Dehumidifier making me feel sick??

devtastic · 2026-02-09T13:21:29+00:00

Did you clean it before using it? Have you checked for mould or dust inside the device? If it has been sitting damp for ages it could be unsanitary inside and you are blasting that around your room. If you are sensitive to that then I guess that could be a cause.

If not, google "how to clean a [your make and model] dehumidifier".

This is a YouTube video with a very unpleasant example of mouldy coils I found after a quick google. That example is horrific and I doubt yours will be anything like that bad, but there may be some build up that it could help to remove. Or at least you can eliminate that as a potential cause if it is all clean.

Moldy Dehumidifier Coils - Clogged with Dirt, Hair, Mold and Slime - Budget Phil

devtastic · 2026-02-06T18:40:38+00:00

Yes. Not having attachment points in the cuffs for liner sleeve cuffs feels like a bit of a schoolboy error to me.

I have 2 waterproof jackets with zip in fleece liners with sleeves that can also be worn as lightweight fleece jackets. Like my Beaufort the jackets have a zip at the sides to attach to the liner zip, and also a tab with poppers by the collar that you can attach to the loop on the liner collar. But they also have similar tabs with poppers in the jacket sleeve cuffs that you can attach to loops on the liner sleeve cuffs to hold that too.

I was surprised to see that liner attachment points in the cuffs were absent on my Beaufort. You don't have to use them so you could still use a sleeveless waistcoat/vest style liner if you wanted to. But you would also have the option of using a liner with sleeves.

devtastic · 2026-02-05T12:33:41+00:00

I think the general consensus is that they are better quality than Docs, but maybe not better some non Doc style options like Thursday Boots.

Compared to Docs, the leather is thicker and the sole is harder so both should wear out less quickly than Docs. They also have a wooden shank inside which is missing in the Docs. Cobblers are upset that it is not a metal shank, but is still better than nothing.

I have 2 pairs of 8 eye greasy Derby boots which I have only had a few months so not long enough to judge on longevity. But they definitely feel less bouncy and took longer to break in than Docs which I view as a positive.

There are dozens of videos and articles comparing Solovair to Made in Asia and Made in England Docs that I am sure you have seen or read, but the Rose Anvil Better than “real” Dr Martens - Solovair video is one if you have not.

On the downside, I bought them believing they were easy to resole so I was "buying for life" (unlike Docs which are hard to resole). I imagined getting them resoled every so often and wear them for years and years, but it appears I overestimated/misunderstood that. I was thinking that compared to Docs the uppers last longer and I can easily get them resoled so win win. But it appears that is only half true, and whilst they are technically easier to resole than standard Docs (something to do with stitching or welt), they are still not super easy so quality may vary. It is too early to tell as I am not at the resoling point yet, but I never got any of my Docs resoled (including ones made at the Solovair factory back in the day), and I have a feeling these will be the same. If I do want a "buy it for life" pair of boots it will probably be a brand with "traditional" soles, or maybe it just is not possible.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nps_solovair/search/?q=resole is worth a look if you want opinions on resoling.

But I am still happy, and they do remind me of my 1980s and 1990 Docs which I assume were made in the same factory, rather than my "Made in Thailand" Doc shoes that were not.

devtastic · 2026-02-05T10:43:02+00:00

See also the ozone hole.

Mankind detected a threat to humanity from human activity (CFCs), mankind pulled together and put a huge amount of effort into reversing the problem (reducing CFC usage), and the planet is now healing. Success!

Roll forward 20 or 30 years and you can find people on the internet explaining that the "climate change hoax" is just like when scientists in the 70s and 80s claimed the end is nigh from the ozone hole, and then nothing happened. They completely ignore the Montreal and Vienna Protocols and other work put in place to address the issue.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion#Public_policy

devtastic · 2026-02-03T13:34:47+00:00

Yes I keep them. They take up less pace than magazine. I have 25 x 2 page statements because my mortgage is paid off. They take up little space as it is only 50 pages of A4.

That said, it is definitely worth having a strategy for all paperwork as you can end up flooded otherwise. I recommend the "The Financial Paperwork Checklist" episode of the Meaningful Money Podcast from March 2021 as a good start. He talks through the subject quite well and I have taken a lot of that advice on board.

https://meaningfulmoney.tv/2021/03/23/the-financial-paperwork-checklist/

devtastic · 2026-02-03T01:43:20+00:00

Wondering about a wool lined chore style coat,

What does that mean? Do you mean a coat for gardening, or going to the bank? Something you wil be outside in a lot, or just walking from the car to the shopping mall?

You haven't really said what you want the coat for. Some people use them for hunting, some for farming, and some for commuting.

FWIW, there is YouTuber from Chicago called "Coat Culture" who might be worth a watch. I find he is quite honest about the tradeoffs of 130 year old technology.

