^ I wonder if they are still made to the same quality .
There appears to be a huge variety to choose from!
There appears to be a huge variety to choose from!
What the feck have you done today?
- Thread starter The GOAT
- Start date
By the next size up and wash before use.
This leads to an interesting discussion on the ideas behind insurance and coverage plans.
Insurance is paid, in theory, towards something that doesn't have to happen, shouldn't happen and if it does happen, it's a disaster, for someone at least.
Maintenance plans are paid towards things that are inevitable, are a natural consequence of the physical universe and are costly when they do happen.
So - I don't pay for the insurance that they try to sell me when I buy a new phone or computer or whatever. No point, you never get your money back on the premium you pay. These purchases have a finite lifespan that has nothing to do with reliability - they often simply get out-paced by software or the batteries give out in the case of mobile devices, etc. I had a nine year old Dell computer that I junked - it worked perfectly well for most of my old programs but modern software meant it was unusable - eg, I couldn't watch internet videos because internet videos needed more up-to-date hardware. No insurance can protect you from that.
Central heating though - it's going to fail within the timescale that you think should the system as a whole should last. Plus, there are maintenance requirements in order to keep the thing going. You do the calculus - how much will I pay each month, and what maintenance and repair costs are needed to be taken into account over that period?
I do these sums for every moderate and major purchase I make. The general rule is "No insurance, no maintenance plan, no extras, thanks" but there are exceptions - buildings insurance for my home, a maintenance plan for my central heating.
I wouldn't bother with motor insurance but unfortunately, that is out of my hands.
When I was at school all my socks had been darned multiple times by my mother. And they would have been hand-me-downs that my brothers had grown out of.
I'm not sure it would be possible to darn the average paper thin Chinese/Pakistani/Turkish-made sock you see in shops today. The answer clearly it to buy a good British sock made from the hairs of sheeps.
I don't need to do the maths because I know that the insurance companies have already done the maths and decided that there is money to be made from selling insurance.
Business insurance is another matter. I know that if things go wrong on the farm then insurance is a godsend.
Business insurance is another matter. I know that if things go wrong on the farm then insurance is a godsend.
Or knit your own!
I live in a rented house. By law the landlord must have the boiler inspected once a year for safety reasons, something home owners should also do but are not obliged to by law (though their insurances companies might have something to say about it if the house burns down).
I had a new boiler four years ago and it's inspected annually for a flat fee by the same local plumber who supplied and fitted it. It never has anything wrong with it. In fact at this year's inspection the plumber said it was spotless inside and as good as new.
He doesn't do maintenance plans as far as I know and it's in his interest to fit reliable products for the good of his reputation. Go figure, I guess.
Socks or boilers?
My plumber mate fitted my Worcester 20 years ago and has only had to repair it twice which only cost me a few beer vouchers - he would never fit any other brand - but 5 years ago or so he switched to 'Ideal' as the became known as the best now in the trade. Independent plumbers tend not to fit anything they might get called back to.
Socks I just buy cheap Tesco ones and treat them as yearly disposables.....
I can get five years out of Tesco socks and boxers (Morrisons ones are better but you have to remove the scratchy label from the boxers).
If your socks are only lasting a year, have you considered clipping your toenails occasionally?
I don't buy too many each year
Or crochet im a regular stud muffin me
Owning (in the sense that I don't rent but no one really owns their own home these days) my own home means I am responsible for my boiler not failing or blowing up on me.
The warranty on my new boiler expired after five years so it was my decision to go back onto the Homecare plan at that point. I only pay for the boiler being covered - the radiators etc that I could pay for are a different matter as I am certain I can sort those for a lot less than I would be paying under a plan.
As Hugo has aptly put it, insurers have done their sums. They insure on the basis that they can make a profit on it which means, for most things, insurance is not cost effective for the consumer.
I think PerryL had a problem with his boiler
I think PerryL had a problem with his boiler
Yes so he changed to this:
Fischer Future Heat is a legitimate UK-registered company and not a scam, but it is frequently criticized for aggressive sales tactics, extremely high upfront prices, and misleading marketing regarding running costs.
