Showing posts with label Barney Bodger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barney Bodger. Show all posts
Tuesday, 23 January 2007
Sunday, 14 January 2007
Ikea Roller Blinds - Aaaaargh!!!
Make exact measurements as per instructions. Drill holes in correct place. Plug holes with screw fixings. Fix plastic blind fittings with screw. Click blind into place. Test by gently pulling on pull cord. Whole thing comes crashing down! Unscrew one of the plastic blind fittings. Drill new holes 5mm from the old ones. Repeat fitting process. Whole thing comes crashing down, crumpling the bottom of the blind and making a tear in the right hand edge. Rant and rave at blind, tools, crappy instructions and any sympathetic member of the family who happens to cross my path. Drill a further set of new holes. Repeat process. This time the blind works, but the fixings look as if they are straining. Run the blind up and down for about 15 minutes like some sort of manic semaphore until I'm convinced that it isn't going to free itself from the over-strained fixings. Fit the pull cord bottom guide (2 more holes into solid brickwork). Novelist Supermum then hides the tear buy the strategic application of planet, alien and robot stickers (the blind is in Frodo's room).
Decided to leave the more difficult, larger blind to be fixed in Samwise's room for another occasion. Probably need to book an Anger Management course first.
Decided to leave the more difficult, larger blind to be fixed in Samwise's room for another occasion. Probably need to book an Anger Management course first.
Wednesday, 3 January 2007
Wireless Central Heating Thermostat
Our central heating doesn't have a thermostat.
I've considered installing one myself in the past, however the thing that has put me off the most is lifting a number of floorboards and trying to route a wire from the kitchen, through the morning room, through the hall and into the living room.
I discovered the answer in B&Q - a wireless (radio frequency) thermostat for 50 quid.
I've managed fit it myself, and surprise surprise it appears to have worked first time.
The fitting was hastened by the discovery of four little holes in the wall above the boiler heating timer/controller, fitted with wall plugs, and the words "RF" pencilled beside them. The previous occupant/owner had one fitted, and must have removed it before we bought the property.
The RF receiver that I had bought fitted these holes perfectly (the thermostat and RF receiver are sold together). Had some trouble figuring out the wiring diagram for the timer controller and the receiver (and checking/confirming that my assumptions were correct), but essentially this was simply a matter of connecting live/neutral feeds from the fused supply that goes to the timer/controller to the receiver as well. The common terminal of the timer/controller is already linked to the fused live supply. I connected the switched live from the timer/controller to the common terminal of the receiver.
(previously this had gone directly to the boiler). I connected the switched live from the receiver to the boiler.
So the heating timer/controller switches on the supply to the thermostat, which switches on the supply to the boiler.
Followed the manual, tested the receiver hard wiring connection, then tested the radio frequency connection from the thermostat to the receiver - all OK.
The beauty of a wireless solution is that we can easily move the thermostat around whilst we determine the optimum position for it in the living room (or we can easily move it to any other room). There is a bracket that we can screw to the wall and clip the thermostat on and off this as required. I'll fit the bracket once we're happy with the best location.
Hopefully this should save a little money on Gas Bills - I wonder how quickly I'll get my 50 quid back?
I've considered installing one myself in the past, however the thing that has put me off the most is lifting a number of floorboards and trying to route a wire from the kitchen, through the morning room, through the hall and into the living room.
I discovered the answer in B&Q - a wireless (radio frequency) thermostat for 50 quid.
I've managed fit it myself, and surprise surprise it appears to have worked first time.
The fitting was hastened by the discovery of four little holes in the wall above the boiler heating timer/controller, fitted with wall plugs, and the words "RF" pencilled beside them. The previous occupant/owner had one fitted, and must have removed it before we bought the property.
The RF receiver that I had bought fitted these holes perfectly (the thermostat and RF receiver are sold together). Had some trouble figuring out the wiring diagram for the timer controller and the receiver (and checking/confirming that my assumptions were correct), but essentially this was simply a matter of connecting live/neutral feeds from the fused supply that goes to the timer/controller to the receiver as well. The common terminal of the timer/controller is already linked to the fused live supply. I connected the switched live from the timer/controller to the common terminal of the receiver.
(previously this had gone directly to the boiler). I connected the switched live from the receiver to the boiler.
So the heating timer/controller switches on the supply to the thermostat, which switches on the supply to the boiler.
Followed the manual, tested the receiver hard wiring connection, then tested the radio frequency connection from the thermostat to the receiver - all OK.
The beauty of a wireless solution is that we can easily move the thermostat around whilst we determine the optimum position for it in the living room (or we can easily move it to any other room). There is a bracket that we can screw to the wall and clip the thermostat on and off this as required. I'll fit the bracket once we're happy with the best location.
Hopefully this should save a little money on Gas Bills - I wonder how quickly I'll get my 50 quid back?
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