ben

Dear ChrisnJulie,   We also live in the UK (Bourne, Lincs) and will start letting our house in Lower Normandy as a gite from next summer.  Our best idea so far is to use a recommended lady (just a lady, not a representative of any agency) to do the cleaning on changeover day and see that the newcomers get the key.  It does seem a bit precarious, but I have not come across anything else. I wil let you know if we do come across anything and would be glad to hear what conclusions you come to, Ben and Tamara

Thumper, Thanks for your response. I get it. I suppose the pressure valve is set to blow at three bars or thereabouts...  but, initially, did you work out the suitabe liquid level in the header tank (determining cold pressure in the system) by trial and error, firing up the stove and seeing how high the pressure gauge went before it stabilized... ?   Ben

Dear Thumper, I read your account of installing a wood fired central heating system, from a year ago, and resolved to do the same myself. Can you please say a bit more about how your header tank works?  Your interlocutor said that you should fear a frozen tank, but you replied that this is not a worry since, you system is filled with plenty of antifreeze and inhibitor.  But isn't the header fed by mains water?  My plumbing experience is limtied to changing the radiator route on a combi fired system, so I probably need a short explanation of how the header works. Can you help out in a a few lines ?  Thanks !  PS - I plan to do upstairs and downstairs, about eight medium sized radiators (averaging between some small and some big), run from a 15 KW villager wood stove.  Any of your thoughts will be appreciated. Yours, Ben Hooson