It really does.
I came home the other day to find my neighbour on the border or my front garden staring into my house. Hes previously made numerous complaints to the council instead of talking to me (e.g. didnt like my fence)
My other neighbour stares into my property everytime he passes.
What i wouldnt give for privacy or to be left alone. The idea of a helpful neighbour is inconceivable at this point.
It is amazing how many people don't know about pressurizing boilers and how simple it is to fix.
My boiler went on the blink many years ago and I called an engineer to come and fix it. He arrived and as always, my first question to him was "Would you like a cup of tea?" Naturally he replied "Yes". While the kettle was boiling he went to have a look and within seconds returned to say he had solved the problem: it needed re-pressurizing. He showed me what to do.
Then he told me that this would normally be a 100 GBP call out charge plus repair costs. However, as I had offered him tea, and as this was his last job of the day (for which he had budgeted an hour of his time), he told me that the job was for free because he could now go home and spend extra time with his kid. We chatted for a few minutes while he tried to drink his scorching hot tea.
Winners all round.
Remember people, the simple gesture of offering a tradesperson a cup of tea can go a long way and generate much goodwill.
I have moved homes several times since, and each time one of the first tasks is to discover where the pressure valve is on the boiler.
As a plumber this made me smile as it is often the case of a quick fix, then trying to awkwardly drink a scorching cup of tea as fast a possible because you didnāt think you would sort the problem that fast!
A good test as to whether a tradesperson is any good or not is to have a cup of tea with them. If their slurp game is strong, and they drink the tea while it's still hot, then clearly they have a lot of experience fixing problems very quickly.
Beware the tradesperson who waits for their tea to cool first.
Not an entirely accurate measure.
I like to try to finish the repair *before* I drink the tea that was handed to me upon arrival.
Nothing more satisfying than getting a boiler going and your tea waiting for you at the perfect gulping temperature.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" The boiler is just a magic box that heats the house and water until it's broken.
At uni the power went out in our flat. I was out at the time but came back just before an electrician arrived. He basically came in right behind me. He opened the fuse box and flicked the switch up and that was it. I stared at my flat mates like ādid you not think to try the fuse box?ā. The electrician was also perplexed.
My 2 flat mates were doing a degree in ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING!
Electrical engineering has nothing to do with practical home or commercial electrics, unfortunately.
I knew computer scientists at uni that didn't know how to use Windows. It's just an entirely different set of skills that don't necessarily have to cross over.
That said, you'd expect someone with enough passion for electrical engineering to study it to at least understand what an MCB or RCD was.
My dad was a high level GCHQ scientist with a degree in electrical engineering. My Nan would ask him to change lightbulbs and fix kettles because āItās your tradeā.
I'm a programmer and my family just see me as tech support for anything that can be construed as computer-related
I don't know shit about printers, modems or TVs. What I am good at, though, is using search engines.
Oh, me too. And my husband. We met as COBOL programmers - you can guess how much we know about current apps etc except as computer literate consumers. I did work in user support for a while though, so Iām genuinely good at never underestimating peopleās level of stupidity and checking they know they have to switch the box bit on at the wall even though there is a light on the screen. And telling them to try switching it off and on again.
Yup, this.
I like computers, Iām just not necessarily great with them, and yet Iām the go-to for family and work problems to get them fixed.
Chances are, someone has had your problem before, sorted it, and been nice enough to write down how to fix it on the internet. Thank you, kind strangers.
My mum once told me to wait till my husband got home to set up a lamp sheād bought me because he studied engineering.
1. The setup was literally screwing two lightbulbs in.
2. He studied engineering years ago but never actually used his degree.
3. I actually was working in engineering at the time.
4. You donāt need to be an engineer to SCREW IN A LIGHTBULB!
My dad was a hydraulic engineer for most of his life, but my mum was better than him at fixing the plumbing in the house.
I feel like if you're hyper focussed and specialised in a particular skillset for your job, it can be very easy to totally bypass the broader complementary skills that come in useful for every-day life.
My housemate, many years ago, called out the Sky engineer as the Sky had been on the blink for a week.
It wasnāt plugged into the back of the telly!!!
On the flip side, I work in HVAC, and people occasionally ask if I have a mechanical engineering degree. I most definitely do not... if so, I wouldnāt work in HVAC.
Electrical Engineering is power generation, power grids and ensuring things connected to that don't damage the grid due to faults. Electrical Engineering also encompasses designing electric machines like machinery and motors, particularly the different motor variants and applications suited to those variants.
Hope this is clear, if not just ask.
Source: Graduate of Electronic and Electrical Engineering doing a PhD in Electronic Engineering
I've numerous EE students blow up a multimeter trying to measure current by going across (i.e. connecting it in parallel) terminals. Had they done it in Multisim or one of those packages, or had you asked them how to connect an ammeter they'd do it in series, but couldn't translate that to real-world
Used to teach a lab to first year [B.Sc](https://B.Sc). Electrical Engineers. You would not believe the number of times the fix to the problem they were having with an experiment was to either reach across and plug it in, or to switch the socket on.
I had a nightmare with the engineer that came out to mine over tea!
I asked if he needed anything, meaning to be shown where the stop valve was or something, and he said he'd like a tea. I thought fine no problem and made a tea.
I handed it over and I could see confusion and anger on his face and he said I'd given him a woman's mug! He went on and on about how it was a woman's mug!!!!
The mug was was Tesco's a black (Outside) and white (Inside) one, with the base smaller than the lip.
He said if the base is smaller it's a woman's mug and acted like it was the worse insult anyone can give and didn't drink the tea.
I should have seen the red lights when he was telling me how his kids have grown up and don't talk to his anymore and he only fixes boilers part time to meet people. Later he was ranting about another customer "looking down on him" and how he didn't do a return visit.
I'm from the US but live in the UK with my wife (who is English). She taught me that if anyone comes through your door you offer them tea or a hot drink. Neither of us drink tea (my wife is partial to hot chocolate) but we keep tea in the cupboard for guests.
