Waiting for the Boiler Man in freezing limbo

[Jadzia]

Although the gas companies strongly recommend combination boilers, I've heard numerous complaints about them, saying that they breakdown a lot more often than the old fashioned systems, and when they do breakdown you have no backup -- no central heating and no hot water. I don't think I would want one.

 

[Plecostomus]

Man that Can in the morn - Which airport am I picking you up from Plec?

Orbital sky-dive. Be sure to tie something to the roof of your flat so I know where to aim.

(tomorrow)
YOU: what is that noise?

ME: aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!! *crash through the roof* Shit, dropped my toolbox somewhere over Scotland. Can I borrow your phone?


My guess based on the symptoms would be either a pilot-light sensor or a fuel control module, neither which can be fixed using common household tools.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Although the gas companies strongly recommend combination boilers, I've heard numerous complaints about them, saying that they breakdown a lot more often than the old fashioned systems, and when they do breakdown you have no backup -- no central heating and no hot water. I don't think I would want one.

From my experience I would agree but we rent so no choice. The last chap who came out said it was probably at the end of it's life time. It's only 15 years old, I would have thought they would have lasted longer. But one of the joys of renting - it's not my financial problem

Man that Can in the morn - Which airport am I picking you up from Plec?

Orbital sky-dive. Be sure to tie something to the roof of your flat so I know where to aim.

(tomorrow)
YOU: what is that noise?

ME: aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!! *crash through the roof* Shit, dropped my toolbox somewhere over Scotland. Can I borrow your phone?


My guess based on the symptoms would be either a pilot-light sensor or a fuel control module, neither which can be fixed using common household tools.

Ahhh you're just bottling out now ! Better safe than sorry, you'd never get your toolbox back from those thieving Jocks (waits for furious Scottish reply)

 

[Plecostomus]

I went to a steam-engine competition years ago... the Scottish folk were really nice and had plenty of tools, it was the Canadian team that was bumbling around bumming tools off of people.

I never did get my good 36" socket-wrench back...

 

[K'Ehleyr]

^ Well you don't want to lose a big one like that
Tomorrows thread will be 'the Joys of Finding Things You'd Thought You'd Lost Down the Back of the Sofa Whilst Waiting for the Boiler Man...' Betcha all can't wait...

 

[Plecostomus]

^ Well you don't want to lose a big one like that
Tomorrows thread will be 'the Joys of Finding Things You'd Thought You'd Lost Down the Back of the Sofa Whilst Waiting for the Boiler Man...' Betcha all can't wait...

Got a used sofa once years ago... Got it home took the cushions off and found a TV remote.

Kept it, still have it. I'm a bastard, eh?

 

[K'Ehleyr]

^ At least you didn't go back and ask for the tele lol

 

[Plecostomus]

^ At least you didn't go back and ask for the tele lol

No, judging by the model (by looking up the serial on the remote) my TV is better than their TV... even moreso since I have the remote for mine.

 

[Holdfast]

In January it was a 'stuck fan'...

Mine broke with one of these, also in January. Had to survive with a fan heater and thick socks, for a while. Thank goodness for the immersion heater, or I wouldn't have had any hot water for washing either.

You have both my sympathy & empathy!

 

[K'Ehleyr]

In January it was a 'stuck fan'...

Mine broke with one of these, also in January. Had to survive with a fan heater and thick socks, for a while. Thank goodness for the immersion heater, or I wouldn't have had any hot water for washing either.

You have both my sympathy & empathy!

When my hot water went I phoned the 'service department' first and had this woman tell me if I had a kettle I could have a strip wash in the kitchen. I now phone the repair company direct

 

[Holdfast]

In January it was a 'stuck fan'...

Mine broke with one of these, also in January. Had to survive with a fan heater and thick socks, for a while. Thank goodness for the immersion heater, or I wouldn't have had any hot water for washing either.

You have both my sympathy & empathy!

When my hot water went I phoned the 'service department' first and had this woman tell me if I had a kettle I could have a strip wash in the kitchen

How... helpful.....

 

[Plecostomus]

In January it was a 'stuck fan'...

Mine broke with one of these, also in January. Had to survive with a fan heater and thick socks, for a while. Thank goodness for the immersion heater, or I wouldn't have had any hot water for washing either.

You have both my sympathy & empathy!

When my hot water went I phoned the 'service department' first and had this woman tell me if I had a kettle I could have a strip wash in the kitchen. I now phone the repair company direct

Ask them if they get paid more to be insensitive jackasses.

