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Minor Strangeness (IHTM)

Dick Turpin said:
Further to my ongoing Radiator problems.

The rads in the living room are now working as they should do, however this morning I walked past my daughter’s bedroom (she’s been out at Uni since 7am) and I noticed that the room was very warm. I checked the rad and it was piping hot, thinking that she had left it on before she left the house, I bent down to turn the dial down, and guess what…………..the dial was at zero.

Whatever the problem was with the rads in the living room has now moved itself upstairs to her bedroom.

I’ll have to call out the engineer again. This is costing me a bloody fortune.
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Some Thermostatic radiator valves will come on , even if set at zero, if the room temp drops too far though. I have been called out to a few 'panic' calls over the years when a decorator or home decorator has removed a rad to paint behind and the TRV has come on overnight and flooded the place - it is always important to manually cap off a Therm rad valve if you disconnect it!
Be careful also changing the top only. You can do this on most TRVs without having to drain down but unless you get exactly the right make and model it may not fit. Some like the classic original 1970s Drayton TRV have been revamped over the years with several different models and heads don't always mix. Thread sizes are nearly always different for different makes and the height of the pins and so on so only go for it if you can find the exact replacement!
 
Eyespy said:
yesterday afternoon, it felt like the Ground floor windows and cupboard doors were all vibrating to this sudden low frequency throbbing, like a big diesel engine. Looked out the windows at either side expecting to see some idiot lorry driver following a satnav stuck across the road - nothing there, the noise and vibration carried on for several minutes.

Its a detached, stone built house with double glazing- sited on a corner with a small junction opposite- no sign of any traffic or objects that could cause that kind of noise and vibration.
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There was a seismic event 38km southwest of Bristol yesterday, but that was around 10.00am.

https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/ea...2024-Near-Bristol-England-United-Kingdom.html
 
Giant R said:
Some Thermostatic radiator valves will come on , even if set at zero, if the room temp drops too far though. I have been called out to a few 'panic' calls over the years when a decorator or home decorator has removed a rad to paint behind and the TRV has come on overnight and flooded the place - it is always important to manually cap off a Therm rad valve if you disconnect it!
Be careful also changing the top only. You can do this on most TRVs without having to drain down but unless you get exactly the right make and model it may not fit. Some like the classic original 1970s Drayton TRV have been revamped over the years with several different models and heads don't always mix. Thread sizes are nearly always different for different makes and the height of the pins and so on so only go for it if you can find the exact replacement!
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Another minor strange plumbing one today (when isn't plumbing strange?)

The pressure on the combi was low so I went to fill it up.
When I turned the lever, no water came through, so I turned it off and on again a few times. Nothing.

I checked the braided flexi-hose and found that one of the nuts was loose, so I tightened it up and tried again.
This time the water did come through, but was dripping from the nut (I suspect that the rubber washer has perished).

But why did no water come through at first (which was lucky as the nut was loose) and why had the nut come loose anyway?
 
A bit strange this. The flexi hose, strictly speaking , isn't meant to be left connected due to water byelaws about cross contaminating mains water from heating water but in reality many are left connected all the time and just switched off. When you buy a filling loop kit they normally supply a couple of chrome caps to use when you take the flexi off.
Assuming you have good mains pressure? Are you sure the tap lever is actually turning the shaft of the tap? Sometimes when they get a bit stiff the lever can turn (if it is a plastic lever) and just spin on the shaft. As to the nut being loose -they only normally have to be just over hand tight if the rubber washer is good so the flexi could have turned a bit with the nut when it was last tightened on and gradually pulled itself back with the expansion and contraction of the heat. Or, the washer could have gradually broken down and caused a slight loosening of the seal.
The other thing possible is if the rubber inner pipe of the flexi has collapsed or been twisted and sealed itself although why it should then work is weird. Might be worth disconnecting it from the boiler end and directing it into a bucket to see if the tap works properly and with good flow?
 
Floyd1 said:
Having said that though Kesava, MrsF bought a de-humidifier a while ago. I emptied it on Saturday afternoon and by 10pm last night it was full (2 litres) so that's two litres of water that isn't making the room go damp... er.

To be fair, I did have some laundry on the clothes maid in that room (it didn't stop drizzling all day yesterday) so a lot, if not most of the moisture would have been from them, (and it would have taken another day or so to collect that much without the laundry being there, admittedly) but it just shows you how much there is often about.

Of course, ours is an old (1901), damp house and you probably don't have the same issue with damp walls and mold etc.
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I have the opposite problem. The walls, floor and ceiling are concrete and I don't know if that makes a difference. Also, as I pay a flat rate for heating and hot water the radiators are on pretty much all the time during winter. The humidity outside at the moment is 98% but inside it's 51% and that's with a humidifier going all the time.
 
