hit a deer, bent front  wing, smashed grill & bumper damage...

Well that's an alternative Christmas roast sorted anyway.

[New POD]

9 hours ago, Rust Collector said:

I would normally buy off brand cola, and I’ve noticed that a few shops have started mixing artificial sweeteners into the ‘normal’ versions, meaning that there is no option for people who don’t want artificial sweeteners in their drinks.

I’d say it’s had the desired effect as I don’t drink cola anymore, but I just drink off brand lemonade with a dash of elderflower in it instead.

What’s really annoying is that I’m drinking soft drinks as I’m having a break from alcohol. When it’s so awkward to find something affordable and free of artificial sweeteners I start to think why fucking bother, I might as well just grab some beers…

Water? With 🍯  and 🍋 

[Timewaster]

26 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

....sakes

Just hit a deer, bent front  wing, smashed grill & bumper damage...

It didn't have a red nose did it?

🦌

[Zelandeth]

That was a gigantic pain in the ass, but we are back up and running.

All because one of the unions absolutely refused to budge from the old pump.

So I had to drain the entire damned system.

Then I couldn't find a damned radiator key.  That took nearly an hour to track down.  I have now put it somewhere actually sensible for future use.

We are back up and running though.

Utility room looks like it exploded, but that's a problem for me to deal with tomorrow.

My spine - which hates life at the best of times - now reeeaallly hates me.

[Dave_Q]

12 hours ago, Rust Collector said:

I would normally buy off brand cola, and I’ve noticed that a few shops have started mixing artificial sweeteners into the ‘normal’ versions, meaning that there is no option for people who don’t want artificial sweeteners in their drinks.

I’d say it’s had the desired effect as I don’t drink cola anymore, but I just drink off brand lemonade with a dash of elderflower in it instead.

What’s really annoying is that I’m drinking soft drinks as I’m having a break from alcohol. When it’s so awkward to find something affordable and free of artificial sweeteners I start to think why fucking bother, I might as well just grab some beers…

The sugar tax is to blame here, rather than stopping people drinking sugary drinks what it's actually done is reduce choice and many places only stock 1 kind of each drink, which has just under the sugar tax level of sugar in it, topped up by sweeteners.

My wife is sensitive to the taste of sweeteners but she finds aspartame (which is in almost everything) worse than the other one (acesulfame?).

She drinks Old Jamaica ginger beer (sugar free version), you should check the ethnic aisle in the supermarket as some of the good shit like Ting and KA might still be full sugar.

Otherwise the more expensive types of squash/cordial might be worth a look.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Timewaster said:

Well today brought a new discovery.

I had to reluctantly throw away a big greedy slice of apple pie because the custard tasted like paint.

Turned out to be Ambrosia "lighter" custard that is low sugar and full of bloody sweetener.

Low sugar custard. WTF?!

Who would want that?

I realise I am part of a small minority that can taste aspartame but it is absolutely horrible and is turning up in more and more stuff.

Am I the only one who still makes custard from Bird's powder?

[Rocket88]

12 hours ago, Wibble said:

Aspartame is fucking poisonous. Some years ago, Mrs W was suffering with breathing difficulties and suspected heart problems. Cardiology couldn’t find anything wrong but acknowledged she had a problem.

She was drinking two cans of Diet Coke a day and, googling her symptoms (I haven’t listed them all) found a link to an American thread, where Aspartame was causing such problems.

She cut out the Diet Coke and the symptoms disappeared quite quickly. Believe it may now be banned in the states but certainly isn’t in Diet Coke in the USA anymore.

We now check everything, aspartame is banned in our household.

Strange….. I’m type 2 diabetic and Diet Coke has never had an averse affect on me……..

[Rocket88]

12 hours ago, Wibble said:

Aspartame is fucking poisonous. Some years ago, Mrs W was suffering with breathing difficulties and suspected heart problems. Cardiology couldn’t find anything wrong but acknowledged she had a problem.

She was drinking two cans of Diet Coke a day and, googling her symptoms (I haven’t listed them all) found a link to an American thread, where Aspartame was causing such problems.

She cut out the Diet Coke and the symptoms disappeared quite quickly. Believe it may now be banned in the states but certainly isn’t in Diet Coke in the USA anymore.

We now check everything, aspartame is banned in our household.

My  better half ( who is a chemist) says that the real problem is sodium benzoate, which is in a lot of fizzy drinks

[Metal Guru]

1 hour ago, Rocket88 said:

My  better half ( who is a chemist) says that the real problem is sodium benzoate, which is in a lot of fizzy drinks

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative and is used in nearly all processed food. Buy “proper” bread, it’s stake the next day. By a white sliced loaf , and it stays fresh for a week. Good knows what it does to your guts.