Why does central heating always fail when the shops are shut??

[Huge]

Not that anyone in their right mind pays APC's prices for batteries.

[Alang]

Not Nicads then. If it is SLA then probably cheaper to replace the unit. Probably cheaper just to buy a battery from a breakers yard

Only charger I have is 30 years old with a selenium rectifier in it

Indeed. I used to look after an exchange and alarm systems in the 60s. One of the routine jobs was draining down and flushing the cells of sediment. Extended their life by years.

we no longer have a header tank

[Dave Liquorice]

Yep, I was given a "dead" rack mount APC UPS to fix. The batteries had expanded into lots of holes in the casing and couldn't be removed without major surgery to the case. Unfortunately it was out of warranty. B-(

[ARWadsworth]

How many times has the mains water supply failed at your house in the last

10 years?

Adam

[Rod]

For me, twice. Once for maintenance of the mains - might actually have been switched off on two or more days but can't remember. The stored water was a huge relief as we could still flush the WC - and wash hands.

[Dave Liquorice]

Twice, once for >24hrs. It's not so much the eating/drinking as bog flushing. "If it's yellow let it mellow" is ok, but "If it's brown flush it down" is a problem, after the first flush, without stored water.

[Mike]

APC have traditionally done it by following the industry 'recommended' charging regime to the letter - except they totally ignore any temperature compensation. The charging voltage used is based on some seriously flawed applied science, the cell construction is also seriously deficient. They and everyone else could make a typical UPS battery last decades but, like lemmings, they all follow the same design path.

There is apparently only one recombination cell manufacturer that really does know what they are doing in both the construction of their cells and the charging regime. I'd reveal the name but it's probably the best kept secret in the industry - over 25 years proven service life in some of the most extreme climates worldwide, many installations from other suppliers are complete junk in less than two years. The reason they want to stay quiet? They have too much business coming their way than they really want and they don't want to compromise the service they offer their existing customers. Until the boss keels over I suspect it will stay exactly the same.

[ARWadsworth]

It was maintainance so surely you would have had notice before hand. I am asking about totally unexpected turn off periods.

Adam

[Rod]

True - in that case. (The other was next door neighbour having stopcock replaced - no warning.)

But knowing doesn't actually make WC flushing much better. (A row of buckets might help but they are heavy and not everyone can lift them as required.) The stored water did. Both times. It has also helped in the same capacity when I have been doing work on our plumbing.

[Dave Liquorice]

Well I interpereted "failed" as "water failed to come out of a mains tap when turned on". It matters very little if you have warning or not, bottled water is to fing expensive to use for loo flushing! I guess you could fill the bath, I can remember that happening many times with scheduled water cuts when I was growing up in Birmingham and we had stored water as well.

You are *now*, stop squirming...

[tony sayer]

In article , Mike scribeth thus

Well I'd love to know who they are having just junked several Exide and Yuasa batteries . I'd appreciate an e-mail and I promise not to tell anyone;)..

[tony sayer]

In article , ARWadsworth scribeth thus

Never known it to fail since I were a lad, some 50 odd years ago!...

[Huge]

That balances out the two or three unscheduled failures per year we get.

[tony sayer]

Perhaps its because our local water co is run by an engineer;)...

[ARWadsworth]

It is not being able to have a shower or bath that having a combi causes problems with when the water supply fails. I am sure I could flush my bog with water from my water butt using a bucket. If the water cut is expected I am sure I could fill a few buckets up before hand.

Adam

[Dave Liquorice]

Ah so you *do* have some stored water!

I wouldn't be particulary keen on drinking from a water butt but washing would be OK and you can wash with no more than a pint of water if needs be. You don't *need* a bath or shower, just a flannel.

[Mark]

Over 300,000 people were without mains water for over a week just last year! Everyone seems to have short memories!

[tony sayer]

In article , Mark scribeth thus

Where was that then?..

[Clot]

They had plenty of water..

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Liquorice" saying something like:

I had occasion to wash my hands with water from a roof-fed storage tank the other week when I was doing some work at a rural church. Horrible smell from the water out of the tap and I was quite put off eating my lunch as it meant handling my food to do so.