Celtic Country Culture

When rebuilding my old cottage, I had to decide which method to heat my home. I elected to go with liquid propane gas canisters to run the oven and stove, as well as the radiators. I only use this method of heating for a quick boost in the morning; otherwise, I use the fireplace which has a back boiler.The back boiler is this iron finned tank of water behind the fire which heats anything when circulated by a pump. So, not only does it heat my dual immersion water tank, it heats the radiators. Of course, it is quite a cozy fixture with the mantle and the flickering flames at night. Maintaining the back boiler is a bit of drudgery most people dislike. One has to continually scrape the fins to keep down the creosote which acts as an insulator making it take longer to heat the water. The chimney builds up creosote which can catch fire; so, twice a year, the chimney needs sweeping requiring, in my case, 5 connecting rods one fastened to a circular brush. This is done in February and June.

In an old cottage, the roof is made of slate; so, one must know the type (mine are Bangor Blue) and size (mine are 24"x12"). It's good to have at least 40 spares. Finding the right price can be difficult. I imagine €3 each would be fair these days.

There are always the other routine jobs:

cleaning the gutters
repainting the gates
emptying the septic tank every 7 years
cleaning the water tank every 2 years
servicing the LPG gas burner annually
adding Potassium Permanganate to the water filter monthly
maintaining the lawn and garden
adding a few ton of gravel to the driveway every few years
sanding and treating the teak windows and doors