My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has been
paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the annual
inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as unsafe. It has been
'capped off' and now has a nice red warning label on it.
The reason for this was due to;
1) The safety cut-off valve being faulty (something that stops the gas if
the flame goes out).
2) The flame is yellow (should be blue).
3) The flue has cracks (these are in the loft space).
All 3 items cannot be repaired or replaced.
BG will immediately refund this years premiums. But I'd like to know, if
they knew that the system could not be effectively maintained, why have they
been taking premiums for the last 10 years (or more)? Obviously I have no
proof that all of these parts became unobtainable in just the last year, but
I'd welcome comments as to what we could do.
Could all of these items fail in a single year? Maybe it's just me, but it
seems that previous checks were not carried out properly. Indeed, the plug
that supplies power to the fan had a loose wire, which would appear to have
been unchecked for years (maybe the checks don't go this deep).

BG will be quoting on replacement systems. I have told my mum to get a few
more quotes. She had not even considered getting other people involved.

It's an old Potterton system. Do they still make hot-air systems? Ideally
she'd just like this system repaired, failing that, a new hot-air system
would be preferable to radiators. Are these systems still popular?

Thanks for any comments.
I don't 'have it in' for BG, but some things they say/do just seem to get my
back up.

Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has
been paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the annual
inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as unsafe. It has
been 'capped off' and now has a nice red warning label on it.
The reason for this was due to;
1) The safety cut-off valve being faulty (something that stops the
gas if the flame goes out).
2) The flame is yellow (should be blue).
3) The flue has cracks (these are in the loft space).
All 3 items cannot be repaired or replaced.
BG will immediately refund this years premiums. But I'd like to know,
if they knew that the system could not be effectively maintained, why
have they been taking premiums for the last 10 years (or more)?
Obviously I have no proof that all of these parts became unobtainable
in just the last year, but I'd welcome comments as to what we could
do.
Could all of these items fail in a single year? Maybe it's just me,
but it seems that previous checks were not carried out properly.
Indeed, the plug that supplies power to the fan had a loose wire,
which would appear to have been unchecked for years (maybe the checks
don't go this deep).

BG will be quoting on replacement systems. I have told my mum to get
a few more quotes. She had not even considered getting other people
involved.

It's an old Potterton system. Do they still make hot-air systems?
Ideally she'd just like this system repaired, failing that, a new
hot-air system would be preferable to radiators. Are these systems
still popular?

Thanks for any comments.
I don't 'have it in' for BG, but some things they say/do just seem to
get my back up.

Grumps,

I've had the three star service with BG now since 1986 and the only time
that they ever failed to carry out a repair was when the parts were not
available any more (knackered cast iron balanced flue spigot on a wall
mounted Potterton Neat-a-Heat) - and they condemned the boiler because of
that (although only after a week of trying to get the part).

If you look under their Terms and Conditions, you will see that they will
repair a boiler/heating system until the parts become unavailable and then
you have to pay for a new boiler, they won't.

I had them fit a new boiler around 1998, they quoted me a fair price
(everything all-in) and during the install, I asked them to fit 3
theremostatic rad valves as an extra to the contract whilst the system was
drained down- and they supplied and fitted these free for me.

Brian G

In article ,
Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has been
paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the annual
inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as unsafe.

Neighbour had her system condemned at the first inspection after 18 months of
paying the fees. My daughter had hers condemned at first inspection. I regard
BG personnel as purely high pressure salespeople with an extra-special intro
into your home. I'd be pleased to find that my cynicism is unfounded.

--
John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822
Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com
Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing

"Brian G" wrote in message
...
Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has
been paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the annual
inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as unsafe. It has
been 'capped off' and now has a nice red warning label on it.
The reason for this was due to;
1) The safety cut-off valve being faulty (something that stops the
gas if the flame goes out).
2) The flame is yellow (should be blue).
3) The flue has cracks (these are in the loft space).
All 3 items cannot be repaired or replaced.
[some of my rant snipped]

I've had the three star service with BG now since 1986 and the only time
that they ever failed to carry out a repair was when the parts were not
available any more (knackered cast iron balanced flue spigot on a wall
mounted Potterton Neat-a-Heat) - and they condemned the boiler because of
that (although only after a week of trying to get the part).

If you look under their Terms and Conditions, you will see that they will
repair a boiler/heating system until the parts become unavailable and then
you have to pay for a new boiler, they won't.

