Solar Panel Panic Mark 2

Wednesday 07 December 2011 continued

After the Solar Panels were installed on our roof, Mrs. Tortoise happened to glance up at the ceiling of our study room and saw a wet patch above her head. More panic as we investigated in the loft and discovered that the roof was leaking through a large hole in the inner felt.

The builders came and filled up the hole in the felt with filler. I emailed to the Solar installation company to say that this quick fix was not enough and that the leak from the roof needs to be investigated.

Mrs. Tortoise told me about a second hole in the felt and I was annoyed with her because she hadn’t told me about it and she hadn’t insisted that it was filled when the builders were here.

The solar installation company told me that the Solar Panel fitters were in located in Manchester and that the local team would only be trained by the beginning of January!

I replied that the other hole needs to be filled now. But this was not the end of the story or the resolution of our leaking roof.

Our nerves were frayed today. We went to buy some paint for our new conservatory but Mrs. Tortoise irritated me by changing her mind as soon as we walked out into the car park!

Mrs. Tortoise and I were arguing and upset with each other the whole day as a result of the leaking roof. We tried to watch some TV to take our minds off the problem but as soon as we turned off the TV Mrs. Tortoise began going over the same issues again. I couldn’t stand it and escaped to bed.

I woke in the night and repented of my behaviour and attitude towards Mrs. Tortoise. I determined to be more patient with her on the morrow.

A Reprieve!

Monday 05 December 2011 continued

I received a letter from my Cardiologist today. I have been waiting for several months to discover the results of the tests I had earlier in the year after having had a heart attack and having had a stent inserted in my right artery in May this year.

I have been taking five tablets every day since and exercising by going for a walk for 40 minutes every day.

I had already been advised that I have extensive heart disease affecting my left arteries and that it was thought that a triple bypass might be the best treatment in the longer term.

After reading through all the medical jargon in the Cardiologist’s letter he suggested that because I am asymptomatic, not experiencing any Angina pain or breathlessness that I should continue with my medical therapy, as there is no indication to have surgical intervention at this time.

So hugs and kisses from Mrs. Tortoise and general relief all round!

I must admit that the thought of having my chest cut open, in spite of the success of bypass operations these days, was not one I particularly relished!

So I have been given a reprieve for the immediate future, for which I am thankful.

Solar Panel Panic!

Monday 05 December 2011

I recently had 12 Solar Panels installed on my roof.  I had planned to have them installed in February 2012 but the government decided to reduce the Feed in Tariff by 50% for installations registered after 12^th December 2011. So, a big panic in the Solar industry to get as many installations done as soon as possible before the deadline.

I sent off my registration documents by recorded delivery to EDF, my electricity supplier, but due to a lot of activity surrounding the erection of a new conservatory being done at the same time, I lost the recorded delivery receipt. More panic!

Now I have to phone EDF to see if they have received my application. I am not looking forward to it because I suspect it may be time-consuming and frustrating, as they are probably being inundated with hundreds of calls.

As I suspected I spent ages waiting on the phone to EDF. When they finally answered there was no trace of my application! More panic!

I had planned to send it again by special delivery but the man at the other end of the phone gave me an email address to send it to, so I scanned all the documents and sent them by email only to discover that I had missed one! More panic!

I scanned it and added it and sent it again. I hope I haven’t confused the issue and that my registration will go through OK! More panic at the thought that I have messed it up!

It's electrifying!

Sunday 04 December 2011 continued.

We have recently had a Conservatory built on the side of our house and the electrician came to fit the lights.

I was hoping for a nice, quiet, peaceful Sunday, but it was the only day he could come, but I knew I would regret it. Mrs. Tortoise laid into him as soon as he arrived about the position of the wiring for the lights, which was not symmetrically placed.

After about 30 minutes of wrangling I said we would mark out the positions of the lights and Mrs. Tortoise measured the distances between them to arrange them symmetrically.

The electrician had to cut new positions into the plaster and plasterboard to reroute the wiring.

If the positions had been properly measured out in the first instance he would not have needed to do it a second time.

After a stressful few hours with Mrs. Tortoise talking non-stop and in the electrician’s face the whole time, our Conservatory is now electrified and the lights look very attractive. They exude a warm glow, which Mrs. Tortoise said they would.

I had chosen some long, stainless steel encased lights, like lanterns, but Mrs. Tortoise put her little foot down and I had to return them and buy the lights of her choice, which are round and warm and glow like the sun. I have to admit that her choice was better than mine!

There's a moose aloose aboot this hoose!

Sunday 04 December 2011

I woke with a start in the night as Mrs. Tortoise walked into the bed post and cried out. She had been downstairs and had seen another mouse in the lounge. The last one was a month ago and we thought it had been a stray mouse that had been disturbed when we knocked down our outside shed in preparation for our new Conservatory we are having built.

She set the traps for it. I don’t know how they are getting in to the house as we have lived here for eight years and have never had a mouse problem before.

Mrs. Tortoise is convinced a colony have moved in and have set up a permanent home under the Welsh dresser!