Weird Flex of having a Fireplace

rowantree18

For anyone who doesn't know what a ceramic stove is......

YYou can get them smaller, more modern too, but they're amazing

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107690#Comment_123107690

I don't care about the comments of trolls and I'm certainly not going out of my way to read them either.

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107393#Comment_123107393

Within reason, I think there's a lot to be said for this attitude. Back in the day we had regular power outages, regular storms and at the time a lot of exposed electrical cables. There were a number of kids in the family and once we had the open fire, the range, and a heap of candles the kids would have played cards, darts, board games, read or played some old school game. I am sure the adults were a bit more stressed about bits and pieces but they normally just got on with it as well. Nowadays we have such a requirement for electric and more so the devices and connectivity that hangs off it, people just aren't used to being "Bored" or finding non electric ways to kill time.

All of the above with the massive caveat that there are obviously situations and lengths of time where you absoloutely need power or life can get tough particularily if you've not got a gas hob, a source of heat etc etc.

In relation to people boasting about having a fireplace - ironicilly enough you'll only see this on some online spaces by anonomous accounts - in the real world you'll see neighbors helping neighbours who may not be able to cook/stay warm etc etc and generally see good community spirt in action.

jj880

Open fires are not very efficient for heat but a back boiler stove is excellent. Absolute nonsense saying you cant light it without electric. You can run off the hot water for baths / showers.

Dont see anything wrong with posters pointing out the benefits of a back boiler stove. Is this what "flex" means?

Looking in the Storm Éowyn thread it seems plenty would like 1 now since theyre without power / heat for days. Others have decided they are going to put in / put back in a stove after the storm.

Please post examples of:

ridicule of people using electric heating systems and heat pump

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107825#Comment_123107825

But you will go out of your way to deny what I am saying and class them as trolls while saying people are jealous of people with open fires. Seems very odd thing to do on a thread which is exactly about what people are saying

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107840#Comment_123107840

Already explained what the word means and there is a link to comments.

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123104956#Comment_123104956

Down with the kids!!! I am 45 and well no what flexi is like a "strong" person flexing his muscles to shower how tough he is

Cordell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107706#Comment_123107706

You're right with that one, when you bring a pot from cold to boiling is a lot faster with induction, but when it's up to temperature gas can still pump a lot more heat where induction just stops or have trouble keeping it up; and I think it's more of a safety design feature rather than a limitation because, for example, there are induction heating tools that can bring a bolt from cold to glowing red hot in seconds.

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107880#Comment_123107880

I read the comments.

No boasting or ridicule related to fire places / stoves.

Have you any actual examples?

Cordell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107393#Comment_123107393

But that doesn't mean I'd want to have to do that every night of the week.

That was my point and we're actually saying the same thing: it's nice as in making a bad situation a bit better, but when you're done with that nice bottle of wine you won't be able to cook a nice dinner or have a nice shower.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107837#Comment_123107837

We have become trapped in a cycle of want for our electronic way of life. Everything can be had at a push of a button and when those buttons no longer work, it's meltdown time.

The in-laws were without power for most of the week. They were EXTREMELY thankful that they kept the open fire so that they were able to heat one room in the house. It's an old house and there's fireplaces upstairs too, but I'm not sure if they're functional. The kids were in kiniptions, though, because all their "devices" were useless once the battery ran down and there was no TV or computer games. But, in the end, they learned to make do with candlelight and boardgames for entertainment for a few days.

I'd argue that, over all, the experience was a positive one for them, in the grand scheme of things. In any case, the power was switched back on and everything is hunky dory now. All consigned to memory.

But I guarantee this…if there were any thoughts of getting rid of the fireplace in the near future, they're gone now.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107869#Comment_123107869

I didn't deny anything.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107918#Comment_123107918

You asked

What exactly was so nice about it? I mean, if it's really that nice you would be doing it more often

We are not saying the same thing at all.

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123106871#Comment_123106871

Top tip re the smokeless coal (the duck eggs) .....don't buy them

I used them all last winter and they're sh1te.I mentioned this to my coal man who said all his customers were saying the same thing.He now offers the old style peoper coal (off the books) If your local coal man can't help you can order with the delivery from the North. All my friends and family do this is my home place.