Thanks. Yes, I know. But if they are aware that replacement major components
cannot be obtained, then should they still be taking maintenance premiums?

"John Cartmell" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has been
paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the annual
inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as unsafe.

Neighbour had her system condemned at the first inspection after 18 months
of
paying the fees. My daughter had hers condemned at first inspection. I
regard
BG personnel as purely high pressure salespeople with an extra-special
intro
into your home. I'd be pleased to find that my cynicism is unfounded.

But what can we realistically do? Get a 3rd party to examine the system (at
our cost)?

What makes the flame burn yellow? Is this a terminal disease?

On Sun, 31 Jul 2005 22:44:16 +0100, "Grumps"
wrote:

My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has been
paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the annual
inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as unsafe. It has been
'capped off' and now has a nice red warning label on it.
The reason for this was due to;
1) The safety cut-off valve being faulty (something that stops the gas if
the flame goes out).
2) The flame is yellow (should be blue).
3) The flue has cracks (these are in the loft space).
All 3 items cannot be repaired or replaced.
BG will immediately refund this years premiums. But I'd like to know, if
they knew that the system could not be effectively maintained, why have they
been taking premiums for the last 10 years (or more)? Obviously I have no
proof that all of these parts became unobtainable in just the last year, but
I'd welcome comments as to what we could do.
Could all of these items fail in a single year? Maybe it's just me, but it
seems that previous checks were not carried out properly. Indeed, the plug
that supplies power to the fan had a loose wire, which would appear to have
been unchecked for years (maybe the checks don't go this deep).

If the thing was 37 years old, it has done remarkably well.

Nevertheless, BG contracts are notoriously poor value for money. It
is far more cost effective to find a local CORGI fitter to do a
service and clean once a year - probably 50% less. The money saved
would go much of the way to a replacement system.



BG will be quoting on replacement systems. I have told my mum to get a few
more quotes. She had not even considered getting other people involved.

That would be very wise. BG are an even bigger rip-off when it comes
to replacement systems. Starting price is typically at least twice
the market average, and then they make the householder think that they
are getting a great deal by applying a modest discount or throwing in
some things for "free".



It's an old Potterton system. Do they still make hot-air systems? Ideally
she'd just like this system repaired, failing that, a new hot-air system
would be preferable to radiators. Are these systems still popular?

There are still hot air systems around.


http://www.johnsonandstarleyltd.co.u...r_warm_air.asp

is one example. As far as I know Potterton don't make them any
longer, and in turn are a shadow of their former selves anyway.



Thanks for any comments.
I don't 'have it in' for BG, but some things they say/do just seem to get my
back up.

Almost everything they say and do gets mine up. I refuse to deal
with the company.





--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

In message , Grumps
writes
"John Cartmell" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has been
paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the annual
inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as unsafe.

Neighbour had her system condemned at the first inspection after 18 months
of
paying the fees. My daughter had hers condemned at first inspection. I
regard
BG personnel as purely high pressure salespeople with an extra-special
intro
into your home. I'd be pleased to find that my cynicism is unfounded.

But what can we realistically do? Get a 3rd party to examine the system (at
our cost)?

What makes the flame burn yellow? Is this a terminal disease?

Incorrect mixture

It's giving off carbon monoxide

which could be terminal for you - whether it's terminal for the boiler's
a different matter, it could be due to a number of things such as
blocked jets, insufficient ventilation or whatever.


--
geoff

In message , Grumps
writes
"Brian G" wrote in message
...
Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has
been paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the annual
inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as unsafe. It has
been 'capped off' and now has a nice red warning label on it.
The reason for this was due to;
1) The safety cut-off valve being faulty (something that stops the
gas if the flame goes out).
2) The flame is yellow (should be blue).
3) The flue has cracks (these are in the loft space).
All 3 items cannot be repaired or replaced.
[some of my rant snipped]

I've had the three star service with BG now since 1986 and the only time
that they ever failed to carry out a repair was when the parts were not
available any more (knackered cast iron balanced flue spigot on a wall
mounted Potterton Neat-a-Heat) - and they condemned the boiler because of
that (although only after a week of trying to get the part).

If you look under their Terms and Conditions, you will see that they will
repair a boiler/heating system until the parts become unavailable and then
you have to pay for a new boiler, they won't.

Thanks. Yes, I know. But if they are aware that replacement major components
cannot be obtained, then should they still be taking maintenance premiums?