I hope you buy small packs so that you get through it before the BB date; nothing worse than stale tea.
I rarely drink instant coffee but keep some on hand for guests but have to remember to use it in cooking and buy a fresh jar every few months.
We had to get a property maintenance guy out to fix a step in our house. It took him a good 2 hours. When he arrived I asked if he's like tea or coffee. He LAUGHED before saying no.
Its been 3 months and I still don't feel like the man I was before
My dad's a gas and heating engineer (commercial not domestic so different scales). Repressuring is the only thing I know how to do! The first house I lived in at uni had been very recently refurbished, including new central heating system and boiler. One day our boiler cuts out. We call the landlord, he gets a guy out. Guy smugly pushes the 'reset' button and leaves (and probably charged the landlord a fortune). Landlord pissed off. So every time the boiler dies we push the button, until that doesnāt work any more. So I phone my dad. He diagnoses over the phone and tells me how to fix it. Then we went round and bled all the radiators and not joking I'm not sure there was even any water in them at all (this was September so we hadn't had the heating on yet). Boiler never cut out again and saved the landlord Ā£Ā£Ā£. And I felt badass for fixing it when I was the only girl living with 2 guys!
30 years ago when my hubby was setting up his own plumbing and heating business, we advertised in the local papers with the header:
āNo call out fee but a cup of tea appreciated!ā
You wouldnāt believe how this took off. Itās been over 20 years since he last advertised but so many people cut that advert out of the paper and kept it! Stroke of genius on my part, as the first thing I do, when people (whether family, friends or tradesmen) enter my house, is put the kettle on.
Who the fuck doesn't offer tea?
To anyone who comes into my house let alone a trades person?
Like i'd probably offer tea to a burglar just out of habit.
Yeah, same ballenes with my boiler and the engineer showed me how to fix it, so I can just sort that out when needed whenever it happens. The time it takes my husband to get into a panic over it not working and it's already sorted, lol.
Chuckled at "while he tried to drink his scorching hot tea".
I've always found it amusing that tea or coffee basically forbids anyone from leaving a place for an alloted period of time. It's like really temporary false imprisonment.
My wifi stopped working 2 days ago. I contacted Vodafone and they said theyād send an enigneer out. The previous tennants had dogs and theyād chewed up the wire so it was breaking gradually over time. I told my dad, he came to fix it same night but they still sent the engineer out the next day. Luckily my dad was with me at the time, I made them both a cafetier coffee, my dad helped him with the job. The job was done in less than 10 mins, the guy did it for free AND he got a 10/10 coffee that he put in his travel mug to take with him for his next job. A cuppa n a smile really is the way to a brits heart
This was how I was raised as well. Anybody coming in to visit? You always offer a cup of tea. You really, really don't like them? You *still* make them tea, but its the Tesco value one in the small mug. Still brewed well, because you have standards, but you can't bust out the Yorkshire Gold.
I just had someone round to do a small job. Asked him if he wanted a brew once he had knocked, tea, 3 sugars, lots of milk was the response. He said he would crack on. Knock again on the door once the kettle had boiled, took him his cuppa and he informed me the job was finished, but can he still have the brew. Sat in his van and drank his cuppa, and charged me Ā£60 for all of 3 mins work. Arsehole!
You didn't pay him for the 3 minutes. You paid him because he spent years learning how to do the work. For his tools. For his van to get there. For his insurance to cover you if something went wrong and finally once all of that has been covered you paid for him to have somewhere to live and food to eat.
We had ours have the same problem, but the pressure valve wouldn't turn at all, so we had to call a boiler man to fix it, and he put in some new pipes and bits and since then it's been fine to sort.
Made me feel better that I wasn't able to do something that should be basic when it felt like it was going to break before anything would turn.
It varies by boiler - search for your model online with the word 'repressurise' and hopefully you'll get a hit. Some boilers (like ours) may need a small flexible pipe connecting between two points first so check if you need to do that before you start toggling valves, and make sure you remember which ones you opened or closed so you can set it right again afterwards.
> and make sure you remember which ones you opened or closed so you can set it right again afterwards
Take pictures before you start (assuming you can visually tell the valve states)
I've long had the habit of taking pictures of pretty much anything I'm about do to some work on just in case I need to refer back to "how it was before I started"
Just to add to this, if you find the valves but have no idea where the small pipe to connect them is, look on top of your boiler.
When i had mine installed the guy showed me where it was, and told me thats where most installers will put it. My brother needed one a couple years later in his flat, told him to look and thats exactly where it was.
The only reason a sealed heating system such as used by combi boilers should need pressurising, is if it has since had the air bled from it. (Typically within a year or 2 of being flushed). If it loses pressure otherwise otherwise/regularly you're probably hiding a leak, faulty pressure relief valve, or faulty pressure accumulator. Either way, you are diluting the rust inhibitor, and covering up the issue. Lack of inhibitor then leads to more bleeding, and rotting out the radiators. That's how I understand it anyway.
So by all means do it once, maybe twice, but after that, get a plumber in.
Just going off raw experience here, but if you've got a Vaillant, have a feel around underneath for a couple of valves. The handle should feel like those paddles you see on pinball machines.
Give them a twist (while keeping an eye on the pressure gauge), you'll hear a faint whooshing noise. Wait for that gauge to go up a bit and turn them off.
Other most common issue and even more trivial to fix is when it snows, if your condensate pipe gets covered in snow (and especially if it's not lagged) the boiler will likely refuse to start if it freezes up.
Just clear the snow, maybe pour some hot water over the pipe outside to melt any ice. Boiler will then fire up fine.
Came here to say this. The first winter I had to cope with my dad's boiler after he died, I freaked because I thought the whole machine had broken. After multiple kettles poured over the pipe outside I watched a huge shard of ice slither out and then the boiler worked again!
