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Post by tyrednexited on Nov 25, 2020 22:25:14 GMT
CH systems over here would heat a castle in the UK. Each house we've had here has had one big old system fitted, more than any wall mounted combi boiler toy like we have fitted in UK properties. Installation in BPG Türme is fed by a 5,500 litre tank. That's because in addition to the less temperate climate, you (over there) favour ginormous 'basements'. My friend on the edge of Frankfurt had a nominally single-storey house, with exactly the same amount of room underground. His heating system was to say the least, "interesting", with more zones than the London Underground..... |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2020 22:29:54 GMT
Whereabouts in Frankfurt ? I used to live near Rüsselsheim in my GM days.
Our house looks like a single storey bungalow from the street, it has four storeys inside, five bedrooms, two reception rooms, three bathrooms, parking for nine cars etc...etc... etc... what you see from the street elevation is not representative of a house size.
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Post by tyrednexited on Nov 25, 2020 22:45:14 GMT
...just up the road at Hattersheim.
Worked for Boots (Agrochemicals). Company merged with Fisons, and was then taken over by German hosts. He was made redundant and then re-employed as long as he was prepared to move to Germany. Which he did, and was there for a good few years (when we visited often on our European trips). I think he passed through existence of Schering, Schering-Plough, Merck, and god knows how many more names.
He's now in Birmingham (wtf?) nowhere near where he has ever worked, having repatriated under the same company line, and retired earlier this year.
Property in Hattersheim was considerably larger than it looked from the street, and was (as the majority I understand, in Germany) rented.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2020 22:57:41 GMT
Once you acquire a property in Germany you tend to hang on to it due to the tax system and duration. If you sell before a deadline you get hammered in sales tax. We bought this place for our kids, no plans to return to UK though never say never with the way things are. One thing I have learned over the years is never say never.
I worked for company had a place near Hattersheim (Bad Soden), got hammered after the crash which is why I ended up here Oop North..., well West-ish but the farthest North I've ever been.
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Post by Humph on Nov 25, 2020 23:28:41 GMT
I thought at one time that I might have ended up living permanently in Germany, it nearly happened. Would have been near Stuttgart if it had. Pretty areas thereabouts. The people round there were a bit, I don't know, "staid" maybe though. Always felt like there was more "going on" in Dusseldorf for example, but that may just have been selective perception on my part. Quite enjoyed Berlin too, but I don't think I'd have survived that. Nearly fetched up in Amsterdam too at one point, the British company I was working for then wanted someone to set up an office there, I was going to do it, but I got headhunted and left before it happened.
Did 5 years in Brazil, which was fun/fascinating/scary, but I'm glad I didn't put roots down there, too weird, even for me, a year in Italy too, in Florence when I was young. Switzerland for a short while in my first job, near Zurich. Thought I could speak German until then !
But, as they say, water finds its level eventually, and here I am. Smalltown Nowhereshire.
😉
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2020 23:40:54 GMT
Funny you should mention that. I started off in 'arrogate at National t'Power, moved down to Swinedon for a while and lived in Wootton Bassett before it was 'Royal'.
Worked for a consultancy in 'London' = inside the M25 under the understanding I didn't work 'in' London. I spent most of my time with BAe in Preston, Plessey semi-conductors in Plymouth before moving to Amsterdam via New England then Munich before landing in Frankfurt area with GM then London and now Cologne via Hyderabad. Still spend some time in mid-west UsofA which is interesting.
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Post by Humph on Nov 25, 2020 23:47:03 GMT
Sounds like you're just the man I need! I'd like some extra outside lights fitting near the barbecue area please, when you've a free day...
😉
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2020 23:53:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2020 8:59:54 GMT
You've reminded me though, I didn't get our boiler serviced last year, so need to get it done soonish. Very old floor standing gas boiler, Potterton thing, seems to be hewn from rock and utterly indestructible. Alanović, If you ever have problems with the old Potterton try this guy. www.miketheboilerman.com/He had my ancient Potterton up and running half an hour after arriving and gave it a service at the same time. I've just had the CH pump replaced at home. It started to get noisy and I've suffered a broken CH system in winter before when the fan failed on the boiler. Don't want to go through that again. Radiators now get warm a lot quicker than they did before so it certainly looks like the pump was waiting for cold weather before croaking. Nice to see you Kevin, thanks for the recommendation. |
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Post by tyrednexited on Nov 26, 2020 9:31:29 GMT
Alanović, If you ever have problems with the old Potterton try this guy. www.miketheboilerman.com/He had my ancient Potterton up and running half an hour after arriving and gave it a service at the same time. Nice to see you Kevin, thanks for the recommendation. Careful Al. by "up and running"..............  (and god knows what servicing it at the same time entailed!  ) |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2020 9:48:06 GMT
He'd be an improvement on Fulham's current centre forward.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2020 12:28:39 GMT
Newcastle have another centre forward for you, Joelinton would fit right in. Mike's football emporium would probably let you have him for a knock-down, never to be repeated, £48m.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2020 12:33:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2020 21:40:22 GMT
...pump really should be a DIY job, at least if it is (conventionally) isolated either side, and without draining down. My current one was DIY'ed (but at least the isolating valves weren't seized). As I've posted previously, a three-way valve should also be an easy job (albeit drained), but if the bloody olives won't nip-up, it is far from that. I have a Nobel Prize in plumbing but I just couldn't be bothered with the hassle this time. Total cost for new pump plus his time etc was only a few quid more than I could have bought the pump on it's own for. The old pump was filthy inside so I'm guessing that the folks who did the work to our house when we had some remodelling done did not add inhibitor when they refilled the system. It's now running with a double dose of cleaner and a magnetic filter installed. The filter is picking up loads of black crud. I'll drain and refill in a couple of weeks. |
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Post by dixinormus on Nov 27, 2020 23:06:56 GMT
Heat pumps are all the rage in ANZ. Those electric-powered air-conditioning machines that sit outside your house rumbling away whilst blowing hot or cold air in to your house via a duct. Awful things. Not cheap on electricity either, and the colder the weather gets the less effective they are, which makes them utterly stupid IMHO.
At least houses in UK and Europe generally have decent insulation. You should see the crap over here - in houses where there is any at all.
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