They are also very good at not looking very far for spare parts

I've had a few people phone me up explaining that e.g. a Potterton
Netaheat control pcb is no longer available and thank goodness they
found me.

I point them towards e.g. HRPC proving that they are and warning them of
BG's policy

(Of course, I nearly always get the sale because of the price
difference)

--
geoff

In message , Grumps
writes

It's an old Potterton system. Do they still make hot-air systems? Ideally
she'd just like this system repaired, failing that, a new hot-air system
would be preferable to radiators. Are these systems still popular?

I've not come across (to my knowledge anyway) a Potterton WAS

They certainly haven't made any for a long time

The only real alternative is to get a Johnson & Starley WAS installed of
she wants that sort of heating


--
geoff

Grumps wrote:
"Brian G" wrote in message
...
Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has
been paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the
annual inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as
unsafe. It has been 'capped off' and now has a nice red warning
label on it.
The reason for this was due to;
1) The safety cut-off valve being faulty (something that stops the
gas if the flame goes out).
2) The flame is yellow (should be blue).
3) The flue has cracks (these are in the loft space).
All 3 items cannot be repaired or replaced.
[some of my rant snipped]

I've had the three star service with BG now since 1986 and the only
time that they ever failed to carry out a repair was when the parts
were not available any more (knackered cast iron balanced flue
spigot on a wall mounted Potterton Neat-a-Heat) - and they condemned
the boiler because of that (although only after a week of trying to
get the part).

If you look under their Terms and Conditions, you will see that they
will repair a boiler/heating system until the parts become
unavailable and then you have to pay for a new boiler, they won't.

Thanks. Yes, I know. But if they are aware that replacement major
components cannot be obtained, then should they still be taking
maintenance premiums?

Hi Grumps,

If you your mother had the 3 star contract, then this covers more than just
the boiler, it covers the hot water system, boiler and thermostatic
controls, cylinder etc and that part of the contract would still be covered
and therefore premiums would still be payable.

I would suggest that as you are obviously unhappy about BG's service (and
after reading your post I think I would be) you ring them up and ask for a
supervisor and a different techncian to have another look at the system and
either confirm or deny the other fella's findings.

Brian G

raden wrote:
In message , Grumps
writes
"Brian G" wrote in message
...
Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has
been paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the
annual inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as
unsafe. It has been 'capped off' and now has a nice red warning
label on it.
The reason for this was due to;
1) The safety cut-off valve being faulty (something that stops the
gas if the flame goes out).
2) The flame is yellow (should be blue).
3) The flue has cracks (these are in the loft space).
All 3 items cannot be repaired or replaced.
[some of my rant snipped]

I've had the three star service with BG now since 1986 and the only
time that they ever failed to carry out a repair was when the parts
were not available any more (knackered cast iron balanced flue
spigot on a wall mounted Potterton Neat-a-Heat) - and they
condemned the boiler because of that (although only after a week of
trying to get the part).

If you look under their Terms and Conditions, you will see that
they will repair a boiler/heating system until the parts become
unavailable and then you have to pay for a new boiler, they won't.

Thanks. Yes, I know. But if they are aware that replacement major
components cannot be obtained, then should they still be taking
maintenance premiums?

They are also very good at not looking very far for spare parts

I've had a few people phone me up explaining that e.g. a Potterton
Netaheat control pcb is no longer available and thank goodness they
found me.

I point them towards e.g. HRPC proving that they are and warning them
of BG's policy

(Of course, I nearly always get the sale because of the price
difference)

Raden,

In my case, I was glad that they finally condemned the boiler as BG were
attending at least once a month for nearly 18 months because the damned
thing kept breaking down.

BTW, that was not through lack of knowledge or care, but purely and simply
wear and tear and an odd-ball installation - you have to see it to believe
it and the whole estate was the same at that time - we virtuall had British
Gas camping here because of the repair frequency.

At the time, I was working for the local authority as general foreman on
housing repairs and became involved with these problems generally and know
that BG had a rough time with them right up until they ended their contract
with the council.

Brian G

In message , Brian G
writes
raden wrote:
In message , Grumps
writes
"Brian G" wrote in message
...
Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has
been paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the
annual inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as
unsafe. It has been 'capped off' and now has a nice red warning
label on it.
The reason for this was due to;
1) The safety cut-off valve being faulty (something that stops the
gas if the flame goes out).
2) The flame is yellow (should be blue).
3) The flue has cracks (these are in the loft space).
All 3 items cannot be repaired or replaced.
[some of my rant snipped]

I've had the three star service with BG now since 1986 and the only
time that they ever failed to carry out a repair was when the parts
were not available any more (knackered cast iron balanced flue
spigot on a wall mounted Potterton Neat-a-Heat) - and they
condemned the boiler because of that (although only after a week of
trying to get the part).

