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Ian

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Posts posted by Ian

    Gas hob knobs

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    This one has me confused...

    The ones on my hob operate the same as most others, I think. Turn to adjust the flame, push down (against a spring) to ignite.

    I bought a replacement set of universal knobs. They fit, and most of the time work properly. Occasionally, the gas refuses to stay lit, for no apparent reason - it was working 5 minutes ago, now it isn't.

    Some form of safety cut out perhaps? But why sometimes and not others?

    Any ideas welcome, otherwise I'll have to buy proper replacements

    Cheers

    Intermittent loss of internet connection

    in French Satellite TV, French Internet and Telephone

    Posted

    Hi, Quillan

    I think it's running at the same speed - certainly, it's not noticeably slower. Same cables as well - all I did was swap the box. The simplest thing will be to reverse the swap and try the old box - I'll try that this weekend.

    If that doesn't change anything, I'll try swapping all the bits and pieces at my end - I've a box full of cables, filters etc.

    Then, and only then, will I approach FT...

    Cheers

    Intermittent loss of internet connection

    in French Satellite TV, French Internet and Telephone

    Posted

    A couple of weeks ago, I replaced my old modem/router (Netgear DG834) with a new one - a Netgear DGN2200. Since then, I've been losing the internet occasionally - maybe 2/3/4 times per week. Only for a few seconds/minutes at a time, but it's still annoying. I don't remember it being like this before (but possibly it was...)

    Is there a way of telling (from the modem stats maybe) if it's (A) an upstream problem, and the modem is trying its best or (B) it's the modem that keeps dropping the connection?

    Thanks

    Audio output from TV

    in French Satellite TV, French Internet and Telephone

    Posted

    The sound quality from our TV (7 year old LG) isn't good. I've toyed with the idea of using external speakers (ideally, an adjacent micro-hifi), but I can't see an obvious audio output from the TV.

    There are the usual HDMI and SCART sockets, an S-video DIN socket plus two sets of phono sockets - all clearly defined in the (brief) manual as "input". Plus a square socket described as "Digital Audio Out Optical".

    This sounds like what I want, but it's further described as "Connect digital audio FROM various types of equipment". Is this just bad english? Is it really an output? And, if it is, can I easily get a cable with square digital on one end and whatever the micro-hifi needs on the other end?

    Thanks

    Wood-burning stove not burning properly - SOLVED

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    @ericd - I've always used the traditional method (firelighters and kindling, from the bottom up) and it's always worked. But, the idea that a top down start helps to pre-heat the chimney has a certain logic.

    Maybe I'll try the top down approach next time (which should be about October 2015)

    @idun - I still suspect the wood may not be perfectly seasoned, but I can cope with that. I can split it a bit more, mix it with older, dry wood - as long as the stove draws, tout est possible.

    Cheers

    Wood-burning stove not burning properly - SOLVED

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    Well, I was wrong (again).

    It wasn't the flue. It wasn't the wood. It was actually the stove - despite looking clean when I looked in the back, it was in fact full of dust.

    When the ramoneur/plombier arrived, and we pulled the stove from the wall, I tried to show that the flue was clogged by lighting a smoke match at the inlet. You can imagine how I felt when the smoke just flew up the chimney.....

    Whatever, it's now roaring away in the other room, and I'm warm and happy.

    (Thinking back, the ramoneur we used to use cleaned the inside out as well - I remember him removing the metal pates in the fire box. I reckon I'll go back to him)

    Thanks for everybody's advice.

    Cheers

    Wood-burning stove not burning properly - SOLVED

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    Well, I let the stove go out last night. This morning, rather than dismantle it, I pulled it away from the wall and poked my hand into the outlet. There was negligible soot ot dust, so I reckon the stove's not clogged.

    So, I called the ramoneur/plombier and explained the problem. He's coming tomorrow afternoon - on verra.

    Thanks for all the advice - I'll let you know how I get on.

    Wood-burning stove not burning properly - SOLVED

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    Quillan, I suspect there may be other factors at play, here, apart from the wood. It's a long chimney (10m) so it's going to get cold at the top, the lining is only 125mm diameter so is easy to clog, and (perhaps worst of all) I let the stove smoulder overnight, rather than have to relight it every morning.

