Over the years......

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

I've worked on many heating systems and I hate to show up without a proper selection of replacement parts. Tridicators, zone valve power heads, ignition controllers, auto air vents, relief valves, thermostats, fill valves, aquastats, pump and zone valve relays.........Sometimes, I know I have the part, just can't find it.

Gordy

Then you buy it, and later find that part when your looking for something else you forgot where you put it.........

Bob Bona_4

How bout the stuff you got that's obsolete!

JUGHNE

2017 will mark 40 years of collecting things like that! The real kicker is to find something that I "meant" to return for credit. I am 100 miles from the closest supply house and most of my stuff comes from 200 plus mile away. Of course I would not ship these for return and wait to return when I'm at the location. But things don't get done. And then there was the desire to have things on hand for heating season. So I might get 2 parts when I only need one.
On my last heating call I needed 3 items, 2 of them I purchased in 1982 and they were on the shelf (but prices have only doubled since then and the old stock was made in USA).
The third one had to be ordered and freight was paid. I could have just ordered all 3....same freight charge. And I probably spent 45 minutes finding the 2 on the shelf and checking compatibly. But the principle of the thing is to empty the shelf.

Some years ago I realized I could not stock all needed parts to get the heat back on in one visit. So I have a supply of electric space heaters to provide heat while parts arrive. People out here realize parts have to be shipped out and are grateful that something is on order, if they are not happy then I don't worry because nothing would make them happy anyway.

Abracadabra

Gordy said:

Then you buy it, and later find that part when your looking for something else you forgot where you put it.........

+1