If you look under their Terms and Conditions, you will see that
they will repair a boiler/heating system until the parts become
unavailable and then you have to pay for a new boiler, they won't.

Thanks. Yes, I know. But if they are aware that replacement major
components cannot be obtained, then should they still be taking
maintenance premiums?

They are also very good at not looking very far for spare parts

I've had a few people phone me up explaining that e.g. a Potterton
Netaheat control pcb is no longer available and thank goodness they
found me.

I point them towards e.g. HRPC proving that they are and warning them
of BG's policy

(Of course, I nearly always get the sale because of the price
difference)

Raden,

In my case, I was glad that they finally condemned the boiler as BG were
attending at least once a month for nearly 18 months because the damned
thing kept breaking down.

BTW, that was not through lack of knowledge or care, but purely and simply
wear and tear and an odd-ball installation - you have to see it to believe
it and the whole estate was the same at that time - we virtuall had British
Gas camping here because of the repair frequency.

At the time, I was working for the local authority as general foreman on
housing repairs and became involved with these problems generally and know
that BG had a rough time with them right up until they ended their contract
with the council.

But in general, they have a (well deserved) bad reputation for trying to
fleece the public

--
geoff

On Sun, 31 Jul 2005 23:22:35 UTC, raden wrote:

But in general, they have a (well deserved) bad reputation for trying to
fleece the public

I think that's right.

But we inherited a contract when we bought this house, and kept it
going. We've had our moneys' worth, I think. In the last three years
we've had a new hot water cylinder (a lot of extra pipework required
because of its location), new pump, new ball valve, new programmer, new
3 way valve...and all 'next day' (I know we've been lucky there).

Probably no cheaper than saving the money up - but the quick response
(without phoning round) has been worth it.

We're bracing ourselves for boiler problems as they say they can't get
parts - but will then of course go to our tame CORGI for that.

"Grumps" wrote in message
...
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has been
paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the annual
inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as unsafe. It has been
'capped off' and now has a nice red warning label on it.

Leaving aside the issues with BG maintenance there are a couple of schemes
that may be helpful to your mother now that she has condemned heating.

Have a look at http://www.eaga.co.uk/ as the schemes vary depending on what
part of the country your mother is in.

raden wrote:
In message , Brian G
writes
raden wrote:
In message , Grumps
writes
"Brian G" wrote in message
...
Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She
has been paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during
the annual inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as
unsafe. It has been 'capped off' and now has a nice red warning
label on it.
The reason for this was due to;
1) The safety cut-off valve being faulty (something that stops
the gas if the flame goes out).
2) The flame is yellow (should be blue).
3) The flue has cracks (these are in the loft space).
All 3 items cannot be repaired or replaced.
[some of my rant snipped]

I've had the three star service with BG now since 1986 and the
only time that they ever failed to carry out a repair was when
the parts were not available any more (knackered cast iron
balanced flue spigot on a wall mounted Potterton Neat-a-Heat) -
and they condemned the boiler because of that (although only
after a week of trying to get the part).

If you look under their Terms and Conditions, you will see that
they will repair a boiler/heating system until the parts become
unavailable and then you have to pay for a new boiler, they won't.

Thanks. Yes, I know. But if they are aware that replacement major
components cannot be obtained, then should they still be taking
maintenance premiums?

They are also very good at not looking very far for spare parts

I've had a few people phone me up explaining that e.g. a Potterton
Netaheat control pcb is no longer available and thank goodness they
found me.

I point them towards e.g. HRPC proving that they are and warning
them of BG's policy

(Of course, I nearly always get the sale because of the price
difference)

Raden,

In my case, I was glad that they finally condemned the boiler as BG
were attending at least once a month for nearly 18 months because
the damned thing kept breaking down.

BTW, that was not through lack of knowledge or care, but purely and
simply wear and tear and an odd-ball installation - you have to see
it to believe it and the whole estate was the same at that time - we
virtuall had British Gas camping here because of the repair
frequency.

