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Ah, OK, I'd misread your first post. Yes 5kW is a lot more manageable. (Still more than my little generator can manage, but not by much)! I agree that a house battery would be a good way to go in the long term.

Yeah, that is a bit of a worry! And if I had a generator big enough to power a 15.5 kW heat pump, I'd probably just be able to heat the house with the generator! :ROFLMAO: However, for the number of times it happens, I might just light the open fire and make a hot water bottle.

Again, many thanks. I did ask about keeping the oil boiler as backup, but to get the government grant (which is pretty generous right now!) they said they have to take the old oil boiler out completely. Obviously though, in a rural area, there's no problem with me burning wood as a backup...

Thanks, that's all really useful! And yes, the Grant Aerona 290 is indeed the one they were proposing. I'll have to do my sums carefully. We spend about £2k a year on heating oil (and that was before trump started playing the fool in the Middle East! If it stays as it is, we'll be nearer...

I'm looking for experiences of switching to a heat pump, please? Octopus are offering a good deal with the government grant right now. 1995 detached house, 220 square metres. Windy spot in Cumbria. Currently has a Worcester Heatslave 20/25 oil boiler which was put in when the house was built...

I'm told the safest way to lift a car, is to balance the 4 brake discs on the ends of 4 knitting needles... :rolleyes:

Brilliant! Hadn't thought of one of those!

As Stevie888 suggests, something like a baster or a plastic horse syringe is the easiest way...

Yeah, Toyota are being a bit cute there! The Block Exemption regulations oblige them to provide the standard warranty, (3 years, 60,000 miles) regardless of who services it (subject to the conditions in Post#26), but extended warranties are not covered by those regulations. Completely separate...

As far as I'm aware, they can't withhold the warranty as long as the vehicle has been serviced by a competent outfit, according to the manufacturer's service schedule. I think that applies to all cars - EV or ICE. Quite how "competent" is decided, would be a matter for the courts. I think...

To be fair, I was pleasantly surprised at the service cost from a BMW main stealer. Got change out of £300 (and that's every other year). On the other hand, that's a bloody expensive pollen filter and brake fluid change!

I'd be amazed if you'd notice any difference. As Lower says, it's only the time taken to evacuate the tube that will change. The level of vacuum won't. The shorter the tube, the faster the distributor will react to changes in manifold pressure though.

Feel free to PM me if you want. I've been driving one as a company car since November 2022 and have been very pleasantly surprised. Of course, being a company car, I appreciate it's a "special case", financially, but as a car, I've been very pleasantly surprised. Might not have gone for one...

In my experience Monroes have tended to be durable but a bit on the "soggy" side. To Burnerman's list, I would add Boge and KYB - the latter, I was surprised to see, being named on a major manufacturer's chassis drawing I saw recently! Sachs aren't bad either.

Hi Harry, and welcome! That's a difficult one, as you've tried much of what I was going to suggest anyway. Does the car have an electric or conventional mechanical handbrake? If it has a conventional mechanical handbrake, on a quiet bit of road, maybe try stopping the car with the handbrake...

It definitely does! My car was 30 years old when I bought it and the seller was very proud of the fact that the spare had never been fitted. That creates an interesting dilemma. The rim was pristine, never been exposed to brake dust. The tyre still had its moulding knobbles on it. However...

As has been said, it's ultraviolet, temperature and ozone mainly, I think. The tyre's rubber loses elasticity with time. Garaging the car , if possible, is a more practical measure. 1. Minimise exposure to sunlight; 2. Try not to park where the car will be subject to extremes of...

Yes, no reason why not. Tesla already has a solar roof option in some countries. Might get you up to another 5 miles a day in Southern latitudes where the sun is much higher in the sky and it's not cloudy. It could certainly power the air conditioning (at reduced output) though.

OK, I'm guessing not very powerful then. In which case, yes, I think I'd be able to spot a slight drop in power each time the aircon pump cut in - especially at light throttle openings. I've no idea if the C1 is set up this way, but plenty of manufacturers cut the power to the aircon pump if...

What's the car and what sort of engine power? A car aircon pump, at startup, will take maybe between 3 and 10 horsepower.