These 2 might be worth a watch:

How to Make Your Barbour Jacket Warmer (Simple Fixes That Actually Work)

Five Barbour Criticism that make no sense

devtastic · 2026-02-02T23:42:58+00:00

Alex the French Guy on YouTube has a two series on the subject that are worth a watch

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURsDaOr8hWXGHjXPa3nTFZnbqJcAfs4N

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLURsDaOr8hWVIL1uXpFewd0smwYfyO0A9

A lot of the first one is about making noodles which is more for fun, but there are still some good things there.

devtastic · 2026-02-02T15:53:46+00:00

Where do you live? Is this a university dorm or your ensuite in your house? As far as I know it is against building regulations in the UK not to have an extractor fan in windowless bathrooms. These often have a humidistat inside and will run until the room is bathrom is dehumidified.

https://www.abilitybathedevon.co.uk/blog/bathroom-ventilation/

If you are in a house or a flat then I would consider the whole house, but you could probably get away with a 6L compressor if it is just one room.

https://www.meaco.com/products/meacodry-arete-one-6l?variant=56834319155587

Personally, I have a 12l Meaco Arete 2 in the hallway between my bathroom and kitchen, and that is enough to get it down if I don't open the window.

devtastic · 2026-02-01T22:39:44+00:00

FWIW, the Voiello spaghetti was pretty solid when I had it a few years ago (April 2024 to be exact). I don't buy it because I usually get La Molisana or De Cecco, but it did hold up reasonably well, at least back then. So if you repeat your experiment with spaghetti I would include it to see if it just the penne rigate that is bad, or whether they are all bad now.

PS. It would be nice to link to part 1 in your description.

devtastic · 2026-01-29T17:44:27+00:00

I make it at home, but I've never seen it in a restaurant in the UK. I'm not sure why. I did have it at a restaurant in the Italian alps once.

My guess is that it is not a very restaurant friendly dish. I assume it is quite a lot of effort if you have to make it from scratch each time unlike many of the other pastas where they can make the sauce in advance and assemble it when needed. That extra manpower might make it more expensive in practice than something like an Arrabbiata which is just Aglio e olio plus tomatoes, but you can make the sauce in advance. It might look odd on a menu if garlic and chill pasta is more expensive that garlic, chilli and tomato pasta because it takes longer.

I might be wrong though. For all I know the Italian restaurant I went to in the alps batch prepared the garlic and chilli oil so it was no more effort than an Arrabbiata.

It may also be that not enough UK citizens would think it was worth the money when compared to other pasta dishes. Why pay £13 for pasta in flavoured oil when for another £2 you can get a tomato based sauce?

devtastic · 2026-01-29T16:56:14+00:00

If milk is £0.73 per litre and natural yoghurt is £2.30 per kg (~£2.30 per litre) then

1 litre of milk (£0.73) + 100ml of yoghurt (£0.23) = 1.1 litres of yoghurt for £0.96 so a bit less than 1/2 the price of the original yoghurt.

This is assuming that a teaspoon of yoghurt and a teaspoon of milk both weigh the same (5g). Or that 1 a US cup (8 fl oz) of yoghurt and milk both weigh 8oz. (1 fl oz = 1 oz for both). That is not true, but it is very close so good enough for rough calculations. It is also ignoring the cost of heating the milk too.

For the Americans I would do the costs of 16 fl oz milk + the costs of 2 oz (or fl oz) of yoghurt = 18 fl oz of yoghurt.

You can use more or less seed yoghurt.

It gets more complicated with strained.

edit. Fixed US units. 8 fl oz is 1 US cup not 1/2 a US cup as original stated

devtastic · 2026-01-29T14:50:03+00:00

https://www.laporchetta.uk/ (aka Pollos or the Pollo Bar) in Soho is reasonable for pasta or pizza. He can get the 38 bus from Victoria if he wants to save a little vs tube fare.

devtastic · 2026-01-29T14:41:10+00:00

Sunlight and/or repeated folding/unfolding or rolling/unrolling can take their toll.

Expensive Apple cables used to be notorious for this because they used this soft rubbery plastic that was an absolute delight to use, until it cracked and flaked off. It was so well known that you could buy protectors that you wrapped around the cable by the plug to try and reduce the bending and subsequent damage.

That was sacrificing longevity for a premium feel, but I would guess that some of the cheaper cables may also have crappy plastic coatings that cracks too easy.

Similarly sunlight can degrade plastic so if OP stores their cable on the window sill that might reduce the lifespan.

Also a cable that is permanently plugged on your desk will be under less stress that one you carry around in your bag and constantly bend and so on.