    In my friend's case though, you may be right. Apart from what he buys, he also uses the wood he cuts, when he clears areas of his land .

    Cheers

    Wood-burning stove not burning properly - SOLVED

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    @Quillan - you could be right. The wood feels heavy(ier). But then, if it's the new wood, the old stuff should burn well, if it's the climate, why this year?

    @Theiere - I've spoken with a friend nearby, who has the same stove/wood merchant. He swept his own chimney from above recently, and said the last 1-2 metres were almost closed with a hard deposit. I suspect that's where the problem lies in mine. The chimney isn't straight - it has a "chicane" - so the ramoneur may not be able to clean the top portion as well as he might want to.

    If tomorrow's inspection of the stove doesn't solve anything, I'll get someone to go up on the roof and sweep from the top. I don't know if my sweeps could do it, they're all plumbers by profession. Maybe I should ask my roofer - after all, he installed the liner in the first place.

    Cheers

    Wood-burning stove not burning properly - SOLVED

    in House Renovations

    Posted

    About 7 years ago, we had the stove installed - a Franco-Belge Normandie, about 13KW, with a liner in the old chimney. Right from the start, it worked amazingly well - with the vents open, it would roar into life just from a couple of embers, and give out SO much heat. We buy wood (well-seasoned oak) from the deputy maire during the summer, and keep it under cover in an old tractor shed.

    However, when I lit it last October (?), it didn't draw well - it was very reluctant to burn, so I had the chimney swept. This helped a bit, but it got worse again - would only burn with the vents fully open. So, I had the chimney swept again this morning - a little improvement, not much.

    In case it was the wood, I tried some left over from several years ago, so well seasoned now. Again, a bit better, but not much.

    I can only think of two reasons (A) the stove is clogged (B) the liner is damaged or not properly swept. I'm going to let the stove go out again tonight, then do a little bit of dismantling and cleaning tomorrow That'll eliminate (A), but if it doesn't work, has anybody any other ideas?

    Cheers

    Web site tpo see points on/off french licence

    in Driving in France

    Posted

    Thanks, AnOther, that's the site.

    However, since I've lost the paperwork that came with my licence, I've also lost the ID and PW to get into it. If I can't find them, I'll have to get them re-issued.

    (No, no more deductions since that offence. It's just that I looked when I first got the paperwork, and they'd not taken the points away - I was wondering if I was still lucky, or if the system had finally caught up with me)

    Cheers

    Web site tpo see points on/off french licence

    in Driving in France

    Posted

    Last year, I changed to a french licence at the request of the government - they wanted to give me two points on it.

    When I finally got the licence, I also got info about where I could look to see how my points total was doing - I have lost that paperwork. Can anyone tell me where to look, or do I have to face the Prefecture again?

    Thanks

    Travel Insurance - I'm confused

    in Health

    Posted

    My wife and I are retired UK citizens. Resident in France, so pay our taxes here. Registered with CPAM, but as we're retired, the UK pays them for our health costs.

    So far, so good.

    We're travelling over to the US in a few days time, for my daughter's wedding. I'll need travel insurance, mainly for the health cover. So, do I buy it here (as a french resident travelling to/from France) or do I buy it in the UK (as a UK citizen)?

    Thanks

    Metro/RER station south of Paris

    in Travelling to/from France

    Posted

    @Betty, thanks for the ideas - it's good to have the benefit of experience.

    @ericd, I picked Massy-Palaiseau as the map seems to show it's possible. Just before it turns sharply to the east, just below Avenue de Stalingrad, there seems to be a slip road that carries on due north, joining the Avenue Jean Jaures (or Avenue du President Wilson - confusingly, it changes its name depending on the scale of the map...) near the RER station. The slip road seems to be two-way, so I could re-join the A10 at the same spot (but heading south this time).

    All according to the map.......

    Thanks

    Metro/RER station south of Paris

    in Travelling to/from France

    Posted

    It might be that I have to collect my wife from CdG, because there are no suitable trains out of Paris.

    I don't want to drive all the way round Paris to the airport but, instead, meet her at a Metro or RER station on the south side of Paris. Someplace easy to get to from the A10/A6.

    Massy- Palaiseau looks possible from the map - any wiser ideas?

    Thanks

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