Surfacing from a 14 month Saga....

The meeting of October 28th was awful.  Stress was unbearable. Now emotions were rising out of control as I had not taken anti-anxiety pills for several weeks.  I succumbed to a secret swig of brandy at one point because I couldn't contain my despair, fear, frustration, sense of injustices, annoyance, plus a level of feeling rejected and abandoned by the lawyer, the expert independent assessor but more so by the electrician and the rep from THERMOR.  It appeared to me and others that they had no CARE or APPRECIATION of my difficulties endured in the last year.

The invoice for this 2 hour plus meeting was absorbed by the electrician. I dread to think how much he was charged BUT GOOD... it is my only satisfaction from this SAGA.

The electrician who never deemed it 'entrepeuneurial' to look after his client deigned to come 35 minutes early.  I wonder what he was hiding from!
On the day of the meeting I'd just finished the domestic cleaning for the morning and was about to have a much needed coffee. He'd arrived early.  He insisted the meeting was at ten but I showed him the letter as he waited by the gate. He wanted to come and measure the room. OK.  It wasn't in my interests to be unpleasant! He looked rough and unshaven. His mobile phone screen was smashed.
I let them pass my roadside gate.
From previous other electricians who had been invited to look at the machine I knew that the room was only just at its lower limit and the machine did not have sufficient ventilation.  How odd that this is the first thing the elctrician wished to do as if he knew what the problem was!
The rep started to ask questions whilst he measured in what appeared to be frantic behaviour.   I thought they'd purposefully arrived early to disturb me.  She was aghast when I'd said I'd not had hot water for two months... clearly, she did not know the story! THIS shocked me.  After 6 weeks of waiting since speaking with Protection Juridique insurance for which I'd paid monthly for five years why hadn't the lawyer communicated with the manufacturer?
Then these two asked for the electricity fuse to be switched on.  Immediately the chauffeau thermodynamique blew the general electricity in the whole house.  AT WHICH I asked them to leave to return in 25 minutes at the correct hour because I thought the independent expert should be present. Why should I have to tell the story twice?  YES, he also did not seem to know the story.  Why did it appear that Protection Juridique had not told him. i felt that I was being judged.

My point with P. J. insurance / legal support was that the electrician was neglectful and had not done what he said he would, i.e. return after May with information as to what was wrong.  He had not CARED! I was bringing a case against him for that as well as that for course I needed hot water but now I had lost all confidence with this machine AND the electrician AND Thermor who I had contacted by email and spoken with on the telephone and each time they said I must call in the original installer.  I had tried since October 2014 when the machine made large growling sounds in addition to the hum!

During the meeting the electrician phoned  a frigoriste. I now know that although he installed this water heater he is not a qualified frigoriste!  It took him over an hour to prevent the machine disconnecting electricity in the whole house!

Eventually, desperate to find a solution to end the SAGA and have hot water, I agreed under severe pressure to sign an agreement that I would pay 420 euros for the mains d'oeuvre / replacement of a compressor which was dead (oh if only I were!!!!!!) and the electrician and manufacturer agreed to pay 828 euros for the compressor.  M y rising stress and tearfulness was unhelpful.  It is always uncontrollable.  There was no sympathy for my mental and emotional dis - ease as the independent technician spoke sharply to me and told me to stop crying. Believe me in situations like this the panic and anxiety arises and I revert to being like a child. I hate it!
So I signed. Breaths of relief could be heard from all.
THEN, the independent expert said I had to keep the doors open between the kitchen and the laundry room because the machine needed ventilation. They had not agreed what to do about that!  I was even more upset and exasperated.  They don't have to live with this situation which necessitates hearing the noise of 55 to 58 decibels (we recorded the sound level on an APP on a friend's smartphone)... plus having all hot air in other rooms being sucked into the laundry room to feed the machine!!!!!!!!

THEN they went away.   I was exhausted. 

Once calm and in discussion with others I realise that my anxiety and indecision comes and goes continually because it seems ludicrous to spend 420 euros with other ongoing issues, when for 1000 euros I could employ an different electrician to instal a chauffeau electrique in the same place. That is a normal ballon / tank. People had said to me: "Cut your losses and replace it with NEW."

As I'd had two estimates from two large companies quoting the same I chose one!

I called in an electrician recommended by Parisian locals.  I call him 'The Man from Montmorillon'.   He'd told me that the model is 'un mauvais serie' and he'd seen many of this model dead within a few years of installation - either le compresseur or le cuve is the reason.  This was the prototype model and subsequent models were modified by the manufacturer. The rep never said a word at the meeting (well she wouldn't I suppose!).  Unfortunately I was not aware of this factor until after the meeting on October 28th....
So because of that I cancelled the frigoriste making a second date into the next week in order to 'buy' myself more time to make a conclusion / decision.
Oh,  more troubles!!!!!
The machine cut the electricity in the house again at 8h 20 on November 18th. 
Immediately, I contacted MR COLLET the electrician who gives very poor service. I left a message as I had to goo out and he phoned three hours later. Reluctantly, he said he would be there the next morning at 8h BUT never arrived.
I  have no qualms in mentioning his name in these days of Trip Advisor and other such exposing of malpractice. It had been set to heat water without using the compressor.

