On 1 Jun 2005 05:46:58 -0700, "Edmund Lewis" inspired by
Deep Thought wrote:



Gavin Staples wrote:
January 1987

England and Wales bringing a more general snowfall to many areas causing
further disruption. The intense cold pool of air had moved through the UK
and temperatures started to climb back to near freezing.

I shall never forget that cold snap either! The rising main feed pipe to my
central heating header tank in the loft froze solid back from the ball valve and
pushed the pipe out of the compression joint on the gate valve about a foot away
from the valve. Fortunately, because it was frozen so hard, it never leaked a
drop nor was any damage done to the pipework! All I had to do was thaw the
pipework out and refit the pipe back into the joint. Although the tank and pipes
were well lagged, when the tank was put in the installers didn't lift the roof
insulation up under the tank so no heat came up from the bedroom to prevent it
freezing.

I only decided to check everything on the Wednesday evening because I'd visited
a client that afternoon who'd had a burst pipe which had flooded their computer!
Next day was when the rapid thaw set in: and had I not checked the pipes on that
Wednesday evening, I'd have come home to a flooded house next day!

Even now, I still thank God that I went up into the loft and checked the pipes
that Wednesday evening! ISTR the wind chill here in High Wycombe touched -30C
at one point! No wonder so many homes had burst pipes!

Also, during that cold snap I remember leaving a faulty printer in my car
overnight (housed in one of a block of garages) and when I took it out of the
car into the house the next morning to have a look at it, ice formed on the
carriage rails!! Eeep!

Nigel

Aagh! Every time I learn something new... it pushes something old out of my brain!