Pretty sure it doesn't work anymore. If it worked it should have been switched on before a recent home game where the pitch near the Valley End was very frosty.
There haven't been any home games this season when the soil has been frozen hard. The only time the boiler has been roaring was on Saturday and it was hard to fathom why as it was a mild drizzly day. Perhaps because there had been a hard frost early on Thursday and even on Friday the temperature only reached 5deg C before rising through the night.
On 2 January there may well have been frost on the grass towards the end of the game; there was certainly stubborn ice on my car windscreen!
Alan Cecil may be able to confirm but I think the undersoil heating starts automatically when the temperature drops below a certain level. It is probably on even as we speak.
(a) > The surface frost on the blades of grass is fine. The heating is meant to keep the soil (for want of a better description) from freezing solid rather than melting everything on top..
(b)> I believe it is automatic ..
(a) Exactly so.
(b) So do I.
As I understand it, the relaying of the pitch did not affect the pipe work (or whatever it's called) underneath.
I doubt whether the undersoil components need maintenance; the powerful boiler with it's blast of air which @Morris_Ital alludes to probably does.
There is clearly a fair amount of interest in this topic and an article in the matchday programme and/or on the official website
would be welcome, I think.
If the system cost significant amounts to maintain, surely that would have been one of the first cuts that needed to be made when the trust took over and costs needed cutting.
Isn't the theory that the undersoil heating saves money over time because it saves the cost of postponed matches? So switching it off would be a false economy?
@rmjlondon said:
yes I thought so, but have requested confirmation from the club.
I'm not sure, but I'd imagine that the staff have got rather more pressing matters to deal with than answering random queries asking if the undersoil heating is on? Maybe the preparations for tomorrow's match, or sorting out the ticketing details for the Spurs game, or preparing press releases confirming that Pierre and Stewart have both signed 3 year deals (one can dream...)?
Although I suppose it's easy for you to just pop your head through the door from the shop and ask, eh Richie...?
Surely only cost is difference in attendance for weekday match v weekend and if cancelled late costs of staff paid for the day, food lost and away team expenses.
Totally guessing here, but say 500 crowd at £15 = £7500. Wages/expenses 30 people * 50 for day = £1500. food etc £500 , total cost of a postponement c. £10,000?
Lets say that is ballpark. Compare that to cost of undersoil heating maintenance and knowledge that we are in the South east of England so probably would only actually lose 1 game every two seasons.
Certainly hard to see how installation cost is justified. Maintenance once it is there, maybe, depends how much that costs and how much cost per time it is turned on is.
No doubt the club has this data and can make informed decision.
Arguably, but as we don't have real figures, we either have to make informed guesses to get ballpark figures or not comment at all.
Cost of a postponement to me looks to be in the order of £10k. Doesn't really matter whether true figure is £8k or £12k, doesn't look like it is £2k or £25k.
Doesn't happen very often given our location.
Doesn't appear to justify large cost investment to prevent.
Hey @DevC As @Right_in_the_Middle says, @eric_plant completely set you up there for a bit of completely speculative number work about a subject of minor interest in the scheme of things. I enjoy many of your posts, but you may want to think about whether you're happy to conform so enthusiastically with your typecasting.
Comments
Does anyone know how to switch it on?
Pretty sure it doesn't work anymore. If it worked it should have been switched on before a recent home game where the pitch near the Valley End was very frosty.
the frost doesn't get swept off at WWFC, if it wasn't on it would have been solid.
There haven't been any home games this season when the soil has been frozen hard. The only time the boiler has been roaring was on Saturday and it was hard to fathom why as it was a mild drizzly day. Perhaps because there had been a hard frost early on Thursday and even on Friday the temperature only reached 5deg C before rising through the night.
On 2 January there may well have been frost on the grass towards the end of the game; there was certainly stubborn ice on my car windscreen!
