The joys of central heating

Being a skilled generalist doesn’t just mean getting involved in a wide range of professional work and doing a multidisciplinary PhD in law. As a Jill-of-all-trades I can wield a mean spanner, drill or other tool as appropriate. Good Sport is also very handy around the (pent)house. This has saved us lots of aggro and ££££ - and has minimised having to hear that all-too-common inane phrase from builders “ssssssp [that intake of breath through clenched teeth they do] it’ll cost ya.’”

Recently we experienced the dreaded winter problem of Cold Radiators Even Though The Thermostats Are At Max. Yes it’s that bloody motorised valve…. or with a zed if you are yank but then you’d say zee…


This piece of kit must have been designed by plumbers for plumbers and plumbers merchants to help maximise their income. It seems to be the weakest link in the chain of keeping warm in this country in the winter, even though it is essential for firing up the boiler and controlling the flow of hot water to the central heating and hot water. And it’s not something either of us would want to diy…so it will be done at the next boiler service.

In the meantime on the odd occasions when the motorised valve goes on strike a well-placed gentle knock and a swizzle of the manual-automatic cocktail stick is all it takes to get the boiler to fire up and the heating to come back on. We’ve also found by chance that the same result can be achieved just by running the hot water for a few minutes…