Wednesday 7 January 2009

Cold

Wednesday 7 January 2009
We're in the middle of a cold spell here in the UK and the temperature dipped to -8.5 outside last night. Now I know some of my international readers may laugh at the idea of that being cold but we're a country that just isn't used to the thermometers going that low.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining (other than my general complaint that it's not snowing) as I love the cold, I'm definitely designed to live in a cold climate - let's face it, you can always put more layers on, when it's too hot there's only so much you can take off...

However there was a problem last night as only half the radiators in the house were hot. We didn't realise this till after we'd put Lia to bed because we'd pretty much stayed in the kitchen up to that point and the rads were working in there. However when we went into the lounge we could practically see our breath it was so cold!

DH did a minimal amount of investigation, ie touched the radiators and said 'they're cold', and claimed to be baffled. His response was to turn the heating on to constant to see if they warmed up over night! Given the heating had been on for the previous three hours and they were stone cold I figured it unlikely they'd miraculously cure themselves.

So the rest of the evening was spent swaddled in quilts (DH can never complain about my hobby now he's used them in a practical situation) and it wasn't until after I gave in and went to bed that DH decided to experiment with bleeding the radiators (something I had suggested) and lo and behold it worked! Great news as it means we don't have to call out a professional and pay an extortionate fee (especially if they'd just bled the rads and cured the problem, I wouldn't be a happy wife).

So fingers crossed tonight will be much warmer - it's not so easy to stitch when you're bundled up in blankets...

4 comments:

Lindsay said...

Make sure you check your boiler pressure, I had to bleed mine and the pressure dropped in the boiler but it's really easy to fix if it has

Kathy A. said...

glad you were able to stay warm under those gorgeous quilts. Men - they just don't remember that women are always right! LOL

Erin (moviemuse) said...

Well this international reader thinks that is incredibly cold! LOL Especially if the heat isn't working, yikes. Of course, I think anything below 40F (4C) is inhumanly cold, so what do I know.

Sheila said...

Brrrrrrrrr. The only time I tried to bleed a radiator, as per someone´s instructions, I opened it too much, panicked, and ended up drenched and also the wall opposite the radiator (the water shot out horizontally) and having to get a new carpet. As well as a plumber! Sorry - rambling on, hope the worst is over.

 

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