Picture(s) of the day....

[myglaren]

Did you se the Sea Ice near Liverpool a couple of days ago.

My bins needed a good bash to get them open too.

Pleased I shut the outside taps off now. Surprised I heard it in hindsight as I can always hear water flowing through pipes and often think that the heating is on when it isn't. Tinnitus. Always two different water in pipes sounds along with a high pitched scream and the voices. (Don't mention the voices )

[Dormouse]

I didn't see that article but I have seen Sea Ice on a beach before. Very cold wind chill that day.

[Dormouse]

[Just along from your old stomping ground and much appreciated Dave As it turned out this morning water was flowing through the pipes. Not that the heating had been left on low...I got the boiler's not working call late on last night. Knew what it was but I wasn't going to climb up a ladder in the dark to pour boiling water on the external run of the condensate drain to melt the ice.

That was a first thing in the morning job, and thankfully its back working. Will have to do something about that, longer run inside the house before it exits the external wall but a bit of awkward geography to negotiate based on the siting of the boiler and a long run to the existing drain. ]

Just one of the reasons I persist with my Baxi. I have a complete fire and back boiler for spares or replacement just in case - haven't needed any yet and the Baxi is simple to service.

Just one of the many "piles of ####" I keep.

Our neighbour across the road just had the Plumbers back for a fault on their brand new (as in 2 weeks old) CH system.

Guess what the problem was? HMMMM, let me think!

[bobins]

Moo cold - own work

I did consider firing up the barcode scanner on the phone to see what it'd make of these, but it packed up due to the cold soon after I took the photo. Phone is currently being coaxed back into life, as are my ears

[Dormouse]

Maybe your Bahcoder only works on sheep.

[Hell Razor5543]

They look like Aberdeen Angus cows, with that broad white 'belt'.

[bobins]

They're Belted Galloways, they use them 'round here for munching the scrub on the Downs and in the commons. They're actually rather fine when you get up close to them - I've not had any trouble with any of them.

[myglaren]

Our neighbour across the road just had the Plumbers back for a fault on their brand new (as in 2 weeks old) CH system.

Guess what the problem was? HMMMM, let me think!

Iced up condensate lines? A common problem.
I asked the heating engineer who repaired our old boiler about fitting a new one and he wasn't enthused about having the condensate pump fitted and lifting it through the attic (boiler is upstairs) and I wasn't enthused about lifting carpets and floors either.
A year or so later when I did call him in to fit a new one he said that the pumps had improved and there was no problem fitting one, which has worked out very well as the stench pipe runs inside the house, up through the attic and is vented at the apex of the roof and all he had to do was put a union on the stench pipe, the advantage being that they are always relatively warm and won't freeze.
If it did it would be an easy job to run the condensate drain from the boiler into a bucket as a temporary measure.

[Dormouse]

A switched on Heating Engineer. Our neighbours have their boiler on a north facing wall and the drain is as close to the boiler as the fitters could get away with. A blind man with two guide dogs could have figured out how cold it was going to get given the VERY windy location we stay in here. Won't be the last time that drain freezes.

[CitroJim]

the stench pipe runs inside the house, up through the attic and is vented at the apex of the roof and all he had to do was put a union on the stench pipe, the advantage being that they are always relatively warm and won't freeze.

That's exactly where and how my boiler condensate pipe is plumbed... My boiler is in the attic and not far from the bit of stench pipe above the bathroom before it exits through the roof...

Judging by the crazy condensate pipe installations I see around these parts not many plumbers think to do this...

[NewcastleFalcon]

Regular Lidl visitors now for their Pod Point Chargers. Nice bit of industrial history and an impressive landmark at their Swalwell branch.

Lidl at Swalwell have a very large chimney in their car park from the former Crowley Iron Works Site.
The Chimney was built for a subsequent paper mill

http://www.swalwelluk.co.uk/industry.html

Papermaking began sometime in the 19th century, probably in 1887, using power from the Derwent via a mill race as used by the Crowley iron works. The firm was called the Northumberland Paper Mills, owners William Grace and Co., who had previously operated a mill at Scotswood. The business failed and ceased to operate by 1909. The old factory chimney, such a prominent landmark in Swalwell, was part of the paper mill. (See The Lost Mills, a History of Papermaking in County Durham. Jean V Stirk. 2006.) The chimney is 106 feet high.

Regards Neil

[myglaren]

Used to go to that Lidl quite often, and the B&Q that was there. Not for a few years now and had forgotten the chimly.

[Peter.N.]

One Fred Dibnah didn't get.

Peter

[Dormouse]

Now, I know Newcastlefalcon would prefer I got out of my scratcher at sparrow fart, drive along the coast and freeze to death waiting for just the right moment to capture a beautiful dawn photo but........

To plagiarise another member, I am a Lazy Beast!

On the upside, it is an unusual shot that captures both coastlines without going all the way up to the bridges and, just for Neil, the last white dot of light on the right must be Fidra Lighthouse (or very close to it) near Direlton. Alas, North Berwick and Chez Dormouse are not in shot - both being too far around the headlands.

[Dormouse]

So Neil, click on Fife Weather Cams and enjoy some stunning photos (and some mundane ones as well).