On 05 Jun 2011 13:17:49 GMT, MJA wrote:

I suspect that to a German it would be a symbol for a chimney sweep,
and therefore mean "maintenance mode".

Yup. Generally the switch has the boiler run at full output, and dump the heat
in the heating system, summer or not. The chimney sweep here usually doesn't
bother, but just turns up the hot water while he does the required
CO/CO2/Oxygen/temperature thing on the flue gasses, and comes up with an
efficiency. Used to have an hourglass thingy with liquid innit and a squeeze
ball and tables and all, now just has a boxy thing in a case with LCD display.
Used to have a cash register strip printout, now goes straight to Excel or
whatever.

And he does wear a black outfit like the one in the article, but no top hat. He
does come with a little ladder to get him up the last bit on the chimney with
his brushes and ropes and all.


Thomas Prufer