The house started cooling down slowly on Saturday although we were lucky to get some sunshine to warm up the living-room. On Sunday morning the thermostat told me that the house had gone down to 15°C and I spent most of the day trying to find ways of crawling into Hermie’s cage and basking under his heat lamp with him. I left his lamp on overnight and yesterday, the room temperature had dropped to 14°C. It was positively freezing and Hermie didn’t emerge from his welly all day, but that may be due to the fact that I’d left his lamp on overnight for two nights in a row and so the poor mite wasn’t sure what was happening.
Tortoises need routine, you see.
One of the chauffagistes called me back yesterday to say that he could make it today and my pleas of desperation begging the man to come as early as possible paid off as another client had cancelled and he could come around then. Yes, that very minute.
When he came around I explained that it was an old heater and that I wasn’t sure how much he could help me, but he seemed happy enough to look at my ‘antique’ (his word, not mine), fixed it, stayed to make sure that it worked properly and only charged €20 – the happiest €20 that I have ever parted with.
Slowly, the house started heating up and all I have to test now is the hot water. I have asked for a quote for a new boiler and heating system – having the two separately seems to be the obvious solution for a house this size – it’s just the cost of buying them.
So I have heating, glorious, wonderful heating – and hot water.
You don’t realise how much you need these luxuries until they’ve gone.
14 Comments
I’ve got a lovely warm feeling now – the knowledge that you are more comfortable is a blessing ….. [sorry about that, it's my one day when I try to be nice - it won't last of course]
Actually, whether or not you need a separate boiler has not so much to do with the size of you house. It’s more the distance between your heater and the places where you need a lot of warm water (bathroom and kitchen) that is important. If you have your boiler in one part of the house and your kitchen taps right at the other side, you’re better off with a separate boiler. But if you’re boiler is right next to (below/above) your bathroom and kitchen, taking an integrated model will save you money in installation, maintenance and gas consumption.
By the way, if you know someone with some DIY skills (say a hypothetical Mate-Tony-Down-The-Road) you may consider this option: http://www.selfmatic.be. They’ll calculate which model is best for your needs and after installation they check everything and fire up the boiler. It’s what I did and it’s a LOT cheaper.
I hope you have had a shower now, you dirty girl.
I expect the weather will get better now. yesterday morning the pharmacy thermometer said 15°c and that was outside.
He only charged you 20€? Hope you took down his credentials he sounds like a real find.
€20? And he fixed it? Gosh.
I will never live in a house that doesn’t have at least two methods of heating, preferably one being an open fire or woodburner. And I’ve got both an Aga and an immersion heater for hot water. And an electric shower.
Belt and braces? Zoi? Of course – and a length of bailer twine, just in case.
I’m in the states and it’s pretty standard to have them separate, which I love, because even when the power goes out (harsh winters and crazy storms and tornadoes in summer + overhead lines = not the most dependable electricity) my forced air furnace won’t work because the blower won’t get power, but I can just get into a scalding hot bath. Central air is also a necessity, so it works for both seasons. I also have a pretty effective fireplace that works as a good backup. My motor burned out this winter at the start of a cold snap (highs of 10 Farenheit) and $300 later, I feel your pain. I was assured that I still have a good 10 years left in this beast. I want your guy’s number, though. Even with a plane ticket, he might still beat some of the service people I’ve run into here.
So glad you’re warm again. Our boiler was mended today after it died on Sunday but the plumber admitted it was his fault so there was NO CHARGE!
I knew it. 15C is cold! Someone tried to convince me that it isn’t. Yet there I was, shivering, in a cold winter a few years ago.
Glad you have heat again, and only 20 Euro? That’s pretty damned cheap. You got very lucky…
I share your sentiments exactly. We have had no internet for close to 4 days now and this morning when I switched on the lap top, fingers crossed and saw that all was right in the world, I felt the warm glow. And when I power goes out and I scream bloody murder, I feel so HAPPY when it comes back on again. Do we really need to lose something to truly appreciate it?
that’s great that he did not charge much. It’s amazing actually for him to do that. Usually they charge lots of money. Did you blackmail him some how?
Does he know you’re a blogger?
I live with a dyed-in-the-wool DIY’er, which means I hear all about how much these trades charge for their time and labor on top of the parts. And it means the air here is always thick with expletives, because I bought a fixer-upper, unfortunately.
MTL has been walking around in a dressing gown the last week or so. Huge windows and no double glazing. I used to say who wants to live in a sealed box.
I do.
Dammit I type Pat and it changes!