mike.m

Thanks Lachouette ; thats what I'd hoped to have confirmed . Makes me now wonder where the journalist got her information and how many CdH owners have been misinformed by an authoritative source . I'm going to email the Connexion and ask for a correction .

Thanks Clair and BJSLIV ; 18% is the rate for Prof. Liberales so that suggests it has been incorrectly classified ; interestingly, if you click on BJSLIV's link and go to the left sidebar , under "exemples d'activities" it lists chambres d'hotes . Go to the page and scroll to the bottom and it quotes comments by Nevelli that the rate applicable is 12 % . I was rather hoping that someone affiliated to GdeF had received official clarification from them ( its been in existence since January ). Anyone heard anything formally ?

Bonsoir , I've just read a feature article in the latest Connexion which quotes a cotisation rate of 21.3% for Chambres d"hotes. All the previous information I've seen , from Novelli's meetings with GdeF in December to various comments on this and other forums (a!) support a rate of 12% . Is this a case of sloppy journalism or has something changed ? Any thoughts ?

Hi ,Dave & Olive ; Thanks very much for the information . Sounds like the Belkin route is preferable . Does anyone have any favorable experience with the free card ?

Hi , Have been lucky with my freebox and had a solid stable performance for two years. But had big problems setting up the system and I'm wary about fiddling with it unnecessarily. When I bought it I added a wifi card but didnt want to risk installing it after the gremlins were sorted out .I'd now like friends and visitors to have internet access so I'm planning to install it but would first like to ask ( sorry for the really basic ignorance !) 1 Is it easy to install - risk free ? 2 Will that be enough for others to have access or will I need some form of router ? Merci en avance

Many thanks for your thoughts ; I love the rose idea but may not have enough time . But a different plant or painting may be just the ticket . Merci bien !

Hi , We have French acquaintances who have invited us to a soiree for their 50th Anniversary . They are from a nearby village and have a rather grand house so I suspect it will be a large affair . Our problem is deciding the right level/type of gift to offer . I assume its a golden anniversary in France too but they are not close friends ? Any bright ideas suggestions or insights gratefully received .

Hi Maricopa ,                         Many thanks for the recieved wisdom ! Does this mean that the pump size has no relationship to the filter cycle time ? I'm just wondering how long it takes for a  one hp pump to process 40 cubic metres ?                                                              Best regards

Hi Macker ,                         Thanks a lot for the advice ; sounds like the voice of experience ! OK I,ll hunt out a frisbee and give it a go !

Hi ,         Having just posted below it ocurred to me that I have been meaning to seek advice on how long I need to run the filter pump . The pool is 40 cu. metrs , theres a single skimmer and the pump is one hp. Any thoughts on how long ( and in how many cycles ) is optimal .?                                                            Many thanks

Hi ,          A leak has developed in the valve which brings the water from the pool base into the filter pump (bonde de fond ) . It seems to be a crack running along the body of the valve - when I open or close the valve the water sprays out ; when its left opened or closed there is a heavy dripping . I can attempt to seal the leak but would prefer to replace the valve . However I cant get my head round which combination of valve settings and position on the vanne 6 voies might allow the valve to be isolated .                                     Can anyone lighten my darkness ?                                                                                Many thanks

Thanks for the suggestions chaps ; I've located an epoxy resin that may be worth trying . I'll post back if its successful .

Hi ,         On re-opening for the season I've discovered a leak caused by a crack in the base of the pump ( which I unwisely did not disconnect over the winter ! ) . Its a 1hp Culligan model . Its located under the panier and runs around 50% of the perimeter of a cicular plastic (?)  floor section . The remaider of the perimeter is sound and solid so I"m wondering if I can seal the crack with something strong enough to provide a lasting repair . I saw rigid plastic jointing glue mentioned on an earlier post but I suspect the crack may be too large . Thanks for any thoughts or its a new pump !  

We have a largeish area of terrace which has been left unfinished . The surface is a good quarter metre of mixed stone which has been well compacted . I'm now planning to lay a final layer of limestone ( 10 mil  diametre ) and am wondering : 1. How thick should this coat be ? 2 Is it too late at this stage to insert a geotextile layer ? If not any thoughts about the best / cheapest material and who might supply it ? Would it be suitable for sections where there is vehicle passage .                                             Many thanks                                                   

Thanks all for a great set of  practical replies .[:)]  Luckily we are not on a fosse so can apparently avoid some of the riskier options.  Will commence with coca-cola then move up the richter scale !

