Weird Flex of having a Fireplace

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123106672#Comment_123106672

Best part of being old, is you don't care about being out of touch 😁

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108146#Comment_123108146

This makes perfect sense to me. Where I live the possibility of long power cuts is small. Have tons of battery packs so I was able to give those to the in-laws to keep their phones going. They could have used their laptops too and could have watched movies but they are willfully ignorant of tech so that would not have helped if I gave them a hard drive with movies on it.

Have some water in the garage and have gas cooker so electricity and gas going out it unlikely. Might add a direct electrical input for the gas heating pump or more likely on the fuse board for a large site power bank which I need anyway. Although adding solar and the battery for that might work too. Will need to check

I thought about a generator but the storage of fuel for it and changing it regularly so it doesn't go bad put me off. Hotspot on my phone will give me internet access most of the time.

The open fire wouldn't give much of what I need and I have one, currently I would have to remove all the lights in it to use it but 20 years here and never once used it.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108281#Comment_123108281

One of the worst parts is watching people being willfully ignorant and wearing it as a badge of honour

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108291#Comment_123108291

Are you going to make a thread about "boasting and ridiculing people without generators" after this:

I wonder how much would people still without power be willing to pay for that generator right now? Too late.

That's what an example of boasting / ridicule looks like. Nothing like that to be had in The Journal article comments.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108331#Comment_123108331

Another good thing about getting old, is calming down, not caring what other people think or say about you 😘

Cluedo Monopoly

Fires aren't just lovely to look at, I think they bring massive health benefits too. The heat from an open fire isn't like the heat from any other source.

I think Bear Grylls said once that a fire can lift the spirits much more than getting food or water - that was in survival mode but I understand where he is coming from.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108341#Comment_123108341

No why would I? I can see how that could be seen as a flex but it isn't ridicule though. You didn't notice any comments on how heat pumps can't work in a power outage and how useless they are in comments?

Spanish Eyes

A super ser gas bottle yoke is the best thing ever. Look, I know they can emit an odour of sorts, but we found that lighting a smelly candle sorts that out. A bit of ventilation every now and then and the heat that comes from them is unreal. That's for power cuts. Have the modern looking yoke that looks like a fire in the grate. Gas CH otherwise. Free electricity day (or so called free) has the electric fires going all day. They have blowers in them and really heat the space up.

I used to have an open fire, but never ever again. Or a stove thing either. But each to their own I suppose, whatever works for you.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108387#Comment_123108387

Thinking they have health benefits is fine but when there is actual information about the dangers of them and how inefficient they are we can simply point to that information and say your thoughts are not inline with reality.

Comparing lighting a fire when outside or camping to use in a home is just ridiculous

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108345#Comment_123108345

Watching people your own age being confused by the world they live in can be very amusing for sure. Notoriously such people are all calm and not complaining about change

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108422#Comment_123108422

I dont think lighting a candle when using a gas appliance is a great idea. Be very careful doing this.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108387#Comment_123108387

yeah, there are plenty of claims of the benefit psychologically of staring into a fire, but apparently they largely disappear if fire is a necessity rather than just a comfort. but health benefits in general; i doubt it, unless it's specifically keeping you from getting cold.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108451#Comment_123108451

but the super ser works by pumping the gas out and burning it in the air of the room anyway. it's a naked flame in and of itself, in a way.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108457#Comment_123108457

A lot of talk now about micro particles in wood burning stoves getting into your lungs - not just outside but in the room where you have the fire - I’d agree with this - sometimes I can feel it myself - hence I don’t light the wood burning stove too often

magicbastarder

i've seen some of those reports. curious as to where they escape into the room if the stove is working well; they generally suck in from the room and pump the smoke up the chimney, so that negative pressure should (in theory) prevent escape into the room.

Citizen Six

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123106796#Comment_123106796

It's used fairly extensively in modern culture right now. It's not weird slang. You just make yourself seem old. You don't have to use it yourself. Just don't judge people just because you don't understand them.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108439#Comment_123108439

If someone doesn't know a new meaning for an old word, hardly means they are confused by the world around them😂😂

Such nonsense. Words change meaning all the time. It's nothing to get ones panties bunched up about.

IncognitoMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058391750/weird-flex-of-having-a-fireplace

99% of the time an open fire and stove/back boiler setup is nothing more than a pain in the arse. 1% it looks nice or there is a power cut so it's handy then.

I moved from years of renting Oil/Gas heating setups to a house that has Oil but also a stove and fireplace in the sitting room. The house is poorly insulated and sizable enough so you'd spend an absolute fortune if you tried to heat it by Oil alone.

A fire in the sitting room can be nice but the whole setup outside of that from start to finish is a pain in the hole.
Everything from getting the turf off the bog, throwing the turf into the shed, the cleaning out of the stove and fireplace to the amount of time it actually takes for the heat to move around the house.

You need to have the stove hopping and I mean hopping for hours on end to get decent heat going around the house from it. The problem then is the massive amount of ash that you have to clean out and dispose of after. The mess that ash leaves in a room no matter how careful you are taking it out…

I hate it.

As soon as we can upgrade away from it we will. Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise either loves doing extra household jobs or has a bog and they sell turf each year. It's horrible!!

I would miss the odd nice fire in the sitting room on a cold winters evening but the stove and back boiler can get to ****

magicbastarder

stoves are dead easy to clean. lift out the ash tray, empty into a bin…

BrianD3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108291#Comment_123108291

Yes and it has never been easier to "prep", Old tech like SuperSers and new tech like Li Ion battery packs are available to us. Information too, an hour or two spent on the web before something happens would have people in a far better position to deal with this week's weather.