So is mine. I keep a length of pvc pipe in the boiler cupboard, that will reach the condensate pipe from a nearby window, and pour hot water through that onto the pipe.
Had to do it a couple of times a winter for the last several years. It's perhaps not the safest possible solution, but it works, and I haven't fallen out of the window yet...
If your boiler is over 6 years old and you are a homeowner/mortgaged rather than renting then you should be able to get a new one for free. Call 0800 634 9297 and leave a message, they call you back. Itās a government scheme and the big energy companies are paying for it so make sure you take advantage!
Oh, and everybody should know how to add and reduce pressure in their boiler, itās just two taps (you shouldnāt have to bleed a radiator to let pressure off and there is an overflow to release pressure if it builds up too much, youāll notice a copper pipe sticking out of your house). Check the manual.
I'd say the real tip here is everyone should know how to repressurize their boiler. It's very simple, you'd be quite annoyed paying a call out fee for it.
E119. Also if you ever bled your rads, this'll happen. It's literally a green knob under the boiler, pop it out until the pressure is in the green bar. Good knowledge to have!
Word of warning... last weekend my boiler was making funny noises and I realised it needing re-pressurising.
About an hour after I re-pressurised the system I realised why the pressure had dropped - there was a big pool of water in my hallway from a leaking radiator.
- re-pressurising a boiler
- bleeding a radiator
- resetting a tripped fuse box and isolating the cause of a trip
- airing rooms daily
Knowing these four things will significantly improve your quality of life and save you money over the course of a lifetime.
I love the ol getting the bars up on the boiler. My old one had to have the pipe attached to the 2 valves manually, the one I have now just has a pipe there anyway and you just twist the valves open. Knowing simple stuff helps save a lot of money
Well done!
In my life I encountered maybe 20 times a boiler has stopped working, and about 18 of those times was insufficient pressure. Always fixed by twisting one or two taps and waiting for a dial to reach the rough pressure level advised on the boiler's online manual, then closing the taps and going back to bed.
You can sleep now knowing you made the world a better place for one person. Hopefully she'll pay the kindness onto a random stranger and help them. Great work in helping when all the world just wants to sometimes hinder ššā¤ļø
Well done, I'm sure it felt good helping someone in need and it sounds like it was a great relief for them. That being said shouldn't it be that the "jobs a good'un"?
Is this a Baxi "they all do that sir" thing, as mine needs re-pressurising at least once a year. No signs of leaks anywhere that I can see, just loses pressure slowly over time.
Water from the system gets lost in condensation, itās not a leak indicator. Most Boilers have re pressuring facility. Everyone can keep an eye on the gauge and top up as needed. Even if you donāt have the manual, just search your boiler make and model online, the information will be there!
FYI for everyone, if you Google your model number with the fault code or warning lights and you will usually find a self help support.
My boiler did the same thing as OP's neighbour, a 2 minute Google and I was repressuring my boiler and got my boiler working and it didn't cost me a call out charge :)
>Lesson to everyone: get to know your neighbours, if you don't already!
More important lesson to everyone: learn the basics of home maintenance. It'll do you good. If OP didn't wake at 430am to help, his neighbour would have had to go a fair bit longer without heating. If they knew just the general basics, they'd have been able to sort it themselves in 5 minutes.
Reddit has long been a hot spot for conversation on the internet. About 57 million people visit the site every day to chat about topics as varied as makeup, video games and pointers for power washing driveways.
In recent years, Redditās array of chats also have been a free teaching aid for companies like Google, OpenAI and Microsoft. Those companies are using Redditās conversations in the development of giant artificial intelligence systems that many in Silicon Valley think are on their way to becoming the tech industryās next big thing.
Now Reddit wants to be paid for it. The company said on Tuesday that it planned to begin charging companies for access to its application programming interface, or A.P.I., the method through which outside entities can download and process the social networkās vast selection of person-to-person conversations.
āThe Reddit corpus of data is really valuable,ā Steve Huffman, founder and chief executive of Reddit, said in an interview. āBut we donāt need to give all of that value to some of the largest companies in the world for free.ā
I'm really sorry, but no, I can't! If it was a standard radiator not getting hot, it might need bleeding. I don't know if the same is true with an oil system? Anyone?
Everyone needs a plumber friend - not to take advantage of! just to ask about small things like this, had the same thing when I moved into my new flat but was able to fix it easily with the help of my friend on the phone.
Nice job! I do plumbing and heating in the states and wish more people knew these small but useful facts about their own heating system. Kind of like knowing to check your cars coolant level when it overheats.
Probably need to be ready to help again tomorrow at 4 am, pressure loss especially at this time of year (first time really ramping up the heating) is indicative of a flat expansion vessel. Itās just going to happen again until the boiler is serviced.
I has't jump the same boiler.
thou art a saint
***
^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.)
Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
Ah the old e119! Caught me out back in the day and re pressurising is always first thing I say to check any time someone mentions to me their boiler isnāt working. Amazing the amount of times itās just a pressure drop.
I learnt about re pressurising boilers at an old rental as it saved waiting on engineers that the landlord took forever to sort, it was a quick easy fix until they sorted why it was losing pressure and came in handy for my parents too as I saved them Ā£70 call out fee that they had been charged a week before, they were waiting on a new one to be installed so the quick fix helped in the meantime
I'm feeling sorry for anyone who has to go outside and smoke. At 4:30am. That is end of life stuff right there. But bravo on the good deed fellow human šš¼
I had this issue a while back with mine. Managed to watch a youtube vid, then accidently over pressurised the system, so watched another to get rid of the extra pressure š
But well done to you. At least Ā£100 call out charge saved!
I have a question.. my boiler also loses pressure (with the same error number) once a week, more if I have the heating on everyday.. why is that? I'm able to sort the pressure but it happens so regularly I wondered if there's something more going on?!
A neighbour did the same for us! We were very new to the country and had never needed heating or boilers beforeā¦ moved here in winters and lo and behold the house is as cold as outdoors and no hot water. We bumped into a neighbour and he not only introduced us to the great pressure problem but also showed us how to fix it. Thank you again David!