At the time, I was working for the local authority as general
foreman on housing repairs and became involved with these problems
generally and know that BG had a rough time with them right up until
they ended their contract with the council.

But in general, they have a (well deserved) bad reputation for trying
to fleece the public

Geoff,

People must speak as they find - but I must admit that I have never been
'fleeced' by British Gas - you know the price before they start - and that's
being 'fleeced' as you make the decision whether to accept or not.

I will freely admit that they are not the cheapest but in my longe
experience with them, but neither are they 'cowboys'.

They have always given me a quotation (not an estimate) and when they price
for a job they usually price 'all-in' and when a problem arises they don't
suck their teeth and say "we didn't price for that guv'nor and it's going to
cost £200 quid extra and if you don't agree, then we'll walk off the job" -
or even when there is no problem even!

Also when there have been problems, they have always returned promptly
(usually the next day) and have NEVER waffled or tried to pass the buck -
they've just got on with it.

I accept that there will be some disagreement over this, but as I said at
the beginning, "speak as you find" and that is how I find.

Brian G

In message , Brian G
writes
Raden,

In my case, I was glad that they finally condemned the boiler as BG
were attending at least once a month for nearly 18 months because
the damned thing kept breaking down.

BTW, that was not through lack of knowledge or care, but purely and
simply wear and tear and an odd-ball installation - you have to see
it to believe it and the whole estate was the same at that time - we
virtuall had British Gas camping here because of the repair
frequency.

At the time, I was working for the local authority as general
foreman on housing repairs and became involved with these problems
generally and know that BG had a rough time with them right up until
they ended their contract with the council.

But in general, they have a (well deserved) bad reputation for trying
to fleece the public

Geoff,

People must speak as they find - but I must admit that I have never been
'fleeced' by British Gas - you know the price before they start - and that's
being 'fleeced' as you make the decision whether to accept or not.


The problem is that people still think that BG is the same old British
gas as used to be.

I know of several people who just went to BG because of this trust

(my parents' next door neighbour for example and paid £2300 for a job
which would be about £1800 at the going rate)

There have been countless threads in here started by people who have
been ripped off by BG

--
geoff

In article , raden wrote:
At the time, I was working for the local authority as general foreman
on housing repairs and became involved with these problems generally
and know that BG had a rough time with them right up until they ended
their contract with the council.

But in general, they have a (well deserved) bad reputation for trying to
fleece the public

Just been happy to see a now retired old friend from work back in for a
day to cover an emergency. And on chatting at lunch - as you do - he told
the story of BG quoting to replace his ancient back boiler system which
was on one of their service contracts, but suddenly couldn't be maintained
anymore. 4000 quid. And the salesman said to expect savings of 80% on the
gas bills. Didn't know Drivel was now a gas salesman.

He got a mate of a mate to fit a condenser combi for 2000 quid - and by
the sound of it a good job. But now complains about how long the bath
takes to fill. ;-(

--
*If they arrest the Energizer Bunny, would they charge it with battery? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 23:30:24 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article , raden wrote:
At the time, I was working for the local authority as general foreman
on housing repairs and became involved with these problems generally
and know that BG had a rough time with them right up until they ended
their contract with the council.

But in general, they have a (well deserved) bad reputation for trying to
fleece the public

Just been happy to see a now retired old friend from work back in for a
day to cover an emergency. And on chatting at lunch - as you do - he told
the story of BG quoting to replace his ancient back boiler system which
was on one of their service contracts, but suddenly couldn't be maintained
anymore. 4000 quid. And the salesman said to expect savings of 80% on the
gas bills. Didn't know Drivel was now a gas salesman.

Of course he is. Two combis don't run on air, you know.



He got a mate of a mate to fit a condenser combi for 2000 quid - and by
the sound of it a good job. But now complains about how long the bath
takes to fill. ;-(

Didn't have Drivel fit the two combis did he?



--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...

He got a mate of a mate to fit a condenser combi for 2000 quid - and by
the sound of it a good job. But now complains about how long the bath
takes to fill. ;-(

Didn't have Drivel fit the two combis did he?

Exactly. He could have had an Alpha CD50 high flow job or a two combi's and
filled the baths for the whole street.

The problem is the ignorance of "plumbers".

In article ws.net,
Doctor Drivel wrote:
He got a mate of a mate to fit a condenser combi for 2000 quid - and
by the sound of it a good job. But now complains about how long the
bath takes to fill. ;-(

Didn't have Drivel fit the two combis did he?

