From the Barkeep's Blog

Some central heating systems seem to have a mind of their own. There is probably a technical term for overanthropomorphising a plumbing system, but when you are in someone else's house, and the temperature is dropping sharply, and the radiators are cold, and none of the buttons seem to work then you have to forgive me for thinking that there may be a hint of malicious intelligence in the boiler in the corner.

There is a simple white box on the wall of the kitchen, it says that the heating is on timer. Well when I say "it says" I do not mean that I have over-egged the intelligence bit by implying that it is actually speaking to me in a "we will take over the world Pinky" type manner. I mean that the little arrow is pointing to the "Timer" line in the LED display. There is a button next to it, and though it says ADVANCE HEATING, which might mean that it considers itself to be the height of technology, or that it wants you to move forward with the times, pressing the button simply switches a green light on with the letters ADV ( which implies it is doing whatever it is meant to ) but the radiators don't warm up, and the master mind which looks like R2D2 in the cupboard is remaining stubbornly quiet!!.

Looking at R2D2, there are some buttons saying plus and minus, and MODE - and the readout says 54 - which looks like a temperature - blooming cold !!!! Pressing the MODE button seems to do little. Though I was getting somewhere when I pressed the PLUS and the numbers started climbing. But when I stopped they kept on - up into the 70's and then into the 80's.

Forgive me if I admit that I panicked just a little. After all it is not my house. I did not put the evil entity into the cupboard, but I am not sure that it isn't blaming me anyway !!!. But if the numbers kept on climbing then the whole thing might explode!!! Okay, I know it is an exaggeration, and slightly extreme, but it seemed likely to me as I hurriedly pressed the minus button.... Yes... I watched the numbers drop into the single figures ......

But more important - the radiators are still cold!!!
and then - one radiator started to warm up - just to spite me I reckon!!!

I know all the radiators were on this morning so none have been switched off!!
So why is only one radiator warming up ?? And that is quite hot now - but I don't want to spend the rest of the day hovering over one radiator. While the remainder refuse to budge.

I can't hear the boiler running - so where is the heat coming from????

Ahh - the sound of a car driving up - we may solve the mystery.........
Watch this space .....
If I don't Blog tomorrow - send help... but beware the cupboard on the left....

From the Barkeep's Blog