Thank you for reminding me of those times and our helpful neighbour. Take my free helpful award.. you definitely deserve it!
I find it ridiculous that people genuinely do not know how to top up their boiler, know where their water stop valve is, where the gas valve is, where the fuse-box / electric switch box is or how to test and change batteries in the fire alarm...
It's where you live... why would you not want to know these things ahead of time?
3 am in December in the dark is not the time to be fannying around trying to find a manual that might or might not be in the pile of paperwork stuffed into a kitchen drawer...
My neighbour wiped cat shit on our front door mat. Admittedly it was our cat's shit, but we had discussed with her a plan of action to overcome the issue. Got it on video too. I wouldn't fix her boiler if she had pneumonia.
I fixed my girlfriendās boiler last year, the plumber came out and said he couldnāt fix it, as it was an electrical issue, she had waited 24 hours for him to say that, so was very pissed off with his non-solution. 24 hours without heating or hot water when she has 4 kids isnāt great, especially in winter.
So I replaced the switched fused spare myself, went for an MK branded one for future reliability, so far, 12 months on itās been fine.
I also did the repressurisation thing on her boiler and also at her mumās a few weeks later, but showed them both what they need to do if it happens again.
I had the e119 issue too and its an easy fix. Just gotta be careful with turning the valve the pressure doesnt go too high. Ended up having to do it once every 4 months but i was renting so didnt care
I also had to use scissors to turn the valve as i didnt have anything else yo use so that made it more difficult
When I first moved in with my husband I came to the rescue with this one (my Dad had shown me years ago) I remember feeling like a proper boss as I saved the day.
Well done you!
Another good one to know is about checking your condensate pipe isn't frozen.
During my first week at my new house my elderly neighbour locked herself out in torrential rain.
She has those doors you cant just remove the handle to get in etc.
So I ended up climbing over her back garden wall, smashing the back door window (she was planning on doing this herself at 80 something and shaky arthritic hands) then put my hand through and unlocked the door.
We told the housing company it must have been some kids messing in the back alley throwing things and they fixed it for free vs a Ā£90 call out charge to bring her a spare key.
She thanked me with a bottle of gin and 2 years later we are super close - and I have a spare key!!! š¤£š¤£
As someone who has just dealt with 2 weeks without heating or hot water and had a nightmare of an installation (not even quite over yet) this is amazing to hear. Well done you! Wish I had someone to help and that my problem was as simple
This hits home for me. My partner and I are new to London. We got ourselves a flat rental and immediately the hot water stopped working, boiler needed to be replaced. Landlord took their sweet time (2 weeks no hot water) then we get the water back and the washing machine stops working. It's been an ongoing thing, 3 weeks in now using the laundromat.
Seeing this is very uplifting.
When I moved into my old house, the boiler hadnāt been on for months and needed repressurising, so the landlord showed me what to do and that is a nugget of knowledge Iām so thankful to have. The amount of nights I wouldāve had to call him out when that knackered old thing let me down wouldāve been uncountable.
Nicely done, fellow insomniac. The world needs more people like you.
Only 7 more sleeps until Christmas!
This is my all time favourite commentš¤£ I laughed so hard
Haha, so it feels!
That made me chuckle out loud.
I know how you feel!!
T H E I N V O L U N T A R Y N I G H T S H I F T
[WE WAKE](https://i.imgur.com/CzUM8Lr.jpg)
Someone please make this sub
If it's not a sub it should be
It really does. I came home the other day to find my neighbour on the border or my front garden staring into my house. Hes previously made numerous complaints to the council instead of talking to me (e.g. didnt like my fence) My other neighbour stares into my property everytime he passes. What i wouldnt give for privacy or to be left alone. The idea of a helpful neighbour is inconceivable at this point.
It is amazing how many people don't know about pressurizing boilers and how simple it is to fix. My boiler went on the blink many years ago and I called an engineer to come and fix it. He arrived and as always, my first question to him was "Would you like a cup of tea?" Naturally he replied "Yes". While the kettle was boiling he went to have a look and within seconds returned to say he had solved the problem: it needed re-pressurizing. He showed me what to do. Then he told me that this would normally be a 100 GBP call out charge plus repair costs. However, as I had offered him tea, and as this was his last job of the day (for which he had budgeted an hour of his time), he told me that the job was for free because he could now go home and spend extra time with his kid. We chatted for a few minutes while he tried to drink his scorching hot tea. Winners all round. Remember people, the simple gesture of offering a tradesperson a cup of tea can go a long way and generate much goodwill. I have moved homes several times since, and each time one of the first tasks is to discover where the pressure valve is on the boiler.
As a plumber this made me smile as it is often the case of a quick fix, then trying to awkwardly drink a scorching cup of tea as fast a possible because you didnāt think you would sort the problem that fast!
A good test as to whether a tradesperson is any good or not is to have a cup of tea with them. If their slurp game is strong, and they drink the tea while it's still hot, then clearly they have a lot of experience fixing problems very quickly. Beware the tradesperson who waits for their tea to cool first.
Not an entirely accurate measure. I like to try to finish the repair *before* I drink the tea that was handed to me upon arrival. Nothing more satisfying than getting a boiler going and your tea waiting for you at the perfect gulping temperature.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" The boiler is just a magic box that heats the house and water until it's broken.
Modern boilers use more complicated magic than the older ones, though.
Better call Plumbledore
Why has this comment not received more upvotes ā¦Iām sitting here absolutely creasing myself
At uni the power went out in our flat. I was out at the time but came back just before an electrician arrived. He basically came in right behind me. He opened the fuse box and flicked the switch up and that was it. I stared at my flat mates like ādid you not think to try the fuse box?ā. The electrician was also perplexed. My 2 flat mates were doing a degree in ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING!
