Rob
Full Member
Posts: 2,778 
|
Post by Rob on Dec 10, 2020 20:31:56 GMT
In our last house I spent ages finding the motorised valve that controlled the upstairs heating which had it's own timer. Nothing suggested where it was but found it in the middle of a bedroom after rolling back the carpet. I just manually opened it so upstairs was on with downstairs.
|
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Dec 10, 2020 21:49:26 GMT
Doing what I do, I am constantly surprised at the total mess some people make of heating and electrical systems. I am so glad that landlords now have to provide electrical safety certificates every five years and annaul gas safety certificates. Perhaps private owners should have to do the same?
|
|
|
|
Post by tyrednexited on Dec 10, 2020 22:06:18 GMT
Doing what I do, I am constantly surprised at the total mess some people make of heating and electrical systems. I am so glad that landlords now have to provide electrical safety certificates every five years and annaul gas safety certificates. Perhaps private owners should have to do the same? ...electrics I'm largely happy with (though I accept my limits). Gas I wouldn't touch with a bargepole. The spare actuator I've fitted was in the back of a cupboard somewhere. It would be the result of buying an actuator/valve unit when the valve failed, and changing the valve but re-using the then existing actuator to avoid the (admittedly not arduous) job of rewiring. I can't remember when, but since the actuator I've just fitted (I'd annotated it with new/unused) has a sticker denoting the warranty expires sometime in 2011, it must have been some time ago  . |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2020 12:51:42 GMT
...to avoid the (admittedly not arduous) job of rewiring. I can't remember when, but since the actuator I've just fitted (I'd annotated it with new/unused) has a sticker denoting the warranty expires sometime in 2011, it must have been some time ago . The guy who recently fitted a new CH pump for me didn't bother disconnecting and reconnecting to the wiring centre. He just cut the existing cable and spliced in an inline connector. Next time the pump needs replacing it's just a case of unplugging the old one, swapping over the male plug to the new pump and hey presto. It also means that I could easily run the pump from a 13A socket if the relay fails and I have to source a new one. I'm going to do the same with the actuator wiring. |
|
|
|
Post by tyrednexited on Dec 11, 2020 13:03:20 GMT
It was an option that had gone past me as well. A four-way connector isn't particularly expensive. If the captive cable on the actuator hadn't been long enough to reach the wiring centre, I would have taken that approach, but it was, so I didn't. |
|
|
|
Post by tyrednexited on Dec 11, 2020 19:21:57 GMT
...the contents of the man-cave came up trumps again this afternoon. A friend of SWMBO came round to deliver a Christmas card, and as we were having a conversation (she at the end of the drive - I'm not sure whether that's the effect of Covid or simply whatever SWMBO has said about me  ) I noted that the draught-proofing lip-seal around the door frame was, to put it mildly, borked! In fact, as I was leaning against it, it was rapidly collapsing. Not really seen anything like it, it was simply decaying almost as I looked at it (if you've ever had an old windscreen wiper blade detach itself from the main body rubber, you'll understand what I mean). There was around 18 inches fully spli/detached, and inspecting the remainder indicated that all of it was in an advanced state of decay. Frankly, it was such a mess that I didn't fancy leaving it like that. Then, I remembered I had a tub of door/window seal in the man cave, bought to address a couple of draughty windows before further research (rightly) indicated that it was actually the hinges going that caused that. So, what was formerly an unused and wasted purchase turned out to be a godsend. It's "O" seal rather than lip seal, but just the right size, adequate for the requirement, and more than enough in length. The existing seal took me quite a time to remove - in good condition it should come out all of one piece; in its actual condition, it came out in roughly 2 inch chunks, leaving much behind in the mounting channel (the latter requiring repeated work with a very small screwdriver to remove it). After a quick clean down, the new seal took very little time to mount. Odd thing is, the problem seal is probably the newest around the house, and others show little sign of any deterioration (except perhaps a bit of hardening in the oldest). Even more curious, the door has an absolutely matching seal that mates with the problem one on the frame, and that is in perfect condition! Still, the prescient purchase of the replacement seal was very useful. It's annoying when sh*t happens, but very rewarding when you realise you are equipped to deal with it quickly. |
|
|
|
Post by Humph on Dec 11, 2020 19:33:54 GMT
Retirement sounds so random! I'm not sure I'm ready for all the excitement to be honest. Only kidding, but which way does your front door face? Might be weather damage?