Weirdly, on November 18th, the machine connected again and the lights went on but the machine did not heat water as we discovered after 24 hours having used the water for shower and bath that day.  So me and my lady guest had no hot water after that for two weeks, when then I went to UK for two weeks.

So, in a dilemma, I further delayed on the frigoriste replacing the compressor because I was anxious that I had signed an agreement and actually wished to withdraw from that agreement.  Although I'd asked by letter and email and tried by phone to ask about my rights.. always I was told that I must have the compressor replaced!!!!!!!!!
Fear took hold.  
When the lawyer made a three way phone call with him and I on November 23rd,  he accused me of cancelling the frigoriste (TRUE ... when she asked :Is that true?) and he agreed he'd said he would come to my house, then never did (TRUE ... he said when she asked "Is that true?")  Again, under pressure of not knowing if I could withdraw or not  I agreed to do what she insisted thinking that this was a stupid step to take, because of what the man from Montmorillon had said.
 
So... I contacted an AVOCAT whose opinion I felt I could follow. He wanted a copy of the agreement I'd signed. I never received it and at that time neither had the Protection Juridique.  The avocat commented that in his opinion water heaters were not worth repairing and they should be taken out and a new one installed... SO THAT IS WHAT I DID...it was the confidence I needed to make a decision.

How did I manage without hot water for two months then two weeks?  With great difficulty.
Well... it took up to two hours depending on my activity back and forth to the tap, microwave and kettle to boil water and fill two orange BnQ buckets.  Diluting hot with cold, I sat in an empty bath pouring water over me bowl by bowl!   HOWEVER, this was easier than 2012 when I had to do that in the exterior bathroom when outdoors was -26 degrees. The radiator in the outhouse didn't much improve the heat of the room!  Ah ... history and the joys of French housing!!!!!!!!!! One has to laugh at the memory!

The artisans working for the 'Man from Montmorillon'  imstalled the new water heater on December 14th.

BLISS...
a) there is SILENCE IN THE HOUSE... even my English / Italian friend had said the previous machine was a racket. Poor girl she didn't get a shower or a bath either!!!!!!
b) There is NO COLD AIR IN THE HOUSE.
BUT all is not yet hunky dory as there are two small leaks on each of the hot and cold taps on the tank. I need a new disjoncteur and I need the machine connected to heures creuse and heures plein.

Yet yippppeeeee...enter the 21st century in Western Europe! 
How lovely it is:

a) to have a hot bath to keep clean, enable bodily functions, relax and warm muscles and nerves at any time of day.
b) to wash the psyche and produce better morale to appreciate sanity ... a hot fall of shower water cascading onto my head or plunging head and hair under hot water is extremely good to combat dark bouts of depression that seem to beset me. 
c wash pots and pans and do the dishes; it isn't such a chore when before I needed to walk back and forth with a kettle of water whilst not having a kitchen in the kitchen room.
d) hand wash clothes is easier.

ALMOST the END OF THE SAGA... all when there is no kitchen appliance or surface in the kitchen........ Will I ever face the fear of how much it costs when I'd lost contact with the price of things.   

In the interim, the second roof ridge was repaired; they broke a load of tiles from the roof as they clambered to the ridge on roof ladders in two places. At the same time they repaired the second lucarne. The timber was soft and powdery.  So there goes the kitchen funds saved out of pension! 

Ah... did I mention the word BLISS????   Must have been an error! 

Ongoing not hot water issues

It will be more than two months since no hot water from the boiler!
This morning an Independent Technician will arrive to give an unbiased diagnosis of the criteria affecting why I have no hot water and why the French ARTISAN installer (he will receive request to attend by 'lettre recommandée... signature required)  has not been responsible for:
1. not coming to look at it in October 2014
2. not doing what he said he would do, i.e. contact manufacturer to see how to repair it and report back to me... ( maybe he did do the first part???)
3. not doing as he was asked to do by Protection Juridique earlier this month
4. apparently installing in a room too small in terms of cubic space
5. apparently installing in a room without sufficient ventilation in and out

And so... what will this morning bring???  
Let us HOPE!!!

Water Boiler Saga

Just to update this and as a point of reference for the future ....
and to the past my blog post.... 
I am not seeking attention but am explaining what can happen in France if an artisan appears not to have installed something properly according to a manufacturer's requirements.

I have PROTECTION JURIDIQUE insurance alongside my French mortgage with my French bank... whose name shall currently remain nameless.  I was wise to take it out. I was afraid of neighbourly disputes at the time!!!!!! I didn't have any but Miss Cautious Cancerian Clara inside me thought I should protect myself just in case!!!!!!
I contacted Protection Juridique two weeks ago. Whilst I was on one telephone line the nice lady spoke on a different telephone line to the installer (PERSON CC) of my expensive chauffeau thermodynamique.  He said he had not forgotten about me.  Hahaha ... how can someone ignore my calls, letters to his house, emails for a year? Doesn't that even indicate just a tad that he might feel guilty!???

