the old boiler

Saturday, Mar 6th, 2010 -- You may run around trying to do one too many things today, which actually could prevent you from doing any of them effectively. Finding a sustainable balance between work and play is more difficult when you cannot catch up. Making one too many promises might even prompt you to think about walking away from your commitments without even trying to fulfill them. Don't be foolish; it's smarter to pare back your responsibilities before the day gets under way.

Too true.

I thought the house was a bit cold last night, turned the thermo up on the boiler as usual and didn't give it another thought. House was bloody cold this morning when I eventually surfaced; thought I'd set the timer to go off at 9. Nope, little flashing fault indicator says the fan or the flue is f*** (cough*faulty) I checked the flue thingie outside to see if the local yoof had choked it with something forra laff, but it seems not.

Wondering if it's worth asking my neighbour who drives a van that says 'plumbing and heating' to have a look, but more likely to need to call a 'professional' who'll have an extravagant call out charge and make sure he goes over the included half hour inflicting a patronising monologue about how it's really old, and they don't make these any more, and I really need to replace it, but he'll see what he can do, doesn't have the right parts but will bodge it with this cheap wahtever 'as a favour' and generally tee me off completely. Accompanied by drinking my tea and alternately sucking his teeth and shaking his head at the awfulness of the price he's going to charge me to fix it.

The flying plumbers installed it about 7?8 years ago so it probably is a bit old as these things go, and saving three grand on the original installation means it doesn't owe me much

Checked the net; probably need a new PCB which costs about £100
OK predictions over. Let's see how it goes

5pm : he's been and gone, I am £90 poorer and will be another £300 more poor on Friday when he comes to supply and fit a new PCB board. If only I was good at electrickery: I'd already netted the fact that it was either fan itself or PCB, and it's a straightforward take it out put the new one in. If only. Damn cold; gald I'm staying out tonight - at least I hoep I am! waiting for the washing machine to finish and then I can head for London