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Murphys law

dinomartino1

Well-Known Member
Due for a tax refund this year one of the few times I have ever got one, great news and time to treat myself to a new jacket.
This morning my hot water systems packs up goodbye refund, it was a nice feeling for one day I should have known better.
If just for once in my life anything went right for me I would be struck by lightning a minute later.
C'est la vie.


I know just how she feels
New Zealand country singer Maria Dallas 1966
 
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ties70

Well-Known Member
Well, see it this way:

Water systems, A/C, heaters, electrics...they all WILL break down or need maintenance after a certain time... Good for you that it happened this year, where - lucky you!! - you got a rare tax refund...

Nothing gained, but nothing lost, either.

IMHO much better than buying a new jacket first, then have to get funding for the water system somewhere else...

Hang in there!

Ties
 

dinomartino1

Well-Known Member
Blackout buggered the fridge four months ago not worth repairing due to the cost, AC as well but was able to be repaired.
Washing machine bit the dust eight months out of warranty one month later.
Computer died last month.
Third hot water system in 12 years.
Is anything made to last more than five years, the problem is repair costs now are so high which is probably the business model for most companies, high priced spare parts discourage repairing.
Car warranties where nothing to get excited about in Australia until KIA introduced their 7 year unlimited mileage warranty in 2014 forcing the other makers to up their game from three years, MG is now seven as well though surprisingly Rolls Royce is only four, most of the others went from three to five years.
I suppose I should not complain too much there are many around the world who are not able to afford such things, though It does seem like a never ending circle sometimes.
 

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
a simple trick to hot water systems longevity.. drain the tank once a year. any sediment in the holding tank will be at the bottom and drain out. in the us the drain spigot at the bottom will fit a common garden hose coupling, thus you can get the hose out of the house for draining, or into your shower drain.. that sediment that sits at the bottom of the holding tank can rot out the tank and or get pulled up into the hot water system and cause all kinds hell. I've had tanks last 20 years+
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Sorry to read that...
Did all these faulty parts come from the same factories now selling masks and CORONA testing equipment after spreading IT?
Maybe investing in ECO sustainability ( longer liftime) from other manufacturing countries? why not?... Higher investment costs for sure...! ...but ... it wont let you nor future generations down...at least not as fast and surely with efficiency and with the electricity bills or other utilities consumptions.
PE: Miele!, Buderus! Stiebel Eltron! Electrolux! Jura! Viessmann! Schüco...( plus hundreds of others) etc..... sorry dont want to sound political nor pathetic...my 0,01 cent experience ( also in Charlotte NC)...
.:)
 
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ties70

Well-Known Member
Sorry to read that...
Did all these faulty parts come from the same factories now selling masks and CORONA testing equipment after spreading IT?
Maybe investing in ECO sustainability ( longer liftime) from other manufacturing countries? why not?... Higher investment costs for sure...! ...but ... it wont let you nor future generations down...at least not as fast and surely with efficiency and with the electricity bills or other utilities consumptions.
PE: Miele!, Buderus! Stiebel Eltron! Electrolux! Jura! Viessmann! Schüco...( plus hundreds of others) etc..... sorry dont want to sound political nor pathetic...my 0,01 cent experience ( also in Charlotte NC)...
.:)

Bryce,

my wife is a big fan of HGTV and these home remodelling shows. But when you see what Americans are paying for wooden constructions, all drywalls, Tyvek and vinyl, equipped with electricity cables clamped to the walls....then you probably shouldn't expect too much from heating, water and A/C systems as well.

You are right, electric appliances from the top companies over here are top notch (still using a BRAUN coffee grinder that was made in 1972) but most of all is the building quality.

I always wondered why American build so differently, especially with their special situation of tornadoes and hurricanes....half of the streets hit are totally flatted...while we here in Germany after a big storm just fix a few shingles or pump the water out of the basement.

Maybe for the US it's a relic from the settlements in the 1700s or 1800s: Just get a roof above your head and some walls around you fast...

Ties
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Bryce,

my wife is a big fan of HGTV and these home remodelling shows. But when you see what Americans are paying for wooden constructions, all drywalls, Tyvek and vinyl, equipped with electricity cables clamped to the walls....then you probably shouldn't expect too much from heating, water and A/C systems as well.

You are right, electric appliances from the top companies over here are top notch (still using a BRAUN coffee grinder that was made in 1972) but most of all is the building quality.