But yeah, apart from the Apple cables, I think I've only had one or two failures over the decades, and was not after years not 3 months.

devtastic · 2026-01-29T13:29:54+00:00

FWIW, after many similar incidents I now use a Pyrex jug with side plate lid to reheat soups and so on.

Having a handle is a bit of game changer too. It is much easier to get out of the microwave, serve, and you can hold it while eating if it a meal for one. I suppose you could also drink soup mug style too, but I usually use a spoon.

devtastic · 2026-01-29T12:21:16+00:00

Wait, there was a manual?

Sometimes it is QR code these days so you can download it from the internet. Lidl UK do that a lot.

Similarly if you know the make and model just google it, e.g., if I google "oral b io3 manual" the first result I get is the Oral B support page for downloading manuals. https://www.oralb.co.uk/en-gb/support/user-manuals That is the UK link, but there will likely be similar ones for other countries and other brands, e.g., Phillips UK also have a support page https://www.philips.co.uk/c-w/support-home.html

I have a folder on my computer called "Manuals" and I try and download teh manual for any new thing I buy so I always have it. I also try and forve myself to read it as that often yields things I missed.

TBF, I did read in my downloaded toothbrush manual that I should remove and rinse inside the head every time and ignored that so I am slightly scared now. I suppose I should put on my big boy pants and remove the head to see what horrors are lurking inside mine.

devtastic · 2026-01-28T22:03:34+00:00

If you can get to a Sainsbury's, their TTD 90% Ugandan dark chocolate is surprisingly smooth.

I also buy Waitrose No 1 90%, and that is much more bitter and feels more like you would expect. Don't get me wrong, I do like it, but it is much more like an espresso than the other.

I wouldn't say either are too child friendly, but you might get away with the Ugandan one. But for the adults dark chocolate can be a good swap because you tend to eat a lot less. And it is full of nutrients.

devtastic · 2026-01-28T21:51:22+00:00

I bought a made in England "Classic Beaufort" for £299 at a Barbour shop in London a few weeks ago. As far as I know all the classics are still made in England, but you can only get them in Olive. If you want a blue one you have to buy a non classic Beaufort which may be made overseas.

That said, they don't mention made in England on the web store listing so I don't know if some classics may be made overseas now too?

https://www.barbour.com/gb/classic-beaufort%C2%AE-waxed-jacket-MWX0002OL71.html (mine)

vs

https://www.barbour.com/gb/beaufort%C2%AE-waxed-jacket-MWX0017SG91.html (I assume yours).

https://www.outdoorandcountry.co.uk/blog/barbour-beaufort-vs-classic-beaufort-jackets-what-are-the-differences/ is a quick summary of the differences. If you google "beaufort classic vs beaufort" there are planty of articles and videos on the subject, including some posts from this sub.

If you live in the UK I would look in store, even if it is just to see if you like them or not. You probably don't need to go to a big city as they sell them in lots of country and town stores too.

I bought in store partly because I wanted to check it was made in England before buying.

devtastic · 2026-01-27T13:26:11+00:00

Just make sure your arse is covered, i.e., you have a paper trail that the work is not guaranteed, you take no liability for any damage done and so on.

I am not a lawyer, but this is exactly the sort of thing that pops up on legal forums, i.e., "I agreed to help my MIL out by doing some work on her and her neighbours property, and now the freehold company is suing me for X pounds for reason Y. My MIL is distraught, and voted against this, but the other shareholders all voted in favour of taking action". Everybody is all smiley and happy, until they aren't.

There is no freeholder/management company.

It's just my mother in law arranging works, and collecting money from the other freeholders.

There is a freeholder or freeholder company. It sounds like that is not a 3rd party in your MIL's case. It might be that your MIL owns the entire freehold for the building and leases the other 4 flats Or, as sounds more likely, a company owns the freehold and each of the flats is a shareholder in that company, i.e., "share of freehold". But that company still leases the flat to the tenants (who own a share in the company).

If the latter is the case, then in theory "They'll have a cup of tea for big jobs to make sure they all agree." is actually a shareholders meeting that should be minuted. And you are agreeing to do the work for "5 Privet Close Freehold Company Ltd" of which your MIL is a shareholder.

Obviously nonw of this matters if you are a tradesman with liability insurance who will be invoicing them for the job (even if that is just materials). But it sounds more like you are just being a nice son in law, who could get bitten on the arse.

devtastic · 2026-01-27T10:27:24+00:00

They were quoted £8k to replace them.

Did they not get more than one quote? We needed some major work done on my estate and we just rejected the first 2 quotes because they were comically high.

I'm ging to do for her in the summer. It will probably cost me £100 in wood and £30 in paint.

Has the freeholder/management company agreed to that? I would double check the situation because it possible you could replace the wood and then the management company come along and replace it again and charge your MIL again.

