On Mon, 17 Nov 2014 13:46:44 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:


This whole thread isn't just for me, but for my neighbor who seems to
have less money than I do. He told me 9 days ago that he was out of
oil until last Thursday and was depending on room heaters, and that his
(DSL?) modem broke and he was looking for another one and using his
phone for email. And that he didn't want to pay the (rather high,
iirc**) charge the oil guy wanted for yearly maintenance on the furnace
even though he thought the electrodes were bad and last it was running,
he never turned it off because it he thought it woudln't restart (Yes, a
misunderstanding, and I asked if he didn't get too hot but he was on to
another subject. .)


That doesn't compute. I mean how long could he possibly leave it on?

I wondered about that too, but I don't feel he's conducive to follow-up
questions, or I asked one and got no answer.

I guess you could heat the house up an extra 5 degrees. I can see doing
that on an emergency basis. But overall, it would seem it wouldn't be
too long before the extra oil cost as much as the repair. And even then,
it only reduces the number of start-ups.

I haven't heard from him since he got the oil delivered**, except the
night before he told me he must not have been out of oil because he
turned the furnace on and it ran. This also means it started by itself,
so he doesn't need electrodes, at least not totally, and they don't need
that much adjustment (he said he'd done that, but I was going to look at
them.) and he doesn't need an ignition transformer, which I think he had
expressed interest in.

**That's another annying thing. He told me he wanted me to come over
after the oil came but never called to say, Forget it. That's the
second, maybe third time. So he doesn't get parts, and the second time
I lent him the bathtub socket, I said if it's not back by tomorrow (the
time he had said) I'm going to but a set at HD and you'll owe me $22.
That time he returned the tool in 45 minutes. So maybe things will
work out!

One thing he didn't know, and people used to gas furnaces and propane
torches wouldnt' know is that the ignition in an oil furnace fires all
the time the furnace is running.


And for all the things he needs, he expresses interest in parts from my
spare burner. OTOH, when he borrowed my bathtub stem socket, it took 3
months and 3 reminders for him to return it, and I'm not willing to give
or lend him any spare parts on the theory he'll replace them before or
even when I need them. But I am willing to do online research, find
parts, find how things work, etc.

**Though the oil price was only $2.00 a gallon. My tank is full or
maybe I'd buy some.

At least it's finally coming down a bit and in time for winter.

Yes, I don't know what my regular supplier is charging, but I'm sure
it's less than before.