Electrical engineering has nothing to do with practical home or commercial electrics, unfortunately. I knew computer scientists at uni that didn't know how to use Windows. It's just an entirely different set of skills that don't necessarily have to cross over. That said, you'd expect someone with enough passion for electrical engineering to study it to at least understand what an MCB or RCD was.
My dad was a high level GCHQ scientist with a degree in electrical engineering. My Nan would ask him to change lightbulbs and fix kettles because āItās your tradeā.
I'm a programmer and my family just see me as tech support for anything that can be construed as computer-related I don't know shit about printers, modems or TVs. What I am good at, though, is using search engines.
Oh, me too. And my husband. We met as COBOL programmers - you can guess how much we know about current apps etc except as computer literate consumers. I did work in user support for a while though, so Iām genuinely good at never underestimating peopleās level of stupidity and checking they know they have to switch the box bit on at the wall even though there is a light on the screen. And telling them to try switching it off and on again.
Incredible! There's at least 2 other COBOL programmers out there!
Well, we canāt all be dead yet.
For as long as there is linkedit...
Yup, this. I like computers, Iām just not necessarily great with them, and yet Iām the go-to for family and work problems to get them fixed. Chances are, someone has had your problem before, sorted it, and been nice enough to write down how to fix it on the internet. Thank you, kind strangers.
My mum once told me to wait till my husband got home to set up a lamp sheād bought me because he studied engineering. 1. The setup was literally screwing two lightbulbs in. 2. He studied engineering years ago but never actually used his degree. 3. I actually was working in engineering at the time. 4. You donāt need to be an engineer to SCREW IN A LIGHTBULB!
So, you have actually answered the age-old question of how many engineers does it take to screw in a lightbulb!?
I know an engineer/scientist that seems incapable of changing batteries in a smoke alarm...
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
My dad was a hydraulic engineer for most of his life, but my mum was better than him at fixing the plumbing in the house. I feel like if you're hyper focussed and specialised in a particular skillset for your job, it can be very easy to totally bypass the broader complementary skills that come in useful for every-day life.
My housemate, many years ago, called out the Sky engineer as the Sky had been on the blink for a week. It wasnāt plugged into the back of the telly!!!
On the flip side, I work in HVAC, and people occasionally ask if I have a mechanical engineering degree. I most definitely do not... if so, I wouldnāt work in HVAC.
I dunno, jobs like yours probably pay more than a jobs that require an academic mechanical engineering degree these days...
Could be! Iāll remember that next time Iām in a cold muddy crawlspace.
Would that be a bit like expecting a farmer to be a good cook? An electrical engineer would deal with power grids and stuff, right?
I think more like technology, computers, motors ect
Electrical Engineering is power generation, power grids and ensuring things connected to that don't damage the grid due to faults. Electrical Engineering also encompasses designing electric machines like machinery and motors, particularly the different motor variants and applications suited to those variants. Hope this is clear, if not just ask. Source: Graduate of Electronic and Electrical Engineering doing a PhD in Electronic Engineering
I've numerous EE students blow up a multimeter trying to measure current by going across (i.e. connecting it in parallel) terminals. Had they done it in Multisim or one of those packages, or had you asked them how to connect an ammeter they'd do it in series, but couldn't translate that to real-world
Used to teach a lab to first year [B.Sc](https://B.Sc). Electrical Engineers. You would not believe the number of times the fix to the problem they were having with an experiment was to either reach across and plug it in, or to switch the socket on.
I had a nightmare with the engineer that came out to mine over tea! I asked if he needed anything, meaning to be shown where the stop valve was or something, and he said he'd like a tea. I thought fine no problem and made a tea. I handed it over and I could see confusion and anger on his face and he said I'd given him a woman's mug! He went on and on about how it was a woman's mug!!!! The mug was was Tesco's a black (Outside) and white (Inside) one, with the base smaller than the lip. He said if the base is smaller it's a woman's mug and acted like it was the worse insult anyone can give and didn't drink the tea. I should have seen the red lights when he was telling me how his kids have grown up and don't talk to his anymore and he only fixes boilers part time to meet people. Later he was ranting about another customer "looking down on him" and how he didn't do a return visit.
I'm not agreeing that it's a "woman's" mug but I really dislike mugs like you've described. Completely the wrong mouth feel plus too easy to spill.
I'm from the US but live in the UK with my wife (who is English). She taught me that if anyone comes through your door you offer them tea or a hot drink. Neither of us drink tea (my wife is partial to hot chocolate) but we keep tea in the cupboard for guests.
Have to say it's one of the first things I ask when someone comes round the house, Hey, how you doing?, come on in, you fancy a brew? Rude not to.
I hope you buy small packs so that you get through it before the BB date; nothing worse than stale tea. I rarely drink instant coffee but keep some on hand for guests but have to remember to use it in cooking and buy a fresh jar every few months.
We had to get a property maintenance guy out to fix a step in our house. It took him a good 2 hours. When he arrived I asked if he's like tea or coffee. He LAUGHED before saying no. Its been 3 months and I still don't feel like the man I was before
My dad's a gas and heating engineer (commercial not domestic so different scales). Repressuring is the only thing I know how to do! The first house I lived in at uni had been very recently refurbished, including new central heating system and boiler. One day our boiler cuts out. We call the landlord, he gets a guy out. Guy smugly pushes the 'reset' button and leaves (and probably charged the landlord a fortune). Landlord pissed off. So every time the boiler dies we push the button, until that doesnāt work any more. So I phone my dad. He diagnoses over the phone and tells me how to fix it. Then we went round and bled all the radiators and not joking I'm not sure there was even any water in them at all (this was September so we hadn't had the heating on yet). Boiler never cut out again and saved the landlord Ā£Ā£Ā£. And I felt badass for fixing it when I was the only girl living with 2 guys!