I can now have a proper flame and a nice big cosy fire which we were very glad of when the power was gone for 48 hours.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107917#Comment_123107917

The comments on The Journal? If you can't see it I can't help you

If you read the comments here you certainly shouldn't have needed "flex" explained again so can't help there either

breezy1985

There's a bang of "cash is king" off a lot of this pro open fire talk.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107744#Comment_123107744

having seen the gas hobs in saba on clarendon street (did a day's cookery class in there years ago) i can tell you i wouldn't like to be standing over them cooking. each ring probably put out as much gas as all four rings on a domestic hob would. you'd have been sweltered cooking there.

maybe it's partly to do with the visual cues of cooking with gas, you can instantly see what the hob is set at, which in a high demand environment can be significant?

Oscar_Madison

It’s great to see this discussion happening. I had about 12 hours no power on Friday (one of the lucky ones who had power restored relatively quickly).

It really focused the mind and made me aware of just how fragile our precious little lives really are.
I have wood stove and gas- so had hot food and warmth- but I was aware of the irony on relying on such in efficient heating methods in these times of energy conservation. I need to invest a lot to make my home more energy efficient- I know that’s on the cards soon.
I only use the wood stove in very cold days - but even if my house was much more energy efficient and warmer, I do still like having the stove on once in a while - for that reason I’ll never get rid of it .

If we become like the 70s where power cuts were a regular occurrence, I’d probably buy a generator to keep me going somewhat - but given I can probably count on one hand the number of power outages over the last 5 years, knowing that we’re reducing options by going all electric shouldn’t really be a strong argument for hanging on to inefficient heating methods - but I do get it - we’re very helpless when it does happen if we don’t have alternative sources of heating cooking and power.

phormium

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107946#Comment_123107946

I actually don't mind them that much, less dust around the sitting room on the mantlepiece for example than real coal! You can't get the ordinary stuff here at all in town, none of them will take the chance anymore and I'm a hell of a long way from the North, doubt I could economically get it delivered here but I only buy a couple of bags at a time, not interested in trying to find a spot to store large amounts.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107968#Comment_123107968

What you personally feel about cooking in a commercial kitchen really doesn't have any bearing on which is better.

You could just google why and get your answer. Gas is better for control and speed. Your personal preference is yours but objectively gas is better and that is all that has been siad

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107920#Comment_123107920

No doubt that the experience was a positive one for them. Seeing the reality of what nature can do and out own inability to be bored anymore, helps us appreciate what we do have and perhaps shows us how to plan better for potential future events. Indeed disconnecting from devices/the internet is almost always a postive thing! (Says me who would, in fairness, find it "difficult" only for my own childhood.

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107951#Comment_123107951

It's called old school.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108021#Comment_123108021

Myself included. I love my movies and my PC games as much as the next person.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107946#Comment_123107946

Got to love the complete disregard for the environment and the health of others

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107948#Comment_123107948

Yes I read the comments on The Journal.

You "can't help" me because the examples of boasting / ridicule aren't there.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108016#Comment_123108016

that's the second time in this thread that you've used a 'you could google it' response. hard to take you seriously if you're not willing to actually explain why, if you know?

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108090#Comment_123108090

Then don't, your call. Expecting some courtesy to be somewhat informed is my call

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108089#Comment_123108089

Or you can't see it, which I can't help with. They are the examples and you don't agree is the situation

BrianD3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123107973#Comment_123107973

I have a camping stove (a legacy of 1980s powercuts and caravanning) and spent 1300 quid on a generator + SuperSer a few years ago. Even though I only used the generator for a few hours this time, it was more than worth the money. I wouldn't mind too much about having no power myself for a day or two but when you're caring for a vulnerable elderly person, everything becomes very critical. If I had no contingency and had been hearing about power not coming back for a week, I'd have been climbing the walls. I wonder how much would people still without power be willing to pay for that generator right now? Too late.

Yes our lives are precarious, people have such short attention spans and are so consumed with everyday bullsh1t that they're not thinking ahead or prioritising practical things. I thought about this numerous times in the last few days. E.g. when I saw the zombie hordes descending on and queuing up outside local chippers. I heard some chippers ran out of food and none were taking card/electronic payments. Chaos outside, cars double parked and up on the path, people wandering about like headless chickens, staring at their phones with mouths hanging open, why is there no signal, oh no I'm nearly out of battery. No fights but if this went on for too long, that's what would start to happen.

magicbastarder

with all this talk of panic buying - if everyone did have a fireplace, as an emergency backup say; we'd still have issues with panic buying of people going out trying to buy coal or firewood if there was a hint of a disruptive storm.