Hands off the boiler!

[Rosalind]

We have been having boiler problems. Or have we? Yes we have, as the thing keeps shorting out and I have to take the front off and push a button. Have therefore called in the engineer and await his arrival. But I am pretty sure husband has been mucking about with it too, otherwise why would the hot water have been turning off at funny times, and the timing controls keep changing from the normal 'on twice' to on all the time, with boiling heat in the middle of the night. I know what he does - when the thing cuts out, he gets to the controls, flips down the bit that exposes the complicated programming stuff that he has not understood for years, and blindly pokes at buttons and creates chaos.

I have sellotaped the flap up, but that is not very secure, and it is hard to tell if he has been at it again or not. When asked, he gets shrill and querelous and says he has not touched it, but he would not remember if he had anyway. So now I don't know if the controls are faulty as well as the boiler itself, and it is magically going from twice to on all day, or completely off, or if it has been interferred with.

As it is I have a fiece notice now inside the freezer exhorting him not to put anything in or take anything out (found tragic cream soup all separated and rock solid the other day, and before that thawed prawns on the draining board). He house is getting to be like one of those awful guesthouses plastered with 'Guests are kindly requested not to .....' notices.

Anyone have any constructive advice?

 

[dmc]

Hi rosalind

not much advice but lots of sympathy, have you tried the locks you can get for toddlers to put on the cupboards and things as a bit of a deterent, you can buy them online or in most retailers selling baby items like mothercare, might be worth a try
sorry cant be more help havent had this problem "yet"
best wishes

 

[Lynne]

I know what he does - when the thing cuts out, he gets to the controls, flips down the bit that exposes the complicated programming stuff that he has not understood for years, and blindly pokes at buttons and creates chaos.
Anyone have any constructive advice?

Oh dear Rosalind, I very much identify with this problem. My Mum fiddles and faffs about with the programmer of her CH and HW system, with NO IDEA at all what she's doing. She never understood it even before the memory started to play up.
How about ... Getting the engineer (or some suitably capable/equipped friend) to make up a metal plate, and fix it with screws right over the access flap for the controls, so that hubby can't get to them? (AFTER the programming has been re-set correctly of course .)

The house is getting to be like one of those awful guesthouses plastered with 'Guests are kindly requested not to .....' notices.

Mine too! "Switch off after use!", "Do not switch off!", "Don't forget to lock the back door!"
And I've hidden the keys to the loo & bathroom, 'cos she's locked herself in several times now, fortunately when I was there!
I'm afraid 'Kindly requesting ...' doesn't come into it, I practically have to use threats!

 

[DickG]

Lynne

You can buy loo/batroom door handles from B & Q etc. which can be locked on the inside and opened from the outside if necessary with a coin. In most cases they drectly replace the existing handles by unscrewing the old and screwing in the replacements - this solved my problem.

In the long term this proved to be unnecessary as going to the loo has now become a spectator sport in our house, much to the amusement of visitors.

Dick

 

[Lynne]

Lynne

You can buy loo/batroom door handles from B & Q etc. which can be locked on the inside and opened from the outside if necessary with a coin. In most cases they drectly replace the existing handles by unscrewing the old and screwing in the replacements - this solved my problem.

In the long term this proved to be unnecessary as going to the loo has now become a spectator sport in our house, much to the amusement of visitors.

Dick

Thanks for the suggestion Dick, but Mum is very resistent to having any changes done to her house.
Will bear it in mind for poss. future use though.

"Spectator Sport" eh? Amazing the things you can find humour in if you really try, isn't it

 

[Nutty Nan]

Bolts

I sympathise with your problem, Rosalind, but unfortunately I don't have any inspiration regarding the CH timer.
We don't have posh locks on the bathroom/toilet door, just a simple bolt on the inside. When the children were little, I broke a piece off a pencil and stuffed it into the female bit of the bolt so that they were not able to lock themselves into the bathroom. The pencil has now been replaced once more, to prevent hubby from doing same .....

 

[Norman]

That ****** "Mr Nobody is still in our house.
Latest :turns off the dishwasher in mid stream!!
Norman

 

[Amy]

After mum locked herself in our loo, bolts were removed. We have all got used to either singing (if inside) or shouting "anyone in" before entering.

 

[Bets]

I wondered why the freezer was spontaneously defrosting until I discovered that the control (in the fridge section above) were switched off. Fortunately , a bit of sellotape stopped that happening. I check regularly to see that the CH hasn't been set to "Constant". I couldn't understand why the house was suddenly so hot!

Mostly, my little notes consist of "Do not eat!" Every evening (after a big meal), my husband will, sooner or later, spend anything up to an hour in the kitchen, foraging in the fridge and cupboards for things to eat. I got fed up with making soup one day, for the next, and then finding it almost gone because he had drunk it, cold, from the jar. Or some item of food or leftovers that I had plans for at the next meal was gone when I went to use it.

Bets

 

[Rosalind]

Don't think foraging necessarily has anything to do with dementia, Bets. My husband has always thought that if he took just a tiny bit of something, and then another, and another, it did not count. You think there is half a quiche left for tomorrow,and find there is less than a quarter. Or that only the breast of a roast chicken had gone, so there are two legs left over, but suddenly there is only one.
And the really strange thing is he can locate something delicious, but never has been able to spot that a piece of cucumber has completely imploded in the salad bit and needs to be thrown away!

 

[connie]

Strange isn't it. I used to get soooo upset when I found the hot water running yet again. Now I would welcome that, even if it was only a sign that he could wash his hands unaided and without prompting.

What is that saying " be careful what you wish for, it might come true"

Love to all, Connie