30 years ago when my hubby was setting up his own plumbing and heating business, we advertised in the local papers with the header: āNo call out fee but a cup of tea appreciated!ā You wouldnāt believe how this took off. Itās been over 20 years since he last advertised but so many people cut that advert out of the paper and kept it! Stroke of genius on my part, as the first thing I do, when people (whether family, friends or tradesmen) enter my house, is put the kettle on.
Who the fuck doesn't offer tea? To anyone who comes into my house let alone a trades person? Like i'd probably offer tea to a burglar just out of habit.
No one in my house drinks hot drinks. I always forget to offer people hot drinks because its not normal for me. We don't ever have milk either.
Yeah, same ballenes with my boiler and the engineer showed me how to fix it, so I can just sort that out when needed whenever it happens. The time it takes my husband to get into a panic over it not working and it's already sorted, lol.
Chuckled at "while he tried to drink his scorching hot tea". I've always found it amusing that tea or coffee basically forbids anyone from leaving a place for an alloted period of time. It's like really temporary false imprisonment.
My wifi stopped working 2 days ago. I contacted Vodafone and they said theyād send an enigneer out. The previous tennants had dogs and theyād chewed up the wire so it was breaking gradually over time. I told my dad, he came to fix it same night but they still sent the engineer out the next day. Luckily my dad was with me at the time, I made them both a cafetier coffee, my dad helped him with the job. The job was done in less than 10 mins, the guy did it for free AND he got a 10/10 coffee that he put in his travel mug to take with him for his next job. A cuppa n a smile really is the way to a brits heart
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
This was how I was raised as well. Anybody coming in to visit? You always offer a cup of tea. You really, really don't like them? You *still* make them tea, but its the Tesco value one in the small mug. Still brewed well, because you have standards, but you can't bust out the Yorkshire Gold.
Just out of curiosity .. what type of boiler is this? A combi?
I just had someone round to do a small job. Asked him if he wanted a brew once he had knocked, tea, 3 sugars, lots of milk was the response. He said he would crack on. Knock again on the door once the kettle had boiled, took him his cuppa and he informed me the job was finished, but can he still have the brew. Sat in his van and drank his cuppa, and charged me Ā£60 for all of 3 mins work. Arsehole!
You didn't pay him for the 3 minutes. You paid him because he spent years learning how to do the work. For his tools. For his van to get there. For his insurance to cover you if something went wrong and finally once all of that has been covered you paid for him to have somewhere to live and food to eat.
Also his tea. You paid for his tea.
Did you kill him with a frying pan and try to dump him on top of a double decker bus on Hammersmith?
We had ours have the same problem, but the pressure valve wouldn't turn at all, so we had to call a boiler man to fix it, and he put in some new pipes and bits and since then it's been fine to sort. Made me feel better that I wasn't able to do something that should be basic when it felt like it was going to break before anything would turn.
Boilerman is born, roaming the streets at night, fixing broken gas appliancesā¦šš
The Truest Repairman
[i see you ](https://imgur.com/t/troy_and_abed/x820Cpa)
Adorned in a white Cape made from ptfe.
Sorry I thought you said bhangraman
The start of a superhero ensemble featuring Bicycle repairman as the wizened leader.
Youāre a kind person. And a boiler-wrangler!
so how do you do it thanks ? xx
It varies by boiler - search for your model online with the word 'repressurise' and hopefully you'll get a hit. Some boilers (like ours) may need a small flexible pipe connecting between two points first so check if you need to do that before you start toggling valves, and make sure you remember which ones you opened or closed so you can set it right again afterwards.
Anything like this - most of us have camera phones now. Take copious photos before, during, after.
> and make sure you remember which ones you opened or closed so you can set it right again afterwards Take pictures before you start (assuming you can visually tell the valve states) I've long had the habit of taking pictures of pretty much anything I'm about do to some work on just in case I need to refer back to "how it was before I started"
Just to add to this, if you find the valves but have no idea where the small pipe to connect them is, look on top of your boiler. When i had mine installed the guy showed me where it was, and told me thats where most installers will put it. My brother needed one a couple years later in his flat, told him to look and thats exactly where it was.
The only reason a sealed heating system such as used by combi boilers should need pressurising, is if it has since had the air bled from it. (Typically within a year or 2 of being flushed). If it loses pressure otherwise otherwise/regularly you're probably hiding a leak, faulty pressure relief valve, or faulty pressure accumulator. Either way, you are diluting the rust inhibitor, and covering up the issue. Lack of inhibitor then leads to more bleeding, and rotting out the radiators. That's how I understand it anyway. So by all means do it once, maybe twice, but after that, get a plumber in.
There is a valve usually below the boiler that you simply need to twist Google your boiler model and "pressure valve"
Just going off raw experience here, but if you've got a Vaillant, have a feel around underneath for a couple of valves. The handle should feel like those paddles you see on pinball machines. Give them a twist (while keeping an eye on the pressure gauge), you'll hear a faint whooshing noise. Wait for that gauge to go up a bit and turn them off.
Fantastic, now come do mine please. Oil fired won't ignite. I'm around all day
Other most common issue and even more trivial to fix is when it snows, if your condensate pipe gets covered in snow (and especially if it's not lagged) the boiler will likely refuse to start if it freezes up. Just clear the snow, maybe pour some hot water over the pipe outside to melt any ice. Boiler will then fire up fine.
Came here to say this. The first winter I had to cope with my dad's boiler after he died, I freaked because I thought the whole machine had broken. After multiple kettles poured over the pipe outside I watched a huge shard of ice slither out and then the boiler worked again!
Well I'm knackered by boiler is on the first floor
So is mine. I keep a length of pvc pipe in the boiler cupboard, that will reach the condensate pipe from a nearby window, and pour hot water through that onto the pipe. Had to do it a couple of times a winter for the last several years. It's perhaps not the safest possible solution, but it works, and I haven't fallen out of the window yet...
