Further ramblings of a self-made pauper

Does anyone know if there is a patron saint of central heating? I should like to send some rudely worded prayers in his or her direction if there is.

Yesterday, when the weather was sub-arctic around here, with temperatures waltzing around well below zero, I had to coax, cajole and even threaten the system before it started pumping the hot water around the radiators. Since then, it has failed to switch off; leading to a late December night with me sleeping on top of the duvet to keep cool.

Today, when outside temperatures have jumped by about 10 degrees and it is merrily raining, with no sign of snow to be had, the heaters are running as if they are fired by every furnace in Hell. I have turned off the radiator in the bedroom and opened a window.

So much for my carbon footprint.

Things are a little more complicated here in the computer room, where getting at the radiator is a major inconvenience since I (as it turns out) rather rashly reorganised the furniture to make better use of the space.

I am going to give it a half hour more and then go down and try all of yesterday's incantations backwards.