A recently as the 1990s, people were in the dark about so much and could only dream of having what we have now.

The petrol for the generator lasts a few months but it'll be used in the lawnmower anyway before it goes bad. 10 litres of petrol gives me about 19 kWh output from the generator. It can also apparently run on propane with a modification kit which I don't have. The Butane bottle that I used this week for heating water and could have used in the SuperSer is 25 years old which shows one of its key advantages of bottled gas. Buy and forget until needed. Better than some chimney sitting there unused and even if no draughts, acting as thermal bridge. Then when it is needed in an emergency will it have birds' nests etc. stuck in it. I also have an unused open fire and also don't really see it as something to flex about.

Johnboy1951

I did serious renovations some years back, during which I dismantled the two back-to-back fireplaces and their chimney stack. I have never been happier to have gotten rid of something that was a hassle in almost every way possible ……. from purchasing and storing fuel, to chimney cleaning, and the dust and dirt and cleaning out ashes. Also the benefit of gaining some floor space! As one gets older, and/or acquires some physical ailments, all that becomes a major hassle best avoided.

Instead I put in underfloor heating, with the pipes buried in 4" of concrete, on top of 5" insulation, and insulated the external walls on the inside. That concrete floor now acts as a massive storage heater, which means the house remains fairly comfortable without adding heat for two or even three days. After that a jumper or such might be required, but still comfortable. I was really glad of that concrete during the break in electricity supply for the couple of days.

The more 'modern' method of pouring the floor screed (with self levelling compound) does not compare well with the concrete floors as the compound heats super quick, and loses its heat also superquick. So little or no storage effect. More like a big radiator Vs a big storage heater to my way of thinking.

I dug out of the garage an old generator in preparation for a longer loss of power, and had planned to use it to power the oil burner and pumps if the temperature in the house dropped below 'comfort' level. As it turned out I did not need it.

We have an electric oven and a gas hob ….. have had this combination for many years …. so cooking during power loss was not a problem. The only thing to remember is to have a means of lighting the gas as the hob gas lighter depends on electricity. 😁

mrcheez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123104103#Comment_123104103

https://youtu.be/ZSl54_p3_fI?si=nNud-LxI14YNbYsv

...

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108146#Comment_123108146

Bang on- there’s a saying “we’re only a few days without food and heat before street riots and anarchy kicks in” .

We are pretty helpless as human beings and we’ve grown to be dependent - I know a few Bear Grillis types might arrive on the thread but they’re the exception - even 1/2 day without electricity was a great reminder to appreciate what we have - I’d like to see more days like that to be honest where we maybe voluntarily “switch off” for the day - it could really help with becoming better acquainted with the challenges of climate energy and fossil fuels no less “good for the soul”- I know kids who played old fashioned board games throughout the power cut- that can’t be a bad thing

IncognitoMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108587#Comment_123108587

Do you know what's even easier? Setting a time for my heating to come on and never thinking about it again..

No matter how careful you are with that tray and the bin, some ash always gets airborne.
And if someone opens the door while you are mid-job then forget it…

Boggles

Put in a small multi fuel stove 8 years ago.

Best thing I ever did to the house.

I absolutely love it.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108513#Comment_123108513

Choosing to be willfully ignorant certainly will lead you to being confused by the world around you. Keeping your mind active and engaged will keep you alert. I don't know how old you are but I am not some youngster myself. My in-laws are 10 years younger than my own mother. She is bright and fully able to use tech while my in-laws complain about how things work and can't use them. If you don't keep your mind engaged you will suffer from cognitive decline along with living in a smaller world. Lots of studies on it and I see it with my elderly relatives and neighbours from my youth.

Ignore me if you want but if you start suffering from cognitive decline you are not going to be the one that can gauge it. You aren't coming across as witty like you think. The fact you think I am somewhat angry/frustrated by what you are saying is your misinterpretation of me simply refuting your statements that I see as banal.

Spanish Eyes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108460#Comment_123108460

True. I have a carbon monoxide detector in the room too! The candles are away from the heater, and they just help with the gassy smell. But for power cuts, it's a great thing to have on standby. I've a spare bottle on the go always, that lives in the shed for its sins. The biggest pain during a prolonged (rare enough) power cut is the loss of food in the freezer and fridge, although even if the food defrosts, if it's still cold it can be cooked and refrozen, depending on what it is and how long it takes for power to be restored.

Without preaching, everyone should have a grab bag or a place where they know they'll find the essentials like power banks (regularly topped up), torches, candles, and a few bottles of water, although it's quite rare that the water goes, but still…

tom1ie

Op you should probably get a sparks out to look at that flex being so close to the fireplace.
Are ya sure it’s a heatproof flex like you’d find on an iron………..

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123109111#Comment_123109111

I really hope you don't think that is a witty or smart comment

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123109076#Comment_123109076

I have an honours degree, I work full time in a demanding role, I am currently undertaking a master's whilst working.

I read extensively, and regularly attend quizzes, I enjoy crosswords and other written quizzes.

I have a wide range of friendships across many ages/social groups, with whom I fully engage in many discussions.

I have no issues whatsoever with cognitive functions, nor do I expect to have.

So, thanks for your concern, but if I don't understand what 'flex' is in the context you mean it, I don't think I'll end up in a nursing home anytime soon. 😊