Hi ,          Sorry to lower the tone but we have inherited a toilet  with some unsightly staining at the bottom of the bowl . Elbow grease has so far failed to do the business (oops) and I was wondering (before replacing the system ) if anyone had any suggestions for a chemical/cleaning solution that might be available at the DIY emporia ?                                                                                                                           Many  thanks

 Hi JR ,               The new face I referred to was the new owner ; the work installing my system in May must have been one of his final jobs ( he was looking a bit world weary but was apparently only 56 when he retired ! One of those guys who loved working with heavy steel pipes  not the arty farty modern copper stuff , found modern systems too straightforward so he enjoyed working on our old pipes which needed a lot of rearrangement to align with the new system  . Real artisan and he'd passed on a good work ethic to the two lads who did most of the cutting and threading .   The new owner had an existing heating business and took over the "succession " ; same vans staff etc.  He may be perfectly sound ; havent had the opportunity to form an opinion yet .                                                        I've concluded after reading  all your thoughtful contributions that if I argue the toss its likely to sour future relations and ultimately not be worth the 80 odd euros I might save beating the bill down . I will however put a short note in with the cheque expressing gratitude for the timely response and good work but a little disappointment at the amount of the bill in view of their previous excellent value . Hopefully this will remove any suspicioun that I might be a easy touch in future quotes and also bank a bit of moral credit .                                     Thanks again for all the advice.

Hi ,        Just to clarify , 'they" were the owner who dropped off his young  salaire at nine , explained the job and returned at three to pick him up .Would I have accepted the price at the outset ? Absolutely , but its a bit of an empty question because no-one would have offered a fixed price without knowing  how much concrete needed to be excavated . In truth I count myself lucky . The real question is would have I accepted an estimate of 40 an hour (yes, I knew the company and its work ) ; 80 euro an hour , no . The bill incidentally was not factured per hour but as a global sum .                                                                  I think my disappointment is that I feel as a customer who had spent a several thousand euros with them over the summer I expected to be treated absolutely fairly . Had I called out an unknown artisan I would have been careful to discuss price in advance . Mulling over what to do now I'm also very aware of the comment about the price of acquiring a reputation as a difficult customer .These are the guys who will have to come out and deal with any guarantee problems with the  new boiler and ballon they installed . My ego says complain , my head says bite the bullet and pay the price of  "education ".                                                                                                                                                                       Thanks for the advice !

Hello All ,                     Many thanks for the feedback and it helps inform the chat which will ensue with  le plommiere ; I am going to suggest that 300 euros is a more accurate price for the work and see how he responds . I guess that ultimately if he wants to play hardball i will have to pay but hopefully wiser counsel will prevail  . Clearly I could not have asked for a devis but I assumed the rates for the previous work would have applied . I guess the lesson has to be to ask for an hourly/daily rate in advance of the repair ? Forewarned is forearmed . I'll post later with an outcome .                                                                                 M.

Hello,          We've had a burst pipe ( central heating pipe underground but luckily only two feet from the rad ). I contacted  the artisans who had put in a new boiler and ballon over the summer . Their work and approach had been excellent and I was confident they would do a good job . When they arrived it was a new face who had just taken over the business . The work was solid ; three hours digging ; two hours fitting a short replacement pipe ; an hours refilling and bleeding the system . One man (a young employee )  six hours in total . The bill arrived and I was disappointed  at the total of almost 500 euros . The work on the new installation had taken 8 man days for 1400 euro. I think I had a good deal on the earlier work and have been overcharged by the new owner for the repair. Before I approach the man I would appreciate any feedback from wiser heads ; am I being unrealistic in thinking 500 is too much for less than a days work ( next to no material costs ) ? Does anyone have an idea of the hourly rates for this kind of work ( Burgundy ) .                                                                                                                                            Many thanks for advice  

Just what the doctor ordered ! Many thanks Betoulle & Quillan, exactly the information I've been looking for ![:D]

Hi everyone ,       Just wondered if anyone has access to any stats for average annual room occupancy figures for (in our case ) a three bed chambres d'hote ? Obviously huge regional variations but if we could establish a national/ regional  norm it would give us some idea of how we are doing . Not affiliated to Gde F so not aware if they produce anything for their members .  Thanks for any thoughts ![:D]

We live in a hard water area and have a real problem with hard towels which have to be replaced frequently . On the last "washing" posting water rat mentioned that eco balls with ionising properties produce soft towels . Can you advise on specific products and would this work in a hard water area ?  Any other good ideas out there ?                                                                                                          Thanks a lot !

Thanks to all for suggestions ;I'll recommence the search .[:)]

Hello,        I'm hoping to travel one way on Eurostar Paris-London at the end of September . The price on the official website is 230 euros which seems steep.        Any ideas on how to get a better deal . Can I buy a weekend return and just use one half? A one night hotel included offer may be possible .       Any  agent type websites specialising in this area . Thanks for any suggestions !