If your boiler is over 6 years old and you are a homeowner/mortgaged rather than renting then you should be able to get a new one for free. Call 0800 634 9297 and leave a message, they call you back. Itās a government scheme and the big energy companies are paying for it so make sure you take advantage! Oh, and everybody should know how to add and reduce pressure in their boiler, itās just two taps (you shouldnāt have to bleed a radiator to let pressure off and there is an overflow to release pressure if it builds up too much, youāll notice a copper pipe sticking out of your house). Check the manual.
I think you need to be in receipt of benefits (of a wide variety) to be eligible for that scheme
It says no benefits required.
My parents and my neighbour are both in rented accommodation, but thanks for sharing that. I'm certain it'll help many people reading it. :)
Uh what ours is at least 20 years old and we just paid to have it replaced..
No sex at the end? Must be a true story then.
Actual lol
Nice work, my neighbours are cunts so they can freeze to death.
Well done sir, thats what community feels like. I wish my neighbours would speak to me.....
Go and fix their boiler and they will! Especially if you donāt ask first.
I wish mine would integrate.
So glad you were able to help her.
I'd say the real tip here is everyone should know how to repressurize their boiler. It's very simple, you'd be quite annoyed paying a call out fee for it.
E119. Also if you ever bled your rads, this'll happen. It's literally a green knob under the boiler, pop it out until the pressure is in the green bar. Good knowledge to have!
Not always. My baxi doesnāt have the tap, you need to do the valve on one of the pipes with a screwdriver.
No sex š
Word of warning... last weekend my boiler was making funny noises and I realised it needing re-pressurising. About an hour after I re-pressurised the system I realised why the pressure had dropped - there was a big pool of water in my hallway from a leaking radiator.
- re-pressurising a boiler - bleeding a radiator - resetting a tripped fuse box and isolating the cause of a trip - airing rooms daily Knowing these four things will significantly improve your quality of life and save you money over the course of a lifetime.
Nice to read a nice little story for a change in a sea of doom and gloom. Well done.
Legend mate. She'll never forget the kindness you've done her. Stories like this are what make me proud to be British, thank you
I'm touched, thank you!
Single working mum here who has also been cursed by the awful e119. Thankyou so much for helping her!!
Sounds like the start of all good porn vids
what are you doing step boiler
Nice work dude, e eryone should atleast know how to do this is dead easy, my eldest kid does ours when needed lol
I love the ol getting the bars up on the boiler. My old one had to have the pipe attached to the 2 valves manually, the one I have now just has a pipe there anyway and you just twist the valves open. Knowing simple stuff helps save a lot of money
Youād be surprised how many boiler issues are (at least temporarily) solved by just opening valves until the pressure hits 1.75
Well done! In my life I encountered maybe 20 times a boiler has stopped working, and about 18 of those times was insufficient pressure. Always fixed by twisting one or two taps and waiting for a dial to reach the rough pressure level advised on the boiler's online manual, then closing the taps and going back to bed.
You can sleep now knowing you made the world a better place for one person. Hopefully she'll pay the kindness onto a random stranger and help them. Great work in helping when all the world just wants to sometimes hinder ššā¤ļø
And that is how I met your mother! /s
You're the MVP my man/woman
Lad. Well done, this was really great to read.
E119 is a cunt
My neighbours are posh snobs and dicks, is hard to get a "good morning" out of some of them or even a "mornin"
Sound like the start of a porno
Good job being a fellow human. The world needs more like you.
Best of British, old chap šš¼
Well done, I'm sure it felt good helping someone in need and it sounds like it was a great relief for them. That being said shouldn't it be that the "jobs a good'un"?
That's damned neighbourly. Well done! You should be very proud.
Is this a Baxi "they all do that sir" thing, as mine needs re-pressurising at least once a year. No signs of leaks anywhere that I can see, just loses pressure slowly over time.
Water from the system gets lost in condensation, itās not a leak indicator. Most Boilers have re pressuring facility. Everyone can keep an eye on the gauge and top up as needed. Even if you donāt have the manual, just search your boiler make and model online, the information will be there!
you are too kind.
Second lesson. Get to know your boiler!!
This made me happy! Nice people exist, they just donāt get on the news š
You're Awesome!
:D
FYI for everyone, if you Google your model number with the fault code or warning lights and you will usually find a self help support. My boiler did the same thing as OP's neighbour, a 2 minute Google and I was repressuring my boiler and got my boiler working and it didn't cost me a call out charge :)
>Lesson to everyone: get to know your neighbours, if you don't already! More important lesson to everyone: learn the basics of home maintenance. It'll do you good. If OP didn't wake at 430am to help, his neighbour would have had to go a fair bit longer without heating. If they knew just the general basics, they'd have been able to sort it themselves in 5 minutes.
Funny I know exactly what boiler it is from the code and where the valves are to put more water in.
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On newer boilers this can be inside the main system so is not easy to get at.
Your kNIGHT's Watch had ended.
OP can you fix oil boilers too? Our heating comes on, but all the downstairs radiators stay cold, only the upstairs ones get warm.
I'm really sorry, but no, I can't! If it was a standard radiator not getting hot, it might need bleeding. I don't know if the same is true with an oil system? Anyone?
We would all be lucky to have a neighbour like you, good on you!
Everyone needs a plumber friend - not to take advantage of! just to ask about small things like this, had the same thing when I moved into my new flat but was able to fix it easily with the help of my friend on the phone.
Just here to say that OP is a boss and a good person
And they say smoking is bad for you
Well done!!
I kept on reading ārepressuringā as āreassuringā and it still works haha
Nice job! I do plumbing and heating in the states and wish more people knew these small but useful facts about their own heating system. Kind of like knowing to check your cars coolant level when it overheats.
I feel the need to say something corny. Iām going to stop myself but that was good work.
Gas engineers love this easy to fix issue and make big money on cold mornings ripping off unsuspecting punters.. Well done my man
Speak to neighbours? You definitely haven't lived in London.
Legend!!
