27.03.2026 Heat pump survey.

 ~?~

  Friday 27th 32F/0C [6.40] A mostly sunny day is forecast. Peaking at 7.4C/45F. Currently 63F/17C in the room. 37F/3C in the greenhouse. 

 Up at 6am to continue cleaning and tidying for the arrival of the heat pump engineer/surveyor/salesman.  

 I was carrying the recycling out to the bins when he arrived.  We had a good long chat. A very sensible, thoughtful and intelligent young man. It was decided I needed a medium model of about 5kw. Which would provide a reserve of heat if needed. Without being oversized. This might even allow the curtains to be removed from the open stairwell. 

 Though he thought it unlikely it could push air around the whole house in a loop. It would leak into the kitchen but not as a primary heat source. A second smaller heat pump could work high on the kitchen wall. To warm the kitchen and bathroom. At about the same cost as a mini split. Due to the considerable length of piping involved with the latter. Having to reach from the outdoor unit on the other side of the house. 

 He recommended a high level indoor unit mounted above the TV. Rather than a floor model. The latter would not provide the carpet sweeping effect I had hoped for. Whereas the high level unit could blow almost straight down. To avoid draughts on anyone sitting immediately below. Then the warmth would cross the floor and rise on the opposite side of the room. To begin a continuous circulation. 

 The indoor unit can be set to low airflow if it should ever be necessary. An estimate for the work should soon arrive by email. Though he thought it would probably fall under their standard installation charge. Installation after the Easter holidays.

He left at 8.00. I had better have a walk before I get bogged down on YouTube. Or wittering on here. It's bright but a bit cloudy out there. The sun is shining right through the length of the house. I should sign up as a Druid.

 8.30 Walkies. 

 8.50 And back again. Bright sunshine but a cold, westerly wind. I was hoping for a ride but will need warm clothing and gloves. 

13.20 Back from a 42km ride. Two charity shops and a newly opened railway crossing bridge. An icy wind rather spoilt the ride. I changed from five fingered gloves to lobster mitts after my first stop. Some light grocery shopping on the way home.

 16.30 65F/18C in the room. The stove was not lit so far. I had opened the greenhouse skylights while I was out. The wind was pulling the heat out. Normally the skylights are useless for reducing the soaring heat. Due to a lack of airflow. It needs one or both end doors opened. To break the vacuum. It is currently only 80F/27C out there. I'll use the slight heat to warm the fishpond and the house wall. The thermometer in the water is showing 57F/14C.

 

  ~?~

26.03.2026 Cooking class.

. 

 

 ~?~

 

 

 

Thursday 26th 38F/3C [6.20] Overcast with showers. Clearing later. Windy again. 

 Up at 5.45 after a night of weird dreams. I woke earlier but managed to go back to sleep. 

Cooking class today.  

13.30 Back from cooking class. Everybody in good humour as always

 I made Waldorf salad to go with the bacon rolls.There were sliced potatoes in a tasty sauce.

 Desert was rhubarb tart and cream. It was all yummy.  

 16.30 Back from town. It tried to snow then sleet on the way. I didn't find any carpet runners but bought the extra long cables I needed. Plus some conduit to hide the cables.  

 I shan't be needing any dinner tonight. 

 The heat pump surveyor is coming early tomorrow morning. 7.30! I had better set an alarm.

 Google is making an absolute mess of the image placement within the text arrangements. It's hopeless! I give up!

 

~?~

25.03.2026 All change!

~?~

  Wednesday 25th 43F/6C [8.00] A cloudy day with the possibility of rain and some sunshine. Rather windy from the SW going westerly. Gusting to 20m/s or over 52mph at 10am before easing slowly to 16m/s by lunchtime. Then increasing again. Not a good day for cycling. 63F/17C in the room. 49F/9C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7am after a typical night. Where I saw every hour from 1-6am on the big, red digital clock.

 Some tidying to do before the heat pump surveyor calls on Friday. My recent purchase of a [recycled] white shelving unit. To fit under the wall mounted TV. Needs to find a new home. I plan to place the floor mounted heat pump unit under the TV. 

 I'll measure the shelving again. To see if it will replace the present [and very untidy] supports for the printer, router, assorted multi-sockets and a big rubber plant. Which is currently a hideous mess of cables.  

 The white shelving unit, very helpfully, has holes in the vertical partitions. Between the six large, pigeon holes. So cables can be readily fed through as needed. Most of the cables are white. So they won't stand out so badly as they do now. I may have to drill some holes at the sides to let the cables enter neatly.

 8.00 Flashes of early sunshine are finding blue holes as the trees rock in the wind. 

 8.45 Time for a walk.  

 9.15 Back again. It stayed dry but grey. I wore my fluffy fleece jacket under the Ventile. The wind was indeed strong. Roaring in the trees. Fortunately I had the shelter of the roadside hedges for most of the time. Another bird of prey identification problem. A rather plain bird of buff and brown. Nowhere near the size of a Red kite. Only a slight V-tail. Not the usual deep V. None of the strong coloration of the Red kite. 

 Soaring just above me for quite some time. Before the wind relented and it could gain forward momentum. I'm going with a Black kite. Though I was convinced it was much smaller. The females are slightly larger but coloration similar. 

 9.30 Pouring with rain. I was lucky to have missed it!

 I had a call from the door company. The doors will probably not be ready until the end of April. I changed the dimensions. To allow more room for variations. So I was shunted down the queue. 

 12.00 Almost finished unraveling the cable "knitting." The white shelving unit fitted perfectly under the eastern window.  Moreover it brought a lot of light into the room. I am still struggling with the Reolink POE security switch. Problem solved. I hadn't connected a missing cable. All back to normal. 

 I haven't had to drill any holes. I'll get rid of the junk on the shelves elsewhere. Then drop all the cables behind the shelving. Out of sight. Then I can reinstate some ornaments on the shelves. Just to make it look purposeful. I have updated the photo to show the results.

 The IKEA bamboo shelving. Which was previously holding the computer accessories. Proved to be almost exactly the same size as the Panasonic indoor heat pump unit. Quite a bit bigger than it looked online.  

 I really ought to invest in some cable conduit. A 10m HDMI cable will provide more flexibility in routing. The 5m is presently too stretched and hanging at 45º. A piece of white conduit can drop straight down beside the new heat pump unit. Without drawing attention. 

 I still have to solve the cosmetic problem of the bare and damaged plasterboard. That blue carpet runner must go too. I should be able to find something smarter in the charity shops.

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast. 

 ~?~