Floyd1 said:
when isn't plumbing strange?)
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I found two brass connectors on the floor under one of the lab sinks last week. Nothing's leaking, and I hadn't noticed them before, so I'm not entirely sure when they turned up. Next time I see our plumbing guy I will have to ask him; there is doubtlessly a simple explanation, but yes, plumbing IS strange.
 
bugmum said:
I found two brass connectors on the floor under one of the lab sinks last week. Nothing's leaking, and I hadn't noticed them before, so I'm not entirely sure when they turned up. Next time I see our plumbing guy I will have to ask him; there is doubtlessly a simple explanation, but yes, plumbing IS strange.
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Photos if you can, bm.
 
Giant R said:
A bit strange this. The flexi hose, strictly speaking , isn't meant to be left connected due to water byelaws about cross contaminating mains water from heating water but in reality many are left connected all the time and just switched off. When you buy a filling loop kit they normally supply a couple of chrome caps to use when you take the flexi off.
Assuming you have good mains pressure? Are you sure the tap lever is actually turning the shaft of the tap? Sometimes when they get a bit stiff the lever can turn (if it is a plastic lever) and just spin on the shaft. As to the nut being loose -they only normally have to be just over hand tight if the rubber washer is good so the flexi could have turned a bit with the nut when it was last tightened on and gradually pulled itself back with the expansion and contraction of the heat. Or, the washer could have gradually broken down and caused a slight loosening of the seal.
The other thing possible is if the rubber inner pipe of the flexi has collapsed or been twisted and sealed itself although why it should then work is weird. Might be worth disconnecting it from the boiler end and directing it into a bucket to see if the tap works properly and with good flow?
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Hey G- yes it's left connected permanently, but no caps were provided. It is 12 years old now, so whether the regs were the same back then, I'm not sure. ?

(There is a valve there to stop the boiler water from flowing back into the mains water).

Pressure is ok. I considered that the plastic lever had worn, but it didn't feel that it was just spinning on the shaft, although it is possible.

If it is a worn washer, I probably have one knocking about, and could fix it myself, so I'll take the hose off today and see what condition it's in.

We have insurance so it's no problem (or hopefully isn't, after they cancelled us by mistake/incompetence a while ago).
 
kesavaross said:
I have the opposite problem. The walls, floor and ceiling are concrete and I don't know if that makes a difference. Also, as I pay a flat rate for heating and hot water the radiators are on pretty much all the time during winter. The humidity outside at the moment is 98% but inside it's 51% and that's with a humidifier going all the time.
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We never get anywhere near the recommended 50% even with the de-humidifier on for hours.

As you suggest, it must be to do with the construction methods/materials used. ?
 
We have two de-humidifiers in two separate rooms. Running them all day never gets the rooms below 78%.
We've had to cut down use in t'missus office because it was causing her 'dry eye'.
 
At home last night I finished my dinner with cheese and crackers, carving a slice or two off a block of Emmental, we'd bought a few days previously and kept in a Tupperware. The cheese was fine.
This morning, I opened the fridge to get yoghurt for breakfast. The Tupperware was at eye level and its contents looked weird.
On opening the lid, the cheese was covered in blue/green mould. It looked like it had aged at least a couple of weeks and been left outside of an airtight container and fridge.
So, straight into the food waste bin with it.
I am rather baffled as to what could have turned an apparently still wholesome block of cheese into this overnight:

cheese.png

Nothing else in the fridge was affected - my Greek yoghurt tasted as fresh as expected.
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
At home last night I finished my dinner with cheese and crackers, carving a slice or two off a block of Emmental, we'd bought a few days previously and kept in a Tupperware. The cheese was fine.
This morning, I opened the fridge to get yoghurt for breakfast. The Tupperware was at eye level and its contents looked weird.
On opening the lid, the cheese was covered in blue/green mould. It looked like it had aged at least a couple of weeks and been left outside of an airtight container and fridge.
So, straight into the food waste bin with it.
I am rather baffled as to what could have turned an apparently still wholesome block of cheese into this overnight:

View attachment 74671
Nothing else in the fridge was affected - my Greek yoghurt tasted as fresh as expected.
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I'm not sure what caused it to go mouldy, but you shouldn't really keep cheese in a plastic tupperware box as it cannot breathe and 'sweats'.

I wrap it in grease-proof paper (vegan options are available) and don't forget to take cheese out of the fridge for a good hour before you want it.
 
escargot said:
That's not appenin now is it? :dunno:

Some of us'd eat the stuff straight off the shelf if we could.
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Some actually say that you shouldn't put cheese in the fridge at all (I think this would be certainly true if you had an old-style larder).

I re-use my paper wrap for ages after as well. It takes on a lovely aroma after a few weeks.

Thinking about @blessmycottonsocks mould problem- I wonder if the tupperware box hadn't quite been cleaned thoroughly and something effected it that way?
 