 

[Jadzia]

When my hot water went I phoned the 'service department' first and had this woman tell me if I had a kettle I could have a strip wash in the kitchen

It makes one wonder... what did she think you were phoning up the service department for? Was it,

"I want you to get you ass down here and fix this piece of **** so that I have my hot water back. "

or was it,

"Tell us please how we can wash ourselves while these high quality water heaters keep your many callout engineers and service department telephonists in their very safe jobs. "

 

[Zulu Romeo]

When my hot water went I phoned the 'service department' first and had this woman tell me if I had a kettle I could have a strip wash in the kitchen

It makes one wonder... what did she think you were phoning up the service department for? Was it,

"I want you to get you ass down here and fix this piece of **** so that I have my hot water back. "

or was it,

"Tell us please how we can wash ourselves while these high quality water heaters keep your many callout engineers and service department telephonists in their very safe jobs. "

If it's Gritish Bass we're talking about, I'm sure that as their "on-hold" music for telephone customers, they spout snippets of advice on how to keep warm, save energy, etc. like "Keep a warm kipper in your trews this winter: you'll feel right as rain in the morning!" or "Want to save money through your energy bill? Marry a rich guy like Sir Fred Goodwin!" or other useful bits of information like that. Unless of course the original telephone operator was a closet pervert.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

When my hot water went I phoned the 'service department' first and had this woman tell me if I had a kettle I could have a strip wash in the kitchen

It makes one wonder... what did she think you were phoning up the service department for? Was it,

"I want you to get you ass down here and fix this piece of **** so that I have my hot water back. "

or was it,

"Tell us please how we can wash ourselves while these high quality water heaters keep your many callout engineers and service department telephonists in their very safe jobs. "

I think she definately missed the 'Quality Customer Care' training.

Well I phoned the company and said no-one turned up. 'Oh I'm sorry to hear that madam, Someone from our Manchester office did try and call.'
They Lie! They are not sorry and they did not call. IF they caught me on my 10 min dash up the shop in the morning I do have an answering m/c which they have used before. Maybe I got the operative from Manchester (which incidentally is 300 miles away from me so WHY?) who hadn't had the 'leaving a message on an answerphone' training.

Anyway the boiler is grinding wearily away still so I have heat and water and don't have to scare anyone who can see into my kitchen. Roll on Friday afternoon for the next supposed sighting of the Man that Can... I'm surprisingly laid back about this, if they fail to turn up on Friday I'm afraid I won't be so sanguine

 

[Plecostomus]

For some reason I got elected to drive to Ohio today, so I can't drop in out of the sky unannounced. If you don't have any help by friday break out the digicam and we'll troubleshoot it via Internet. Three billion idiots can't be wrong.

 

[judge alba]

When my hot water went I phoned the 'service department' first and had this woman tell me if I had a kettle I could have a strip wash in the kitchen

It makes one wonder... what did she think you were phoning up the service department for? Was it,

"I want you to get you ass down here and fix this piece of **** so that I have my hot water back. "

or was it,

"Tell us please how we can wash ourselves while these high quality water heaters keep your many callout engineers and service department telephonists in their very safe jobs. "

I think she definately missed the 'Quality Customer Care' training.

Well I phoned the company and said no-one turned up. 'Oh I'm sorry to hear that madam, Someone from our Manchester office did try and call.'
They Lie! They are not sorry and they did not call. IF they caught me on my 10 min dash up the shop in the morning I do have an answering m/c which they have used before. Maybe I got the operative from Manchester (which incidentally is 300 miles away from me so WHY?) who hadn't had the 'leaving a message on an answerphone' training.

Anyway the boiler is grinding wearily away still so I have heat and water and don't have to scare anyone who can see into my kitchen. Roll on Friday afternoon for the next supposed sighting of the Man that Can... I'm surprisingly laid back about this, if they fail to turn up on Friday I'm afraid I won't be so sanguine

i'm guessing council rented. we've got a combi boiler been a right pain in the butt since it replaced the old one with seperate emersion heater. the combi packed up a week before christmas the engineer came out and said
"ah yes that'll take at least two weeks to fix"
when we asked how we were suposed to keep warm over xmas he told us to stay with a friend who has heating. that was the closest i've ever came to lumping him.
got fixed by a differant engineer in the new year though turned out it something to do with the valve. five minute job and it was done.

 

[Holdfast]

Roll on Friday afternoon for the next supposed sighting of the Man that Can... I'm surprisingly laid back about this, if they fail to turn up on Friday I'm afraid I won't be so sanguine

Or become more sanguine, but spill THEIR blood....

 

[Plecostomus]

Status report! How goes?

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Yes Housing Ass. You could have said 'I don't have any friends I'll come stay with you, I bet your damn heating works' Do you think it makes them feel important that they have your comfort in their tool box. The guy that looked at it twice this year just seemed to have panic in his eyes when I asked what was wrong. The second time he came out he tutted and said 'who did this' I struggled to keep a straight face when I gave him the copy of the job details he had left before with his name on . Fortunately he was back so soon I hadn't had chance to throw them out.

Hi Plec. Well it grunts but it still goes - there's a pun there somewhere...
How was Ohio trip?