Exactly. He could have had an Alpha CD50 high flow job or a two combi's
and filled the baths for the whole street.

But he also complained about the space taken up by the combi in his rather
small '30s kitchen. Lost a wall cupboard. Whereas the back boiler used up
none, as it were.

I did ask if the space liberated by not having a hot water cylinder would
be useful. He said no - sort of fitted at the top of the stairs in
otherwise wasted space.

The problem is the ignorance of "plumbers".

Yes. He'd have been far better sticking to a storage system since it was
already in place. Plumbers really should be educated about such things
rather than having the 'one size fits all' approach.

He was told you couldn't have a modern system and stored hot water, and
that the flow rate would be better from the combi anyway. So more lies.

--
*I was once a millionaire but my mom gave away my baseball cards

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Doctor Drivel" wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .

He got a mate of a mate to fit a condenser combi for 2000 quid - and by
the sound of it a good job. But now complains about how long the bath
takes to fill. ;-(

Didn't have Drivel fit the two combis did he?

Exactly. He could have had an Alpha CD50 high flow job or a two combi's and
filled the baths for the whole street.

OK Drivel now YOU provide the proof. No one believes you (unless you
are talking about baths suitable for Barbie and Ken (kinky)
--

Matt wrote:
... No one believes you (unless you are talking about baths
suitable for Barbie and Ken (kinky)

I was slightly startled to see a section in the latest Argos catalogue
entitled "Rock Hard Fairies"

I don't know what toys are coming to, I really don't.

(Cue thread on Great Toys We Have Known, and When Ah Wuz A Lad Mam Used
To Get T' Christmas Satsuma Out Of T' Pawn Shop)

Owain

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ws.net,
Doctor Drivel wrote:
He got a mate of a mate to fit a condenser combi for 2000 quid - and
by the sound of it a good job. But now complains about how long the
bath takes to fill. ;-(

Didn't have Drivel fit the two combis did he?

Exactly. He could have had an Alpha CD50 high flow job or a two combi's
and filled the baths for the whole street.

But he also complained about the space taken up by the combi in his rather
small '30s kitchen. Lost a wall cupboard. Whereas the back boiler used up
none, as it were.

I bet it could have gone somewhere else.

I did ask if the space liberated by not having a hot water cylinder would
be useful. He said no - sort of fitted at the top of the stairs in
otherwise wasted space.

The boiler could have gone there taking up less space and flued through the
wall or roof.

snip babbling misinformed drivel

"Matt" wrote in message
...
"Doctor Drivel" wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .

He got a mate of a mate to fit a condenser combi for 2000 quid - and
by
the sound of it a good job. But now complains about how long the bath
takes to fill. ;-(

Didn't have Drivel fit the two combis did he?

Exactly. He could have had an Alpha CD50 high flow job or a two combi's
and
filled the baths for the whole street.

OK Drivel now YOU provide the proof. No one believes you (unless you
are talking about baths suitable for Barbie and Ken (kinky)

Matty boy, go to the Alpha boilers web site and look. This lookingness is
very good as it tells you things. Then go to any small combi boiler web
site and look at the flowrate of 11-12 litres/min. Then double that when
installing combis. Simple any idiot can do, except you.

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message , Grumps
writes

It's an old Potterton system. Do they still make hot-air systems? Ideally
she'd just like this system repaired, failing that, a new hot-air system
would be preferable to radiators. Are these systems still popular?

I've not come across (to my knowledge anyway) a Potterton WAS

They certainly haven't made any for a long time

The only real alternative is to get a Johnson & Starley WAS installed of
she wants that sort of heating

Maxie, all she needs is a replacement forced air unit. They are an eon away
from the 1960s things, cleaner quieter, more economical, etc. She may also
be better off with new registers too. The system is there so just use it.
Why would she want her hpirs ruipepd to pieces to put ugly radiators on the
wall?

Johnson & Starley will have a replacement unit.

In article ws.net,
Doctor Drivel wrote:
But he also complained about the space taken up by the combi in his
rather small '30s kitchen. Lost a wall cupboard. Whereas the back
boiler used up none, as it were.

I bet it could have gone somewhere else.

Of course you'd know without looking? And it's 'it' now? What happened to
the other one?

I did ask if the space liberated by not having a hot water cylinder
would be useful. He said no - sort of fitted at the top of the stairs
in otherwise wasted space.

The boiler could have gone there taking up less space and flued through
the wall or roof.