I always wondered why American build so differently, especially with their special situation of tornadoes and hurricanes....half of the streets hit are totally flatted...while we here in Germany after a big storm just fix a few shingles or pump the water out of the basement.

Maybe for the US it's a relic from the settlements in the 1700s or 1800s: Just get a roof above your head and some walls around you fast...

Ties
Agree 1000% ...(nobody understood when I asked for 150mm rockwool external insulation cold and heat protection and triple glass windows etc...) but you and me... want to make it better... especially for our kids and grandkids and all others... so yes... also “plywood tents” fans should invest in “ sustainability “...Jut watch out and stopp buying the cheapest... all ...whatever... cheap is never cheap at the end...( a lot of people lost all ...because of buying cheap and cheaper and even cheaper...)
My US home in Charlotte/Mattews cost me a bit more... but its build ( dank deutscher Wertarbeit)...according to German standards ... with a lot of imported goods...( a 300km/h breathe will not harm a shingle... or Frankfurter Pfanne ... :) ) and you know what... got a lot of offers already from friends and others to buy it.. so at the end its an investment...not kidding...
“ Buy crap... sell crap... and loose your hair and nerves”... invest properly... play cool...
A few posts ago some here commented it and found it a bit funky...” buying-vs-investing...” for a few $$$ more... only.:D
... Sorry back to cars... watches and jackets...
 
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ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
a simple trick to hot water systems longevity.. drain the tank once a year. any sediment in the holding tank will be at the bottom and drain out. in the us the drain spigot at the bottom will fit a common garden hose coupling, thus you can get the hose out of the house for draining, or into your shower drain.. that sediment that sits at the bottom of the holding tank can rot out the tank and or get pulled up into the hot water system and cause all kinds hell. I've had tanks last 20 years+

You Sir, are an ideas man! Might give this a go...
 

jeremiah

Well-Known Member
a simple trick to hot water systems longevity.. drain the tank once a year. any sediment in the holding tank will be at the bottom and drain out. in the us the drain spigot at the bottom will fit a common garden hose coupling, thus you can get the hose out of the house for draining, or into your shower drain.. that sediment that sits at the bottom of the holding tank can rot out the tank and or get pulled up into the hot water system and cause all kinds hell. I've had tanks last 20 years+
just remember to turn the breaker to said hot water heater off prior to draining and keep off until you have it re filled with your new water. Also helps to open the pressure blow off until you have it filled complete then close it and turn breaker back on.
 

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
oops, forgot to mention the breaker, however, even with the breaker on, and the tank leave the cold water intake on] is draining, it is also filling with the cold water...this causes downward pressure to flush the sediment out...thus no worries about frying the heating elements. I know, having done so in the past. I've never had an issue with the pressure relief valve either open or shut.
 

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
Going to give this a go. We are renting our place out when we move. Have been there five years and I think this might save us some coin down the line..
 

jeremiah

Well-Known Member
I always open mine when refilling to ensure no air in the tank for when it starts to heat back up. But majority of my tanks I have swapped out were bad and I was installing new ones.
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Maybe a dumb question, how many solar panels heated HWTanks..( at least where climate cond. allow for it) . Bit of an investment we all recon it, but almost maintenance and running cost free... and safe and sustainable Eco technology for our future generations... eg our kids/grandkids.
Just wondering..
 

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
The solar option in Australia is going backwards. Where you could generate some passive income by feeding the grid there is talk of charging people to accept their excess power back into an oversupplied grid in the future. With so many people taking up 'renewables' it takes away from the contracted suppliers profits. This inadvertently puts the 'power' back in the hands of the non-Government owners.. Boooo.
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
The solar option in Australia is going backwards. Where you could generate some passive income by feeding the grid there is talk of charging people to accept their excess power back into an oversupplied grid in the future. With so many people taking up 'renewables' it takes away from the contracted suppliers profits. This inadvertently puts the 'power' back in the hands of the non-Government owners.. Boooo.
Might be with Solar power, in EU still Gov. sponsored and supported a lot ...but how about hot water?, this was am. question.
 

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
Unless your daily sun is actually warming the water through roof mounted pipes you will still require peak power from baseload supply. Unless you are well over 6kW system. Which will take many years to pay off.
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Agree, but it works ( ecologically ...) and paid off in approx. 7 years.
:)
Many embassies WWide are converting to solar... to be independent...
 
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ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
We were planning on funded/ subsidised solar where we are now. The reduction in the tarrifs put the plans on hold. Moving house this week so it would have lost us the investment if we went ahead with it.
 
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