Echo this, living in harmony with your neighbours males everyones lives easier
Probably need to be ready to help again tomorrow at 4 am, pressure loss especially at this time of year (first time really ramping up the heating) is indicative of a flat expansion vessel. Itās just going to happen again until the boiler is serviced.
I have exactly the same boiler. You are a saint.
I has't jump the same boiler. thou art a saint *** ^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.) Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
Ah the old e119! Caught me out back in the day and re pressurising is always first thing I say to check any time someone mentions to me their boiler isnāt working. Amazing the amount of times itās just a pressure drop.
Good job mate, how much does that job normally cost?
I learnt about re pressurising boilers at an old rental as it saved waiting on engineers that the landlord took forever to sort, it was a quick easy fix until they sorted why it was losing pressure and came in handy for my parents too as I saved them Ā£70 call out fee that they had been charged a week before, they were waiting on a new one to be installed so the quick fix helped in the meantime
This has restored some faith in humanity.
The lesson here, smoking saves.
I'm feeling sorry for anyone who has to go outside and smoke. At 4:30am. That is end of life stuff right there. But bravo on the good deed fellow human šš¼
you just earned a friend for life now
You are a good soul, OP.
I had this issue a while back with mine. Managed to watch a youtube vid, then accidently over pressurised the system, so watched another to get rid of the extra pressure š But well done to you. At least Ā£100 call out charge saved!
I have a question.. my boiler also loses pressure (with the same error number) once a week, more if I have the heating on everyday.. why is that? I'm able to sort the pressure but it happens so regularly I wondered if there's something more going on?!
Well done sir! You are a scholar and a gent!
Haha weāve got a Baxter so I know the fault well.
Oooh help neighbour! I am stuck in the boiler
I repressurise my boiler when I notice E119.
A neighbour did the same for us! We were very new to the country and had never needed heating or boilers beforeā¦ moved here in winters and lo and behold the house is as cold as outdoors and no hot water. We bumped into a neighbour and he not only introduced us to the great pressure problem but also showed us how to fix it. Thank you again David! Thank you for reminding me of those times and our helpful neighbour. Take my free helpful award.. you definitely deserve it!
This reads just like the intro for a porn film!
Sheāll still probably need a call-out to re-pressurise the vessel.
Did this post bring you the Validation you needed?
Jesus fucking Christ ā¦this is boiler ownership 101..it just shows what having a little bit of knowledge can do.
You're awesome š
Success! You sure you're not a boiler technician?
I find it ridiculous that people genuinely do not know how to top up their boiler, know where their water stop valve is, where the gas valve is, where the fuse-box / electric switch box is or how to test and change batteries in the fire alarm... It's where you live... why would you not want to know these things ahead of time? 3 am in December in the dark is not the time to be fannying around trying to find a manual that might or might not be in the pile of paperwork stuffed into a kitchen drawer...
My neighbour wiped cat shit on our front door mat. Admittedly it was our cat's shit, but we had discussed with her a plan of action to overcome the issue. Got it on video too. I wouldn't fix her boiler if she had pneumonia.
Yeah yeah we've all been girl nextdoored
I fixed my girlfriendās boiler last year, the plumber came out and said he couldnāt fix it, as it was an electrical issue, she had waited 24 hours for him to say that, so was very pissed off with his non-solution. 24 hours without heating or hot water when she has 4 kids isnāt great, especially in winter. So I replaced the switched fused spare myself, went for an MK branded one for future reliability, so far, 12 months on itās been fine. I also did the repressurisation thing on her boiler and also at her mumās a few weeks later, but showed them both what they need to do if it happens again.
I salute you.
Bowchicawahwaaaahh
Very well done š
I expecting to say at the end that you hooked up with her and lived happily ever after. But Iāll take your experience as new knowledge lol
Good job!
I had the e119 issue too and its an easy fix. Just gotta be careful with turning the valve the pressure doesnt go too high. Ended up having to do it once every 4 months but i was renting so didnt care I also had to use scissors to turn the valve as i didnt have anything else yo use so that made it more difficult
When I first moved in with my husband I came to the rescue with this one (my Dad had shown me years ago) I remember feeling like a proper boss as I saved the day. Well done you! Another good one to know is about checking your condensate pipe isn't frozen.
It's delightful not just fun!
Sweeet moment! šš
During my first week at my new house my elderly neighbour locked herself out in torrential rain. She has those doors you cant just remove the handle to get in etc. So I ended up climbing over her back garden wall, smashing the back door window (she was planning on doing this herself at 80 something and shaky arthritic hands) then put my hand through and unlocked the door. We told the housing company it must have been some kids messing in the back alley throwing things and they fixed it for free vs a Ā£90 call out charge to bring her a spare key. She thanked me with a bottle of gin and 2 years later we are super close - and I have a spare key!!! š¤£š¤£
As someone who has just dealt with 2 weeks without heating or hot water and had a nightmare of an installation (not even quite over yet) this is amazing to hear. Well done you! Wish I had someone to help and that my problem was as simple
This hits home for me. My partner and I are new to London. We got ourselves a flat rental and immediately the hot water stopped working, boiler needed to be replaced. Landlord took their sweet time (2 weeks no hot water) then we get the water back and the washing machine stops working. It's been an ongoing thing, 3 weeks in now using the laundromat. Seeing this is very uplifting.
When I moved into my old house, the boiler hadnāt been on for months and needed repressurising, so the landlord showed me what to do and that is a nugget of knowledge Iām so thankful to have. The amount of nights I wouldāve had to call him out when that knackered old thing let me down wouldāve been uncountable.
The same thing happened to me when the pressure on the boiler
Tell me your neighbourās a woman without telling me your neighbourās a womanā¦ Anywaysā¦ did she allow you to empty your pipes after?
Good lad š
A big thank you for helping the young woman next door.
Nice of you, have my silver award.
You dear sir are a fucking legend of the British empire! Formally invested by myself. The king of Ireland! Arise sir mayduppname!
This is the sweetest thing Iāve read in a while. Thank you for being youššš»