Oil and water . . .

. . . do not mix, and neither do they make a good combination for the working of a boiler.

Our central heating runs on oil. As we have no mains gas in the village, we don't really have a lot of choice. Our boiler is quite old, but we have it serviced regularly and, apart from the occasional fieldmouse nesting in it and messing the system up, we have had little problem with it. Until . . .

. . . water got into the oil tank. The boiler could not fire and kept locking out. The oil delivery company deny any culpability, as they would, but did send a man round to have a look.

So here is the Oil Heating Technician, pumping 5 gallons of water out of the tank. A wonderful man. And what a lot we learnt about oil tanks and boilers from him. In the circumstances, it is perhaps as well oil and water do not mix; the pumping would be an awful lot harder if they did.

A cold, wet, windy, grey day today, but at least the heating now works.

In the picture, you can see a log stack, a coal bunker and an oil tank. All the fuel for heating our house.

Note: we think the water was caused by condensation and probably wasn't anything to do with the oil delivery firm. Looks like we'll be paying the chap ourselves. But for a job well done and to a local guy working for himself, we don't mind . . . too much!