02 Oct 2013 11:46 AM:

Hi Folks

At the moment I am using a dormusa mdx30 gasoil boiler for my heating requirment . It is very expensive to run as i have a large house and it gets bloody cold in winter. Gasoil is now nearly a euro a litre so i have been looking into an arrow eco25 boiler stove which will burn wood or coal. Trying to get a Spanish plumber to give you a written quote is a nightmare and they give conflicting advice. Can anyone help , the system I have got is a sealed sytem and I need to know if the woodburner would work in conjunction with my present boiler and what extra equipment would I need.

Thread: Help on heating boiler fire

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01 Dec 2012 9:10 AM:

I agree that things are not all rosy here and the cold weather is one of them. Heating a large house can be expensive. But we have found ways to make it better (double glazed windows, draught excluders, curtains on the front and back door and of course more insulation). Still watching the gasoil boiler drinking oil quicker than I can down a pint is upsetting. The thing is you adapt to your circumstance, it is nice lighting the wood burner on an evening, sitting down with a nice bottle of wine and some good food. As to the snow, they are so geared up to clearing it quickly (2 foot of snow in the night cleared from the roads by the next day before lunch)

But my BIGGEST gripe living here is that there are no Indian takeaways or a bookies where I can have an occasional wager on the geegees (mind you more money for the wife to spend on clothes).

On the whole though as it was said in the previous comment life is what you make of it. Also the other part is making friends is great as they are as interested in you as you are in them. So would we ever go back , well the emphatic answer is NO

 

 

Thread: Living In Spain Documentary Film

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01 Dec 2012 2:52 AM:

How about a man and woman retiring to Spain for a better life. Taking their daughter and son in law with them. Buying a house to renovate in Northern Spain where there are not many expats (nearest 5 miles away). Having to learn the language because people only speak Spanish (well I never what a bugger, they should learn English lol). The joys of getting plumbers and electricians to do what you want and pay Spanish prices not English. The paperwork to have anything done from knocking down walls to buying a car (in triplicate and in a foreign language). Having to learn new skills and adapting to the rural way of life where people smile at you greet you and help you with no thought for themselves. Having an old lady knock on the door asking if we needed any help as she`s heard from the local panaderia an English family had moved here (what a godsend she is).

Having our 3 year old granddaughter start mainstream Spanish school straight away. Now 7 and more fluent in Spanish than we will ever be. Working part time in a school where the kids run up and hug you when they see you and the manners that they have got (must be the water). Getting a joint of meat from the butcher, cooking it and finding that it comes out the same size as when you first started cooking it (what not injected with water). Waking up on a morning, looking out of the window, seeing the lake and the mountains (priceless). Getting 3 monthly check ups by the doctor and nurse. Bollocked if you have put on weight and not lost, as well as the yearly blood test (bloody hell my cholesterol and high blood pressure are normal at long last) Not having to use my ventolin as the air is so clean and my asthma is at bay. Growing our own veg in the garden and having enough to give away to the locals.Oh and another thing, leaving our door open all day and not living in fear. Do I regret moving to Spain with all the trials and tribulations we have had? Of course I do (NOT NOT NOT).Also the wife is happy which is good for me.

 

This message was last edited by Andygman on 01/12/2012.

This message was last edited by Andygman on 01/12/2012.
Thread: Living In Spain Documentary Film

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20 Oct 2012 11:13 AM:

Hi my advice would be to buy a woodburning stove with a boiler, cheapest way of heating the house. You can buy one that will heat up to 19 radiators. Also in some villages you are allowed to go and cut your own wood at certain times of the year.There is one that I looked at (Aarrow Stratford TF90B Boiler Stove Multi-Fuel 4.5kW to room 24kW to boiler SPECIAL OFFER).Electricity is getting more and more expensive as well as heating oil yet wood is cheap and plentifull. Here is a write up about it.

Complete home heating has never looked so good. The Stratford boiler stove is the industries leading boiler stove and is a true powerhouse at the heart of any central heating system. The Stratford has been designed specifically for its role as a boiler stove and stands head and shoulders above the competition. Each model within the Stratford boiler range has a unique anti cold water corrosion system and increased steel thickness, giving years of trouble free heating. No other manufacturer offers a complete system to maximise the efficiency and environmental impact of both wood and solid fuel. This system is called PADS (Primary Air Diversion System). It allows an under flow of air beneath solid fuel or an over draught for wood to ensure each fuel burns in its favoured environment.

Thread: heating

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25 Jul 2010 12:38 PM:

Go to your local resaurant or hotel and ask them to save you any jars they use, that is what i do. A few  jars of jam to the owner and everyone is happy

Thread: Preserving jars for home made jam, etc

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