He was asked to organise a meeting at my house with himself and the fabricant / manufacturer for a diagnosis of the problem.  I know what the two problems are because a different company diagnosed this in August!  Person CC was given until 9 October to contact me and has NOT done so!!!!!!!!

Today Madame (PERSON PJ), says she will email an independent technician (a representative in French) (PERSON IT) for the two of them to be here!!!!!!! I am supposed to wait three weeks for this LEGALLY.  I asked for special dispensation because I have already waited two weeks and this is URGENT for me as have had no hot water since mid August and I have guests arriving in two weeks time at least.  I don't think my daughter and grand daughter will come at all in the next two weeks when it will be half term holiday. Maybe just as well!
Whether or not PERSON S and PERSON B have to be here or will be here or not I don't know. They are from central heating / electrician / plumber companies who came here in July 30th and in mid August and one of whom I saw two weeks ago because PERSON B was supposed to have written estimates for me at the start of September and it took me to visit HIM for HIM to do it. I shall refrain from further judgement or comment except that he was told NOT to laugh at me when he sniggered on the telephone!!!!!!!!!
 I am unable to get any electrician here to give me an estimate for a completely new system. SO HAVE TO WAIT.
I think it is unacceptable, but I cannot do anything about the system that is designed to mediate in legal disputes.
I think Madame PERSON PJ is doing her best!
Any suggestions?

More watery reflections

An evening walk to a sax performance meant crossing the bridge and river.  Look up and down.

Water scum was like 'oil on water' prints that I learned when I as a junior girl, when in school we made hard binders as a book cover. For me it included poetry and recently it was again unearthed and again I believe I have kept it!  When I was a teacher I taught the technique at school.

A willow tree had fallen from a private garden and blocked the passage of flowing river. Oh weeping willow, let me cry for thee.

High above, majesty reigns in an evening of glory. Look at the curved and rounded corner on the left.  Has anyone ever seen that before and if so, where????

The church tower can be seen from the bridge.

The vestiges of a chateau residence on a rocky falaise calls one back to stand and stare in awe at HISTORY.

Midsummer evening was a splendid view of blue blue sky...

An Evening with Watery Reflections

Rain collection

One can often see chains such where water flows from the gutter without a down-pipe. 

I'm not sure where the overflow must go!

Angles sur L'Anglin

A Life without Water - not quite

Well... there is water but it is not in the well.
Water comes from the mains into the meter. The counter display is flooded so that the numbers are not turning, although I witnessed wheels going round when I turned the stop cock to show a friend the problem! The stop cock was turned off before I went to UK, which is when I noticed that the purger or pipe was leaking!  It didn't seem to leak when I turned off the stopcock, so I left it all to fate whilst I flew on my journey to catch a flight for my holiday. On my return I established that the leak is definitely coming from the joint between the counter and the purger, both before / after the stopcock. That was Saturday and now on Monday I've discovered that my plumber has been on a training course all day.. hence he picked up my MANY messages just after 16h.  By which time I'd phoned a different plumber who returned my call to tell me that as the water will have to be turned off in the street I must contact the Syndicat d'Eau.  Now it is after 17h ... and yes someone would come this evening.  NOPE... this is France.
So .... I will turn ON the water and waste a lot into the sand pit below the pipes in order to fill my water boiler to heat enough for a bath in the morning. Cooking with little water from the jugs and containers filled... and hand washing is a PAIN. I've done all this before when sub-zero temperatures prevented the flow from the tap... but I JUST DON"T NEED THIS.  I've had to stay in all day today instead of collecting logs and doing other outdoor jobs...but the good news is that admin was achieved. The rain prevents mowing the lawns! I'm getting ready for the hospital trip!!!!!! and after that having a bath or a shower will be another challenge. Footy in a plastic bag! Ah..... life is such fun!!!!!!!
UPDATE: The French Syndicat d'Eau is absolutely THE BEST! The man arrived on the Tuesday morning and had it all tickety boo within minutes. The GOOD NEWS IS THAT I DON'T HAVE TO PAY because the leak was on the water board's side of the dubris!!!!!!  
Wednesday:  I asked him to come and explain how to turn on / off the tap as the system is different... there are now two purgeurs and they are on the other side of the counter! He was EXCELLENT,  very patient.  Against this experience I CAN RECOMMEND FRANCE AS A PLACE TO LIVE ... I SPOKE FRENCH ALL THE TIME, BADLY BIEN SUR mais avec resultats!

Le Gartempe flooded

Iced Water

Firstly photos of the river frozen: Click on a photo to enlarge.

 A rare view of an ice laden river below the chateau.

River flooding is subsiding

The tracks support the wooden pedestrian bridge in summer. 

Forces of energy bend the tracks.

The leaves caught in the tree show how high the river flooded.