While they manufacture genuine, functional German-engineered electric heating systems, consumer watchdogs and financial forums warn that their products may not save you money compared to existing systems. [1]
The primary reasons consumers feel misled or "conned" by Fischer Future Heat break down into specific operational and financial risks:
1. High Upfront Costs & Commission-Led Sales
Fischer heavily relies on home visits from commission-based salespeople. Quotes for replacing an entire house with Fischer radiators can often reach £5,000 to £10,000+—significantly higher than standard, high-quality electric panel heaters or a brand-new gas combi boiler. [1]
2. Misleading "Efficiency" Claims
All electric space heaters operate at roughly 100% efficiency, meaning 1kW of electricity always equals 1kW of heat. Fischer's marketing focuses heavily on "efficiency", but no electric heater can change the baseline cost of electricity in the UK, which is currently roughly three to four times more expensive per unit (kWh) than mains gas. [1]
3. The Running Cost Trap
If you switch from central gas heating to Fischer electric radiators, your energy bills will almost certainly increase dramatically, unless your house is exceptionally well-insulated. Some users on consumer finance forums, such as the MoneySavingExpert Forum, have noted that they immediately regretted their purchase after realising they could not afford the running costs compared to their old gas systems. [1]
4. Poor Performance in Poorly Insulated Homes
Fischer radiators use a 40mm clay/ceramic core to store heat. However, if your home has a low Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating, the stored heat escapes rapidly through poorly insulated walls and windows. This forces the heaters to draw power continuously, driving up electricity bills. [1, 2]
Mixed Public Reputation
On one hand, the company maintains an "Excellent" rating on platforms like Trustpilot, with thousands of customers praising the prompt installation and neat aesthetics of the units. On the other hand, critical reviews on independent watchdog sites and consumer action groups on Facebook highlight aggressive sales pressure, property damage by third-party contractors, and problems getting refunds under their "Warm Home Guarantee". [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Additionally, the company's sales strategies have previously been featured critically on BBC consumer programmes like Rip Off Britain. [1]
Last year my O/H who has also suffered from this, picked a basket full of hawthorn berries and dried them on a low heat in the oven overnight. She put them in jars and grinds them in a coffee grinder and uses a heaped teaspoonful to make a tea every morning and the problem has not come back. They lasted all year and she has recently picked a load more.
The shop bought hawthorn tea bags are made with whole berries and don't appear to infuse at all.
How would your Energy Performance Certificate be affected by, say, your back door being smashed open?
We are spending most of the weekend at the bach ive been working on. Me, b and my brother. Last night we put a net out , had a bbq and sank a few beers. We wheeled the bbq across the road so we had a better view.
Just before that a camper van turned up and parked directly over the road spoiling the view, after aquick chat he decided to move down the road a bit and we put some fold out chairs in the spot to prevent a repeat. It work well.
Anyhu, this morning we was up at 5 and drove to another bay 10 mins away for a fish .after we retrieved our net. Fuck all in the net bar 1 decent travali, which b will make a raw fish dish from.
Got to the other bay at about 6 to watch the sun rise and give it a bash
Caught 2 small bur respectable kahawai . Its now nearly 10 am and im 4 beers deep.
Life sucks.
Just before that a camper van turned up and parked directly over the road spoiling the view, after aquick chat he decided to move down the road a bit and we put some fold out chairs in the spot to prevent a repeat. It work well.
Anyhu, this morning we was up at 5 and drove to another bay 10 mins away for a fish .after we retrieved our net. Fuck all in the net bar 1 decent travali, which b will make a raw fish dish from.
Got to the other bay at about 6 to watch the sun rise and give it a bash
Caught 2 small bur respectable kahawai . Its now nearly 10 am and im 4 beers deep.
Life sucks.
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Tomorrow we gunna head 30 mins north to bland bay, a mate has a bach there so we gunna stay a night there and have a fish.
View from the kitchen here and into the kitchen..
View from the kitchen here and into the kitchen..
That is my porky older bro. Thankfully i look nothing like himI hope B told that fat bloke in the middle of picture 1 to eff off as he was spoiling your beach view
With him being far away you look the same size
Far away DougalWith him being far away you look the same size
Where’s the bloody subscribe button gone ?
Just confirming you only caught one fish I guess?
Do you ever sleep?
I built that kitchen. Me and Brian drove down to Auckland and removed it from a house and I modified it as it is now. See how I make all the stories about me? Yay me! Plus the bathroom. I done that.
Click on your name in the top right, on the right hand side, scroll down to account upgrades I believe?
Found it in the end. Thanks anyway.