Giant R said:
A bit strange this. The flexi hose, strictly speaking , isn't meant to be left connected due to water byelaws about cross contaminating mains water from heating water but in reality many are left connected all the time and just switched off. When you buy a filling loop kit they normally supply a couple of chrome caps to use when you take the flexi off.
Assuming you have good mains pressure? Are you sure the tap lever is actually turning the shaft of the tap? Sometimes when they get a bit stiff the lever can turn (if it is a plastic lever) and just spin on the shaft. As to the nut being loose -they only normally have to be just over hand tight if the rubber washer is good so the flexi could have turned a bit with the nut when it was last tightened on and gradually pulled itself back with the expansion and contraction of the heat. Or, the washer could have gradually broken down and caused a slight loosening of the seal.
The other thing possible is if the rubber inner pipe of the flexi has collapsed or been twisted and sealed itself although why it should then work is weird. Might be worth disconnecting it from the boiler end and directing it into a bucket to see if the tap works properly and with good flow?
Click to expand...
I took the plastic lever off and it looks ok (not or worn or slipping), but I gave the spindle a turn or two with a spanner just to make sure.
The water seems to have stopped dripping now anyway, so I'll see how it goes.

(I realised of course, that this probably won't be covered by the boiler insurance anyway).

I'll keep an eye on it, so if it happens again I'll do what you have suggested.

Edit; is any maintenance required on the double check valve?
 
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Floyd1 said:
I took the plastic lever off and it looks ok (not or worn or slipping), but I gave the spindle a turn or two with a spanner just to make sure.
The water seems to have stopped dripping now anyway, so I'll see how it goes.

(I realised of course, that this probably won't be covered by the boiler insurance anyway).

I'll keep an eye on it, so if it happens again I'll do what you have suggested.

Edit; is any maintenance required on the double check valve?
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No, they are not really demountable -not that expensive anyway. Unless it starts leaking I would leave it. If you have to top up the system quite often though it is worth finding the cause. It's not good to introduce fresh water into a system too often.
 
Giant R said:
No, they are not really demountable -not that expensive anyway. Unless it starts leaking I would leave it. If you have to top up the system quite often though it is worth finding the cause. It's not good to introduce fresh water into a system too often.
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I've now got to the stage where I'm not sure whether the comments I'm reading are about the inexplicably mouldy cheese or strangely behaving radiator valves.
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Sorry but uncanny cheese, living in its own rapidly ageing temporal zone, totally lost its appeal.
I know we all like a bit of culture, but I dread to think what state it would be in by dinnertime tonight!
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I have found cheese to mould quickly sometimes if I've managed to touch it whilst cutting it.
I presumed it was some unseen bacteria on my hands.
 
Floyd1 said:
I'm not sure what caused it to go mouldy, but you shouldn't really keep cheese in a plastic tupperware box as it cannot breathe and 'sweats'.

I wrap it in grease-proof paper (vegan options are available) and don't forget to take cheese out of the fridge for a good hour before you want it.
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Your cheese lasts long enough to be wrapped and put in the fridge? Not on the ball there Floyd - should be scoffed instantly you get it home. Also the processed cheese you buy from supermarkets seems to be made from some sort of plastic and is therefore immune to going mouldy. Best consumed quickly to get rid of it.
 
PeteS said:
Your cheese lasts long enough to be wrapped and put in the fridge? Not on the ball there Floyd - should be scoffed instantly you get it home. Also the processed cheese you buy from supermarkets seems to be made from some sort of plastic and is therefore immune to going mouldy. Best consumed quickly to get rid of it.
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I have actually given up cheese for lent. Well, a week before lent started.
I am not, surprisingly, missing it yet.
 
Iris said:
I have found cheese to mould quickly sometimes if I've managed to touch it whilst cutting it.
I presumed it was some unseen bacteria on my hands.
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Yep. That's the only explanation that makes any sense to me.
The previous day, the cheese must have been "on the turn" but with no obvious signs of mould that would have put me off eating it.
Still seems very strange that it degenerated into a clearly mouldy state within another 14 or 15 hours though!
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Yep. That's the only explanation that makes any sense to me.
The previous day, the cheese must have been "on the turn" but with no obvious signs of mould that would have put me off eating it.
Still seems very strange that it degenerated into a clearly mouldy state within another 14 or 15 hours though!
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Mould can grow really fast - witness buying fruit in Tesco, get a rainy day and the fruit develops a prodigious amount of mould before it can even ripen, often overnight.
 
Maybe it's my choice in cheeses, perhaps its my domestic cleaning skilz (no aspersions being cast) but I've never had a problem with cheese going 'off' mouldy. I keep cheddar in plastic wrapping, grated cheese in a take-away tub, and soft cheeses in their waxed paper wrapping. The one thing I've never had an issue with either the 'fridge smelling cheesy or mold.
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Yep. That's the only explanation that makes any sense to me.
The previous day, the cheese must have been "on the turn" but with no obvious signs of mould that would have put me off eating it.
Still seems very strange that it degenerated into a clearly mouldy state within another 14 or 15 hours though!
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You should have given it to me. I can 'taste' mould before it becomes visible - hence me rejecting bread when everyone else is happily eating it, so I am an excellent barometer of incipient mould growth.

Actually, you should all just give your cheese to me. I promise to look after it.
 
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