Stupid questions about hot water...

My suggestion is to have the BF write down some instructions and make them as simple as possible, even simpler.

Man, I hate moments like this when no one thought to explain something to you because even the thickest small child understands how things work (over here) and you've never encountered anything like it before in your life so you didn't know to ask... I was here for about a month (and utterly failing to be able to close doors behind me) before I figured out that you have to turn the handle up or you can't lock it. I swear everyone thought I was special needs because I couldn't figure out how the door worked!

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I couldn't figure out the handle lifting thing at first either. 

I concur, if it's your boyfriend's place and he knows how it works then persevere and get him to explain simply....he knows better how it works than we will!

Turning off the switches for the oven/stove won't make any differance, these are just the mains switches....then again it doesn't do any harm either.

We don't have any centrally heated hot water. We don't even have our hot water heater turned on and havent in the 4 years I've lived here. Just too expensive. If I need hot water to do washing up I fill the kettle and get it that way. I use our electric (not power) shower to fill a bath for our 2 year old & DH & I just have showers...but I do miss hot running water on demand...oh well.

Oh dear, this is one of my great "hates" about our house here. The water's connected to the gas, and the parentals have this time switch thing. The gas heats up the water, but, happens only at certain hours of the day. When I take a shower in the morning-usually I'm the first now, because I wake up earliest to get the bus, I spend ages getting the cold just right, otherwise I'll boil like a lobster on the cooker. It's an absolute art to get right, and I hate it. I just want to take a stupid shower without either being too hot that it makes me want to scream in pain, or being so cold that I come out shivering. Never thought this would be a problem. I apparently forgot this from my visits in the past. Eek!

I concur, if it's your boyfriend's place and he knows how it works then persevere and get him to explain simply....he knows better how it works than we will!

Well, we just moved in to the place together, at the same time, so it's new to both of us.  The only thing he's been able to explain to me is why there are two different rates for the heating...One for night, one for day...Apart from that, he's just as clueless as I am, as this system is different from any others that he's lived with.

.Apart from that, he's just as clueless as I am, as this system is different from any others that he's lived with.

I don't live with J, but I did ask him and he was just as clueless about my gas combi-boiler system as I was.  In fact I had to show him once I figured it out.

Good luck, hopefully you can figure it out soon! 

Well, we just moved in to the place together, at the same time, so it's new to both of us.  The only thing he's been able to explain to me is why there are two different rates for the heating...One for night, one for day...Apart from that, he's just as clueless as I am, as this system is different from any others that he's lived with.

Maybe you could post some photos up, like someone did with their washing machine.

If it's a rental property, I thought the landlord was supposed to provide instructions on things like the heating system.

If it's a rental property, I thought the landlord was supposed to provide instructions on things like the heating system.

In an ideal world, yes. 

My old rental property was the same - no instructions. The system I had doesn't sound as complicated as PickledSakura's, though, so I was able to figure it out without too much trouble.

Tykeman had a good idea. Post some pictures and I'm sure someone will be able to help. 

In an ideal world, yes. 

My old rental property was the same - no instructions. The system I had doesn't sound as complicated as PickledSakura's, though, so I was able to figure it out without too much trouble.

I meant that I thought it was a legal requirement in order to rent out. A friend of mine rented his house out and he had to supply the letting agent with all this stuff about how the heating worked, oven etc.

I meant that I thought it was a legal requirement in order to rent out. A friend of mine rented his house out and he had to supply the letting agent with all this stuff about how the heating worked, oven etc.

I guess they don't have to pass it on to the renter?

I couldn't figure out the handle lifting thing at first either. 

Just saw this--Tin and Noirem--same here, couldn't figure it out!

I couldn't figure out the handle lifting thing at first either. 

I had similar in the US, was left a key whilst then DF was at work, which was in the back of the door. I went to go out, couldn't get the door to lock from outside. I opened the door and tried locking with key from outside and it was ok. So shut the door again....wouldn't lock! I was doing this for about 10 mins, and as it was only the 2nd day I was there I was getting some very strange looks from the neighbours! Thankfully, just as I was thinking my walk around the neighbourhood (and to a local bar for lunch) was going to have to be forgone and I'd just have to stay in the house all day, I managed to get it locked!
I then got strange looks as I was walking everywhere! This was the time I wanted an ATM and the only one at the bank was in a drive-thru!