Yes pet. Have you sobered up yet?

[snip drooling]

--
*Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message ws.net,
Doctor Drivel writes

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message , Grumps
writes

It's an old Potterton system. Do they still make hot-air systems? Ideally
she'd just like this system repaired, failing that, a new hot-air system
would be preferable to radiators. Are these systems still popular?

I've not come across (to my knowledge anyway) a Potterton WAS

They certainly haven't made any for a long time

The only real alternative is to get a Johnson & Starley WAS installed of
she wants that sort of heating

Maxie, all she needs is a replacement forced air unit. They are an eon away
from the 1960s things, cleaner quieter, more economical, etc. She may also
be better off with new registers too. The system is there so just use it.
Why would she want her hpirs ruipepd to pieces to put ugly radiators on the
wall?

Johnson & Starley will have a replacement unit.

What did I type, dickhead ?

--
geoff

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ws.net,
Doctor Drivel wrote:
But he also complained about the space taken up by the combi in his
rather small '30s kitchen. Lost a wall cupboard. Whereas the back
boiler used up none, as it were.

I bet it could have gone somewhere else.

Of course you'd know without looking? And it's 'it' now? What happened to
the other one?

I did ask if the space liberated by not having a hot water cylinder
would be useful. He said no - sort of fitted at the top of the stairs
in otherwise wasted space.

The boiler could have gone there taking up less space and flued through
the wall or roof.

Yes pet.

...the Plowman man he calls me pet
...of inverted gender he must be set
...he gives us info we don't need to know
...down our throats he rams it so


...instictively you will spy
...in newsgroups with DIY
...attempting wisdom this fool will try


...the info's so poor tis clearly true
...so how does this garbage affect you?


...well take no heed of babble and drool
...as this one is a confirmed fool


...he marches around in CAT boots of yellow
...this strange brain damaged sort of fellow


...misadvice he has lots to say
...so don't give this yellow booted half-wit the time of day

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message ws.net,
Doctor Drivel writes

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message , Grumps
writes

It's an old Potterton system. Do they still make hot-air systems?
Ideally
she'd just like this system repaired, failing that, a new hot-air
system
would be preferable to radiators. Are these systems still popular?

I've not come across (to my knowledge anyway) a Potterton WAS

They certainly haven't made any for a long time

The only real alternative is to get a Johnson & Starley WAS installed
of
she wants that sort of heating

Maxie, all she needs is a replacement forced air unit. They are an eon
away
from the 1960s things, cleaner quieter, more economical, etc. She may
also
be better off with new registers too. The system is there so just use
it.
Why would she want her hpirs ruipepd to pieces to put ugly radiators on
the
wall?

Johnson & Starley will have a replacement unit.

What did I type, dickhead ?

Maxie, you a disgusting person. You did not emphasise the merits of a new
unit. Have shame on yourself.

"Doctor Drivel" wrote in message
eenews.net...

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message ws.net,
Doctor Drivel writes

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message , Grumps
writes

It's an old Potterton system. Do they still make hot-air systems?
Ideally
she'd just like this system repaired, failing that, a new hot-air
system
would be preferable to radiators. Are these systems still popular?

I've not come across (to my knowledge anyway) a Potterton WAS

They certainly haven't made any for a long time

The only real alternative is to get a Johnson & Starley WAS installed
of
she wants that sort of heating

Maxie, all she needs is a replacement forced air unit. They are an eon
away
from the 1960s things, cleaner quieter, more economical, etc. She may
also
be better off with new registers too. The system is there so just use
it.
Why would she want her hpirs ruipepd to pieces to put ugly radiators on
the
wall?

Johnson & Starley will have a replacement unit.

What did I type, dickhead ?

Maxie, you a disgusting person. You did not emphasise the merits of a new
unit. Have shame on yourself.

Stop all the bickering! Has anyone got any idea of who will actually install
these. We're going through the yellow pages, and so far, nobody wants to
know. J&S couldn't (or didn't want to) recommend anyone. But I think I'll
have to go back to them tomorrow.
The BG man said that 40% of the UK central heating market was warm air. This
seems a bit high to me. But if it's true, then J&S must be rolling in the
money.

On Sun, 31 Jul 2005 23:22:31 +0100, Grumps wrote:

"John Cartmell" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Grumps wrote:
My mother has a 37 year old hot-air central heating system. She has been
paying regularly for BG maintenance. This year, during the annual
inspection/safety check, they condemned the system as unsafe.

