Tuesday 20 March 2012

I am not technically minded

I am not very good at the technical stuff, and I am not proud of it. I am sure that if I could just look at things carefully it would be possible to work it all out. The trouble is that so much technical stuff seems to assume that you know what a gasket is. I am not much more knowledgeable than that.

So I have been trying to work out how much maintenance our car needs, how often, and what to do. I can not drive. I have no interest in cars apart from the 'box on four wheels that gets us to our holiday' sort of interest. So I didn't even know what questions to ask. I have spent a bewildering afternoon, but I am now somewhat better informed.

I think that is the problem - I don't know what questions to ask, and often I don't understand the answers that I am getting. Thank goodness for the kind people on MSE, as I just didn't even know what to google. Now at least I know how often to check the oil. OH had never checked the oil, not even before a long trip. I am going to learn how to do it myself.

And after that I was muttering evilly about our central heating thermostat. It needs a new battery. There is a little flashing battery sign on it. I am very wary about messing with this, and rang the people who did the boiler. They told me I could just slide the thingy off and replace the battery myself, or they could come out and it would cost me £50. I don't think that included VAT either.

I found, after some extensive research on the internet, the thermostat that is supposed to go with our system does have a thingy that you can just slide off. However we don't have that thermostat, we have a different thermostat. It does a good job and I am very happy with it, but nothing slides anywhere. I checked YouTube, I checked diy and plumbing forums - nowhere could I find a way of getting into the dratted thing to replace the battery. The unit seemed completely solid. There wasn't even a 'press here' or a 'push to close' note. It was apparently impregnable. After some serious consultation I had a prod, darling father had a prod, and we managed to prise the cover off. It is a 'click on and off' type cover, it doesn't slide.

Darling father looked at me and I looked at him. I have no idea if the battery is an AA or an AAA, the landing light was dim, darling father was on his way to watch football on tv and I was about to help OH with little bear's bedtime. We will investigate the battery tomorrow in the clear light of day.

I now feel very worn out with thinking about such unfamiliar things. I am sure it is healthy, I just wish I found it easier. However, I will find things easier if I practice, and I am not giving up!

2 comments:

Mermaid's Purse said...

I hope you don't think I'm speaking out of turn but basic vehicle maintenance is now part of the driving theory test ie. if people don't know these things then they don't pass http://www.theorytest.net/highway-code.php?pg=sublink&id=41

It's the responsibility of the driver to check all these things regularly for the safety of themselves, passengers and others on the roads ....... it's not you who needs to check or even know this stuff and, really, it's the driver who should be speaking to mechanics/MOT inspectors etc. always as you won't personally recognise/know of changes in the cars performance etc.. You really should offload this responsibility?

Wannabe Sybil said...

This is why I am so angry at OH - he won't do it. If I don't take this on, it won't happen and it hasn't been happening. You're not speaking out of turn, and I don't feel like being quiet for OH's sake. However, if I want me and little bear to be in a safe car, I have to take it on. I am still only just a shade under incandescent since I found out on Monday. Thank you for the kindness, though WS xxx