Combi Or Not?

What a great response from everyone yesterday! I couldn't believe what good replies I got to my questions. Thank you!

I had my thoughts about biomass confirmed and I think we'll be changing the boiler for another oil one, but situating it outside. Hopefully I'll be able to fit this with the help of a friend I've just done some work for, so plumbing costs should be minimal for the straight boiler swap, just the extra pipe work to take it outside (which I can do as well). 

I also need to concrete a little pad outside and install drainage under it for a downstairs loo before I do, so it will have to wait until it's dried up a bit first. In the mean time I'l do a little maintenance on the oil boiler to keep it running until then and use the wood burner as much as possible.

Ripping up floor boards in our last house to change the system to a combi.

 But that poses another question - to change to a Combi boiler or keep with the hot water tank system we've got? A combi heats the water as you need it for hot water, whereas the system we've currently got keeps stored hot water in a tank in the airing cupboard, indirectly heated by the water from the boiler.. I'm not sure I want to change the pipe work around to have the combi system as it means ripping up carpets and floor boards, although I'm sure a combi would be more efficient. We only use the hot water for washing our hands, baths for the children and washing up so having a tank might not be the best but if I start altering upstairs before Christmas it might cause a divorce! And it''s more work than I've currently got time for.

Thanks again for everyone's advice and experiences on the last post, I really enjoyed reading them and they all had some good advice in.

A Little Self Reliance

We woke up on Tuesday morning and all we could smell was heating oil. The boiler was leaking.

Not great.

I didn't have time to deal with it then so I turned everything off and went to work hoping there wouldn't be a massive oil slick when I got home.

When I got back I went about finding the problem, cleaning off all the oil and then letting it leak again. I found the problem straight away, someone in the past had used a hydrolic pipe to from the filter to the boiler instead of the proper braided pipe, this had worn through and oil was starting to weep onto the floor of the boiler.

My dad picked up a new pipe for me the next day and I fitted it and had it working again that night. The pipe cost £5.01 but I'm sure if I got a plumber out it would have been over £100 to have the problem sorted, with call out fees and the like.

I can never understand how people that can't do things for themselves afford to live, that said I'm lucky this was an easy problem and one I could manage.

Kev'll Fix It

 

 The Pair of mole grips above say something about how I was brought up. I remember not going on a family holiday with my Mother, Father, sister and brother for two reasons - I was at that grunty 16 year old stage where I'd argue with my own shadow and the fact that dad wanted me to look after the stock on the farm.

When they returned from their week in the sun I was expecting great, if a little trashy, presents. Things like a notebook with the name of a town I hadn't been to on, lots of chocolate and maybe a bottle of booze. Instead dad passed me a red and black box with a pair of mole grips in, "Look after these, they're a good set. Better than the rubbish your mum was going to buy you."

So that's why it didn't surprise me when I found myself fixing the washing machine after work this week. Lay on the tiles with the pair of mole grips in one hand and a torch in the other.

The thought of calling someone in hadn't even crossed my mind. Luckily I found the problem fairly quickly, a hole in the sump hose. I'd like to blame someone else for this, but as the pipe still contained three rusty screws, two rusty screwdriver bits and a rusty nail I already know who to blame!

With the wonders of the Internet I found and ordered the part and got it delivered next day. Then with the skills and dexterity that I thought only gynaecologists possessed, I got the hose back on and we could attack the pile of washing that only a 8 month old baby could produce!

Total cost of fixing the washing machine was under £30 including postage.

I've no idea how much it would have cost to have appliance repair man out to look at and fix the problem, I've never used one! (not yet anyhow!)
Anyone else find it hard to get other people in to do work?