Alan Cecil may be able to confirm but I think the undersoil heating starts automatically when the temperature drops below a certain level. It is probably on even as we speak.
Is the boiler that thing that will blow you into the day after tomorrow if you take too sharp a corner coming out of the family stand?
I thought that was where they flipped the burgers
it must be on as pitch is covered in snow currently and they say it will be playable tomorrow.
I don't think it is automatic. Who can forget the farcical scenes the other Christmas?
yes who can remember Fleetwood and the skating rink !!
@eric_plant don't forget we have changed pitches since then.
Surely the new pitch was laid on top of the existing undersoil heating though?
I would guess the upgrade of the pitch included upgrading of under soil heating. I don't these things last for over 10 years without maintenance.
Fair point
(a) > The surface frost on the blades of grass is fine. The heating is meant to keep the soil (for want of a better description) from freezing solid rather than melting everything on top..
(b)> I believe it is automatic ..
(a) Exactly so.
(b) So do I.
As I understand it, the relaying of the pitch did not affect the pipe work (or whatever it's called) underneath.
I doubt whether the undersoil components need maintenance; the powerful boiler with it's blast of air which @Morris_Ital alludes to probably does.
There is clearly a fair amount of interest in this topic and an article in the matchday programme and/or on the official website
would be welcome, I think.
club won't even confirm if we still have the system.
If the system cost significant amounts to maintain, surely that would have been one of the first cuts that needed to be made when the trust took over and costs needed cutting.
We are a fourth division club after all.
It was on last Saturday.
yes I thought so, but have requested confirmation from the club.
It was definately switched on last week.
Isn't the theory that the undersoil heating saves money over time because it saves the cost of postponed matches? So switching it off would be a false economy?
I'm not sure, but I'd imagine that the staff have got rather more pressing matters to deal with than answering random queries asking if the undersoil heating is on? Maybe the preparations for tomorrow's match, or sorting out the ticketing details for the Spurs game, or preparing press releases confirming that Pierre and Stewart have both signed 3 year deals (one can dream...)?
Although I suppose it's easy for you to just pop your head through the door from the shop and ask, eh Richie...?
Surely only cost is difference in attendance for weekday match v weekend and if cancelled late costs of staff paid for the day, food lost and away team expenses.
Totally guessing here, but say 500 crowd at £15 = £7500. Wages/expenses 30 people * 50 for day = £1500. food etc £500 , total cost of a postponement c. £10,000?
Lets say that is ballpark. Compare that to cost of undersoil heating maintenance and knowledge that we are in the South east of England so probably would only actually lose 1 game every two seasons.
Certainly hard to see how installation cost is justified. Maintenance once it is there, maybe, depends how much that costs and how much cost per time it is turned on is.
No doubt the club has this data and can make informed decision.
"Totally guessing here"
Rendering the rest of the post pointless
Arguably, but as we don't have real figures, we either have to make informed guesses to get ballpark figures or not comment at all.
Cost of a postponement to me looks to be in the order of £10k. Doesn't really matter whether true figure is £8k or £12k, doesn't look like it is £2k or £25k.
Doesn't happen very often given our location.
Doesn't appear to justify large cost investment to prevent.
Do you see the logic?
You set him up for a bit of number guesswork Eric. It was impossible to avoid after your post.
Isn't there a rule about having to use the heating if you have it?
If it wasn't cost effective to use it, wouldn't be hard to tell league that it was broken irretrievably and hence effectively we no longer have it.
Hey @DevC As @Right_in_the_Middle says, @eric_plant completely set you up there for a bit of completely speculative number work about a subject of minor interest in the scheme of things. I enjoy many of your posts, but you may want to think about whether you're happy to conform so enthusiastically with your typecasting.
@ Oakwood Exile - But isn't that why we voted so overwhelmingly for 'Remain' in the Dev Referendum?
@LeedsBlue Very good!
It is working. Talked with the groundsman during the Newport game and he confirm that it had been fixed prior to that game.