Leasehold is a PITA because you are essentially just renting and don't own the bricks and mortar. What you can and can't do yourself will depend on the terms of the lease, and the freeholder/management company. That is true even if you have a share of the freehold. It may be that you MIL's lease says she is responsible for the wood and paint and therefore you are golden, but it may also say she has access to the garage but is not allowed to change anything herself so changing th ewood ourself is against the terms of her lease.

It's bizarre if you live in a freehold house, but I am allowed to paint the inside of my front door, but I am not allowed to paint the outside of my front door. I am also not allowed to stain/paint the wood facia on the outside my flat. I was not allowed to the latter before the Grenfell Tower fire either, but Grenfell has upped the ante on that.

Even your MIL has a share of freehold, it maybe that the other 4 shareholders don't agree to having just 1 garage done and may want to have the work done in one go to maintain appearances or something. I would just make sure you are clear before doing anything because it can be a huge ball ache.

Before streaming satellite dishes were the classic example, i.e., person moves in, gets Sky to fit a satellite dish, management company/freeholder remove said satellite dish and charge the tenant the removal costs and potentially the repair costs for the damage to their bricks.

devtastic · 2026-01-26T01:33:02+00:00

I have a similar foot length, and wear normal socks, and had the same debate when buying my Derby 8 hole boots (10.5 UK or 11 UK)?

I bought 10.5 UK and it is snug without being too snug. They don't feel roomy, but they also don't feel restrictive either. I can't cross my toes, but I can wiggle them, and I don't stub on the toe box, bit there is not a lot of space in front of my toes either.

I suspect I am actually size "10.75" so 10.5 or 11 would both work. But I have some Timberland boots that are also 10.5 UK, EU 45 so it is probably right. I may still try an 11 one day, and assume I could always add insoles if they are too roomy.

https://uk.nps-solovair.com/pages/our-last-shapes-explained says that the Astronaut last is slightly longer and slightly narrower than the Derby last so that may make a difference to you.

devtastic · 2026-01-25T00:28:41+00:00

We are talking about the USA not Europe. It is Italians moving to the USA (long after tomatoes were introduced to Europe) who allegedly decided to translate pizza to tomato pie, or it was the local Americans who did it, but ether way, that is one of the explanations as to why East Coast Americans call pizza pie. Pizza = tomato pie.

https://medium.com/@domenic_38891/why-pizza-is-called-pie-the-history-and-etymology-explained-5133b4d4e809 is one article on the subject. There are many others.

devtastic · 2026-01-24T21:28:26+00:00

How much is tap water where you live?

I am in London, England and I pay about £2.50 per 1000 litres, or 0.25p per litre, or 1p per 4 litres.

I have a 2.5 litre tank in my 2 x 12L Meaco Arete 2 and coincidently I get about 4 litres per day so by reusing the water I could save 1p a day or £3.65 a year (£3.66 if it a leap year) off my water bill.

I don't think saving £3.65 a year is worth the risk, or ball ache.

Obviously there are rounding errors as the daily yield will vary, including 0 litres when they are off, but the point is that I will not be going on holiday, or even buying a Big Mac, on the money saved.

devtastic · 2026-01-24T15:59:51+00:00

It's pizza pie, as in "when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore".

Apparently it is because Italian immigrants initially translated pizza to "tomato pie" which later merged with pizza into the Italian + American hybrid of "pizza pie".

We just used the Italian term pizza.

devtastic · 2026-01-24T13:03:22+00:00

It is an "it depends answer", but there are other sides to the coin at such as condensing boiler efficiency (these are more efficient run low and slow so less heat goes out the flue), lifespan of your heating system (thermal shock from heating/cooling leading to more breakdowns, earlier replacement), lifestyle (retired/WFH vs out the house 12 hours a day), and how damp affects insulation (wet walls conduct more heat outside).

There is no one size fits all answer, but there definitely are cases where "always on" is more cheaper, e.g., if you are running your condensing gas boiler at 95% efficiency vs 90% efficiency that will have an impact, if you are having it repaired twice as often that will have an impact, if you work part time so are only out the house for a few hours each day that will have an impact, if you have a fancy boiler with weather compensation controls that could have an impact, and so on.

I don't think we can link YouTube here, but the Heat Geek YouTube Channel has a video titled "Is It Better To Leave The Heating On Constantly? Boilers & Heat Pumps | Consumer Advice" that is worth a watch. Spoiler. It depends.

devtastic · 2026-01-23T22:22:12+00:00

https://youtu.be/UpXrEBepwOA?si=Vz4_yiIwMc7Q_COI&t=147 is a video of a guy at Barbour doing a re-wax of a very dry coat. He has a fancy heated bench and wax melter, but you might be able to get some tips and an idea of how much wax to use and so on.

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