Are you ready for the start of the heating year? its time to read this again.

This week all the schools are back, the kids have got new uniforms and everyone is excited what's going to happen this year. Its always fun to get back to see who's been sacked or expelled for bad behaviour. Its exactly the same in heat pump land too. The gossip mill will be back up to speed in no time, the new uniforms have arrived and the traditional first day of school photos have been taken. No ties in my company, this picture was taken in my office.

Traditionally in the heat pump, and I guess traditional heating world, July and August are the quiet months where we all chill out and get ready for the absolute madness of the heating season. Officially it starts this week, but really it starts as soon as everyone who hasn't got kids gets back from their summer holidays in week 2 and 3 of September. And then all hell will break loose, it always does.

When I started flogging heat pumps 12 years ago the phone literally didn't ring at all in August, I was very worried, but never fear, as soon as the thermometer dropped below 13 degrees C everything was ok again. Its changed a bit since those days, I only sold 72 units in the first year. This year the 10,000th unit has just gone out the door. Its been a really odd year, the weather was awful in July and August and no one could go away anywhere nice so we stayed in cold wet Britain. Its been absolute mayhem all year long with no dip for Summer.

So just before it goes mental, I ask you to spare a thought for the real hero's of heating, the ladies and gents out there on the road and us lurdos (i know i hadn't heard this term of endearment since the 80s either, but im bringing it back) answering tech support. In the next 2 weeks our workload will double mostly with the following questions:

Customer: Why does my heating not work?

Tech Lurdo, is it switched off?

Customer: oh yeah, sorry. How do I turn it on?

Tech lurdo: FFS.

OR........................................

Customer, Ive got a flow error on my heating?

Tech Lurdo: Is there any water pressure in it after you moved the radiators when you redecorated the lounge? has anyone cleaned the filters?

Bear in mind your heating has been ideal for the last 6 months , once you start it up all the loose debris will move into the filters. so you get this.

and this

So this week please, before it gets cold, give your heating a quick MOT. Check your system is up to pressure, get the filters cleaned out if you can, I even did a video of this once . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE11awpJDfMsub_confirmation=1 and fire it up and check it works. Or of course wait till its cold, ring tech support or your local plumber and wonder why everyone is busy.

Good luck to all my fellow engineers, its going to be a mental ride this year. I wish you all well, its the first year that Im not going to be on the phones. After 32 years my patience has finally been tested. Its a young mans game in tech support. Im sticking to writing manuals no one reads, videos no one watches and giving training courses no one attends

Enjoy.