I have a Vokera combi boiler (excell SP 80) which is probably around 12 years old. Lately is has switched off for no apparent reason. Even though I have managed to switch it back on, what would you recommend to do : have it repaired or changed?Other question, when I asked for quotes to have it changed, the plumber told me that the gas pipe is too narrow and the gas pipes leading to the boiler need to be changed. This would entail major work, so my question is : shy should I have wider gas pipes fitted?Thanks in advance for all your answers
Vokera is a very unpopular make amongst those who's job it is to repair boilers, because they tend to be unreliable, difficult to work on needlessly complicated. If it were a more reliable make, I'd have no hesitation in advising you to have it fixed, however I'd be leaning towards replacing a 12 year old Vokera, because the older it gets, the more unreliable it will be. Modern combi boilers are more powerful, giving you a good powerful hot water delivery, but tend to require a 22mm gas supply pipe because of the additional power. There are some modern boilers however that are capable of running off a 15mm supply, but please don't get another Vokera!
First of all, ignore the get new friends people. Having sex without protection, especially at such a young age, was a really dumb mistake, but you shouldn't abandon your friend when she most needs you. Check with her that she has more evidence of pregnancy than fat. By that, I mean missed periods or a pregnancy test. She probably has already checked, but it's worth asking. She can't deal with this without her parents. It's just not possible. Besides, they'll find out anyway. They're not stupid; pregnancy is incredibly obvious. This is where peer pressure is a positive. Even if it damages your relationship in the short run you absolutely must pressure her to tell her parents. You should talk to your parents as well, even if she doesn't want you to. She will thank you later. If you have a good reason to believe that her parents would abuse her if they knew then she should at least talk to other adults about the situation. She can't do this alone. An abortion may very well be the best option at this point. Besides the emotional impact, I've heard that pregnancy isn't healthy for younger teenagers. Don't quote me on that, though. But HURRY, HURRY, HURRY, HURRY! Every day that passes increases ethical issues. At a certain point (the third trimester), abortion isn't even an option. If she does choose to carry out her pregnancy then she needs to get prenatal care. Planned Parenthood's web site has some relevant reading material. It might even be worth a call to them. They've dealt with similar situations many times before. There is information on other parts of the web as well. Search for teen pregnancy in a search engine. Ignore any web sites that are condemning teens in her situation. That's not what she needs right now! Act quickly, time is not on your side! Good luck Edit: I wrote too quickly on contacting Planned Parenthood. Leave that to the adults.
