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1

General Discussion Area / Re: Boiler boffins.

« on: Yesterday at 18:30:04 »

If it's not igniting at all it's not the photocell. More likely the ht transformer, fuel solenoid or pump.

Thanks Kevin. I replaced the pump about 5 years ago. I don't want to replace any 'suspect' parts in the hope I may get lucky. It could cost me a fortune.

Pretty sure you could pull the photocell and test it with a torch and a multimeter. 

2

General Discussion Area / Re: Boiler boffins.

« on: 23 November 2025, 22:24:14 »

Our houses are not insulated to any kind of degree to those in Norway. You need to keep any heat which is generated, not pass it through your roof, windows and walls.

I agree 100%, I'd never advocate for one in an older house, but in the new build house Lizzie mentioned, a heat pump, correctly sized and setup should be more than up to the job.

3

General Discussion Area / Re: Boiler boffins.

« on: 23 November 2025, 21:58:56 »

I think our Lord should get rid of that dirty old boiler, replace it with an Air Source Heat Pump and save the planet! 

Not while I still have breath in my body.....

They don't seem to work very well from what I hear.

I think you may be right Opti.

One of my friends very recently moved into a brand new house which has been fitted with one of these new fangled heat pumps.  Over the last week it has become very cold down here, but she tells me the heating will only get to a certain level and no more, with her bedrooms remaining quite cold!   Another friend of mine is a master builder, and is very well qualified in the plumbing, and electrical, fields.  He says that the heat pumps have a limit on how much heat they actually push out, which is no where near as high as it is with an gas central heating system.

What the hell is going on I think?!!  Why are heat pumps being so enthusiastically promoted if they have limits for houses in our climate?!

And yet 60% of homes in Norway have them, and year ok year they don't all freeze to death...

I think it's far more likely that we in the UK don't have the expertise to size, install and configure them correctly (yet).

4

General Discussion Area / Re: 3D Printer Chat

« on: 22 November 2025, 18:42:57 »

I use tinkerCAD. One of the more basic programs (aimed at educational settings I think) but it definitely does the job of me. 

5

General Discussion Area / Re: 3D Printer Chat

« on: 22 November 2025, 14:06:15 »

What do you find yourself making?   I can think of a few things I'd make and then not sure on inspiration after that

The main reason I got one was so I could make custom trays and inserts for my tool boxes. I'm getting through them and by the time I'm done I'm sure the printer will have paid for itself. Beyond that I print quite a few bits of our aquariums. I also make up custom brackets or attachments for things, particularly if they break and would be difficult to glue back together. Plus daft stuff like little toys for the kids. Similar to TB, I always seem to have a backlog of stuff that needs printing.

6

General Discussion Area / Re: 3D Printer Chat

« on: 20 November 2025, 21:27:27 »

I probably should have updated this thread, being as I've had an ender3 v2 neo since Feb 2024 

Given it a fair thrashing, replaced a couple of nozzles, bowden tube and very recently an extruder gear. Considering the ender 3 gets a little of stick for its reliability I don't think it's been at all bad. Id estimate I've gone through well over 20kg of pla.

Is the K2 one of those multi filament jobs? What you got planned for it?

7

General Discussion Area / Re: Kentucky plane crash

« on: 20 November 2025, 21:21:22 »

NTSB preliminary report is out. 

https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA26MA024.aspx

8

General Car Chat / Re: EV Drivers

« on: 14 November 2025, 13:17:56 »

Oh, and I wouldn't bet against a 5-10p fuel duty rise either 

9

General Car Chat / Re: EV Drivers

« on: 14 November 2025, 13:16:12 »

They can only be sold with huge reductions on list price.....and that was with no VED, future pay per mile, and Khan tax.

Sales will drop even further now. ......but at least we'll be able to buy one for buttons.

This is the upside for me.

In reality, the additional tax doesn't tip the cost argument back to ICE vehicles. Despite being a fat SUV, the iX costs us around 3.5p per mile to fuel, so even adding on a ved charge of 3p still makes the per mile cost the same as a diesel that can average 100mpg, which obviously doesn't exist and certainly not in the form of a big, comfy 5 seater barge. Maintenance is also a lot cheaper than for an equivalent ICE car.

Also, I'm not sure I buy the 'EV's are heavier so they wear out the roads' argument as, presumably those same cars should be wearing their tyres quicker too? In my case my car is still on its original boots having done 38,000 miles, and they aren't anywhere near the wear bars. It also weighs almost exactly the same as a diesel X5 

10

General Discussion Area / Re: The Knives Are Out For Two Tier Kier!

« on: 12 November 2025, 23:42:44 »

I reckon she'd fawn all over trump. Mouthy big dog in her own back yard, but in front of real power...nah.

11

General Discussion Area / Re: The Knives Are Out For Two Tier Kier!

« on: 12 November 2025, 21:11:17 »

This is the problem for me.

We have a chancellor that's making mistakes that would get you a fail as a first year economics student, who lied on her CV to get where she is...


 And she's the least incapable of the bunch.

12

General Car Chat / Re: Harry Metcalfe's Jag

« on: 10 November 2025, 11:38:31 »

I think his restoration/restomod made it about as good as any xjc could be. There's a good YT video out there by Tom Lenthal who did all the work on the v12. Apparently he now does a decent trade in 'Harey spec' v12 upgrade packages 

But yes, hard to justify the price when you could recreate what has been done, to your exact tastes, for substantially less than the purchase price.

13

General Car Chat / Re: EV Drivers

« on: 07 November 2025, 09:28:19 »

Regardless of this particular policy, I'm amazed that this government really cannot see the link between taxation and (dis)incentivising people to do things.

We have a productivity failing in this country, so we need people to work more. Government solution: increase tax on work and increase benefits for those that don't work.

Want more people to drive EVs. Great, let's increase the tax on them. 

14

General Discussion Area / Re: Dead Person

« on: 07 November 2025, 09:24:42 »

Gilson Lavis (74). Drummer for Squeeze, Jools Holland's big band and about a hundred other shows/bands.

He also played my 6th form leavers' ball alongside Mike D'Abo and a couple of other famous names - the highlight of his career I'm sure 

15

General Discussion Area / Re: Kentucky plane crash

« on: 06 November 2025, 13:58:01 »

This has happened before on a DC10

Do you mean This one?

If so you'd hope that the lesson of not fuŁking about with the manufacturer's maintenance procedures had been well learned!