😉
|
|
|
|
Post by tyrednexited on Dec 11, 2020 19:53:05 GMT
I've regressed to the days of my childhood, in times when you had to make your own entertainment and excitement (you know, the days before Lego when you had to play with the coal).
The door is North facing, so that might have something to do with it, but it is sheltered, and the sun on the other side of the house is usually rather less forgiving on such things.
There's no doubt that the seal on the frame would take more wear and tear than that on the door, it being the one exposed to the outside.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2020 19:33:33 GMT
...In fact, as I was leaning against it, it was rapidly collapsing. Not really seen anything like it, it was simply decaying almost as I looked at it (if you've ever had an old windscreen wiper blade detach itself from the main body rubber, you'll understand what I mean)... Probably in contact with something toxic. |
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Dec 13, 2020 7:31:20 GMT
Espadrilles Mini has a weird issue. The right rear tyre drops about 0.2bar once all the tyres are set to the correct pressure. It then shows up as a minor warning on the dash, but then never really moves from that. We have changed valves and tyres and it still happens. Wonder if the wheel is porous? Took her mini into ATS. Gave them instructions to have a good look around the wheel and tyre and report back. Seems like the seals in the remote tyre pressure monitor are leaking. Need a new monitor! They charged me £30 for the investigation which I thought fair. Rang a local BMW Indy who said he doesn't touch tyres. So rang BMW to book it in. There's a £92.50 diagnostic charge plus parts and labour. The bloke in the central booking office for the dealer group had the grace to advise that I waive the diagnostic charge if I simply tell them what to do. Let's see if they listen. |
|
Avant
Full Member
Posts: 691
|
Post by Avant on Dec 13, 2020 17:23:33 GMT
How long does it last if you just pump up that tyre to, say, half a bar higher than the others?
If that only needs doing once a month or so, it could be worth it, given that it can't be too long before Espadrille gets fed up with the Mini - as most Mini drivers do eventually. Then you can flog it and nobody will know.
|
|
WDB
Full Member
Posts: 7,425
|
Post by WDB on Dec 13, 2020 17:50:24 GMT
I’ve only been inside a couple of Minis but that infantile interior would have me ready to change within a week.
|
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Dec 13, 2020 18:42:35 GMT
As a female I can guarantee she will end up in the middle of nowhere with a flat tyre hence I want it sorting.
I too dislike the interior and find that many of the small buttons at the bottom of the heater controls have built-in tell-tale lights whch are impossible to see when lit. The heated rear window is a perfect example.
I don't think I have ever liked a BMW interior for the last 20+ years. The dials were nice and clear but everything else is too contrived. I think the best car interior I ever sat behind (for clarity and ease of use) was the 1991 Vauxhall Astra, closely followed by my 2009 Ford S-Max.
|
|
|
|
Post by tyrednexited on Dec 13, 2020 18:53:26 GMT
As a female I can guarantee... ...and on that bombshell..... I don't think I have ever liked a BMW interior for the last 20+ years. As I've posted before, I never saw myself as a BMW driver until the X1 just "stuck". I find both the interior and the controls exemplary. (with one exception - the little "info window" below the dials is obscured by the steering wheel, unless you drop the same far enough to obscure the top of the dials. An odd fault which I've found commented on by others). |
|
|
|
Post by Humph on Dec 13, 2020 19:07:08 GMT
I had a Xantia, where no matter what I did with the steering wheel, it always totally obscured the the blue high beam repeater light. Fortunately, if otherwise inconveniently, the headlights were little brighter than glowworms even on high beam.
|
|
. 
) I noted that the draught-proofing lip-seal around the door frame was, to put it mildly, borked! In fact, as I was leaning against it, it was rapidly collapsing. Not really seen anything like it, it was simply decaying almost as I looked at it (if you've ever had an old windscreen wiper blade detach itself from the main body rubber, you'll understand what I mean). There was around 18 inches fully spli/detached, and inspecting the remainder indicated that all of it was in an advanced state of decay.