Neighbour had her system condemned at the first inspection after 18 months
of
paying the fees. My daughter had hers condemned at first inspection. I
regard
BG personnel as purely high pressure salespeople with an extra-special
intro
into your home. I'd be pleased to find that my cynicism is unfounded.

But what can we realistically do? Get a 3rd party to examine the system (at
our cost)?

What makes the flame burn yellow? Is this a terminal disease?

Lots of details in the gas fitting FAQ.


--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html

On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 20:26:34 +0100, Grumps wrote:

"Doctor Drivel" wrote in message
eenews.net...

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message ws.net,
Doctor Drivel writes

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message , Grumps
writes

It's an old Potterton system. Do they still make hot-air systems?
Ideally
she'd just like this system repaired, failing that, a new hot-air
system
would be preferable to radiators. Are these systems still popular?

I've not come across (to my knowledge anyway) a Potterton WAS

They certainly haven't made any for a long time

The only real alternative is to get a Johnson & Starley WAS installed
of
she wants that sort of heating

Maxie, all she needs is a replacement forced air unit. They are an eon
away
from the 1960s things, cleaner quieter, more economical, etc. She may
also
be better off with new registers too. The system is there so just use
it.
Why would she want her hpirs ruipepd to pieces to put ugly radiators on
the
wall?

Johnson & Starley will have a replacement unit.

What did I type, dickhead ?

Maxie, you a disgusting person. You did not emphasise the merits of a new
unit. Have shame on yourself.

Stop all the bickering! Has anyone got any idea of who will actually install
these. We're going through the yellow pages, and so far, nobody wants to
know. J&S couldn't (or didn't want to) recommend anyone. But I think I'll
have to go back to them tomorrow.
The BG man said that 40% of the UK central heating market was warm air. This
seems a bit high to me. But if it's true, then J&S must be rolling in the
money.

I'd be surprised if it was 4%.
J&S may well recommend installers in your area.
You can use CORGI's web site to find an installer with 'Warm Air'
certification, you may have to search fairly wide.

J&S may have their own installation service.



--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html

"Grumps" wrote:

The BG man said that 40% of the UK central heating market was warm air.

That figure is wildly optimistic. 40% of the warm air across the UK
continues to emerge from Doctor Drivel despite them turning off the
gas to his council estate due to safety considerations. But to keep
his neighbours warm he regularly posts combi boiler leaflets through
their letterboxes.


--

"Grumps" wrote in message
...
"Doctor Drivel" wrote in message
eenews.net...

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message ws.net,
Doctor Drivel writes

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message , Grumps
writes

It's an old Potterton system. Do they still make hot-air systems?
Ideally
she'd just like this system repaired, failing that, a new hot-air
system
would be preferable to radiators. Are these systems still popular?

I've not come across (to my knowledge anyway) a Potterton WAS

They certainly haven't made any for a long time

The only real alternative is to get a Johnson & Starley WAS
installed
of
she wants that sort of heating

Maxie, all she needs is a replacement forced air unit. They are an
eon
away
from the 1960s things, cleaner quieter, more economical, etc. She
may
also
be better off with new registers too. The system is there so just
use
it.
Why would she want her hpirs ruipepd to pieces to put ugly radiators
on
the
wall?

Johnson & Starley will have a replacement unit.

What did I type, dickhead ?

Maxie, you a disgusting person. You did not emphasise the merits of a
new
unit. Have shame on yourself.

Stop all the bickering! Has anyone got any idea of who will actually
install
these. We're going through the yellow pages, and so far, nobody wants to
know. J&S couldn't (or didn't want to) recommend anyone. But I think I'll
have to go back to them tomorrow.
The BG man said that 40% of the UK central heating market was warm air.
This
seems a bit high to me. But if it's true, then J&S must be rolling in the
money.

J&S is the only UK maker. They can help. 40%? Optimistic, yet over one
million homes are heated via forced air in the UK.

In article ws.net,
Doctor Drivel wrote:
Yes pet.

..the Plowman man he calls me pet

Yes. It's what you call an animal of limited intelligence. Which you feed
and cherish.

[snip attempts at verse which would be a joke to a 5 year old]

--
*I took an IQ test and the results were negative.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ws.net,
Doctor Drivel wrote:
Yes pet.

..the Plowman man he calls me pet

Yes.

Yes he does. He is Inverted gender, it must be said.