Pilot Error

[nukecad]

I've moved into my new flat.

This morning I plumbed in my washing machine.
As usual a bit fiddly getting the pipes through the cabinet walls and connected, but not too bad as those things go.

The drain was the type that fits to a spigot above the U-bend of the sink rather than being a seperate stand pipe, I've not used one of those before but fair enough just push it on and secure with a jubilee clip.

All connected, give it a quick rinse/spin cycle to make sure it's working before pushing it under the worktop - Fills fine, chugs about, then although I can hear the pump running it wouldn't drain.

Maybe a blanking plug in the spigot? So undo it from the U-bend and check - no blanking plugs.
Has the pump impeller got damaged during the move, that seems unlikely, scratch head, make a cup of tea and think.

Light bulb goes on - Although the water connections had obviously been there some time all the drain pipes under the sink were brand new, including that connection spigot.
Take the drain hose of the spigot again and sure enough the end of the spigot is solid - it's the type where you have to cut the end off before use. (I couldn't see it before because of the way it was fitted).
Quick surgery with a stanley knife, reconnect, and all is now working.

Tomorrow my new cooker comes, 50cm cooker, 60cm gap.
Time to get creative with some 50mm aluminium angle fastened to the worktop and cabinet ends at either side to make up the gaps.
I'll probably use some black marble effect vinyl I have hanging about to sort of blend it in with the black worktops, not quite a match but it will do, and then get some wood effect vinyl for down the fronts.

[nukecad]

Yep, that's the B* factor at work.

You know exactly what you are doing but then the B comes along and B's it up.

[JK0]

Sympathy. I spent 3 hours yesterday getting a cistern off. I had to use a Bosch multi tool to grind away the rusted wingnuts under the pan. When I got it all apart, I found the cistern was too narrow for the Dudley 88 syphon I intended to fit. I had to put it all back together with the original syphon, and order a Dudley 44 one from Amazon.

[nukecad]

Pipes noisy when the toilet is flushed, lock-up charity shop below my rental so the occasional noise is noticable in my rental.
Obviously wasn't an issue during lockdown as they were closed.

As a favour I've got a spare float valve diaphragm, and we all know it takes 5 mins fix to change a float valve diphragm right?

Right type diaphragm, exactly the same valve as my own toilet cistern float arm, but can I get the new washer to cut off the supply after 20 mins of trying?
I'm missing something here.

I think I've found it after taking my own float valve apart again - It seems that the LL had put a sealing washer in the wrong place and bodged it by using some silicone where the washer should have been. (and all the piping joints are loose but that's incidental).
I'll have another try when the charity shop opens again on Monday.

I call it the buggeration factor.
If all else fails I'll swap mine for the one in the shop and get a new one for myself.

[JK0]

Loose contact that got joggled back into place during the journey?
Dirt/dust that got shaken out during the journey?

Maybe you weren't holding your face right?

When I lived in the pub/hotel we used to get the fire alarm going off a lot at this time of year.
We eventually worked out that it was spiders coming indoors from the cold, getting into the smoke/heat sensors and shorting them out.

Ha! Happened again today, as another tenant is moving in to another flat:

I take my little video camera over to document the initial meter readings, and that the smoke alarm works. This time, the light flashed, but it could not be made to beep on pressing the button. A new battery had the same effect.

Back up the road, 300 yards to my car, and off to Wickes in the pouring rain, through a traffic jam. Bought a new smoke alarm, and back to the flat. Fortunately I had my hop up platform in the car boot, so had something to stand on.

I think God has a bit of fun with me every time I get a new tenant.

[theartfullodger]

Lexus owners eh? - used to be one

[JK0]

Over a month ago my friend came over asking for some white paint for his ceiling. I had about half of a 10 litre bucket in the garage, which I was happy to give him.

My friend rang last night to tell me that I had not put the lid on properly. It had spilled all over the inside of his Lexus' boot.

'What, on the way home from my house?' I asked.

'No, last week', he replied.

He'd had the paint rolling around in his boot for a month, and expected the top not to come off.

[JK0]

The washer dryer lady called me again this week. She said that her lounge storage heater was not working, so I agreed to go over today at 12pm. She wasn't in, but I noticed two cutouts on the off peak consumer unit had popped, so I reset them. I went back around 3.30 to see if the afternoon boost had made them work, but everything was still stone cold.

The Creda storage heater's cutout had melted, presumably due to having clothes put on it, so I have ordered another. I could not actually get the Dimplex heater apart as my tenant has so much furniture in there. I'll have another look when I get the Creda part.

The immersion heater's cutout had also popped. Presumably due to all the junk piled up against it.

[JK0]

I don't know what Dody Ron got up to yesterday, but almost all the rubber seals from the sink waste now seem to be missing. I've had to re-plumb it today, but getting it back together, it was still blocked further down the waste pipe. Eventually I had to take it apart again and use my drain clearing spring.

[JK0]

I contacted Dody Ron myself last night, as my friend seems unable, and they've called today. They told him he needs to get a plumber to tighten up the plastic fittings under the sink.

Err... wtf am I paying Dody Ron over £80 for?

[amy131]

Did you go?

Presumably the washing machine spigot connects under his sink and he didn't just think the blocked sink was also going to stop his washing machine draining

Reminds me of the pilot error by someone I hired to fit kitchen worktops for me. I had done most of the kitchen fitting myself to that point. After I had ran the dishwasher I opened it and water was coming out, quickly shut it and cleared up the water then inspected the plumbing under the sink. The end of the spigot was still on! Easy job for me to fix and no damage fortunately.

[JK0]

My friend rang on Friday night, telling me his sink drain was blocked. I had to clear the rice out of the sink waste at his old house several times for him over the years, when he was broke, but it's a vile job.

My friend now has £90k in the bank, and I'm busy at other flats, so I told him to call Dyno Rod. This morning there was a message from him on my answerphone telling me his washing machine has now flooded the kitchen. This morning he rang to say I should get there by 12.

I'm still not going.

[JK0]

The washer dryer saga lady called me on Thursday. She said that her hot water had not worked since two weeks after I last fixed it. I went over at 12pm today, and found both immersions' spur boxes switched off, as expected.

[nukecad]

My sharer (he's only here two days a week now for work) early this morning asked me about a strange noise in his bedroom.

"It's like noisy water pipes or maybe an electrical fault. It started about quarter of an hour ago while I was having a shower."

I popped up for a quick listen and yes a strange buzzing noise, not quite like water vibration, not quite like an electrical short.
There are no pipes anywhere near there so I told him that as soon as he'd gone to work I'd knock the power off and take a closer look.

Power off, still the buzzing noise, power back on, snoop.

His electric toothbrush was buzzing away merrily on his wardrobe shelf where he'd put it after his shower, with the closed wardrobe acting as an amplifier and distorting the sound.

[JK0]

Back home again, having replaced the shower and tap.

Today I had to replace that shower again. That's a bit bad, isn't it? Four years and running off soft water too. The temperature (flow) control had no effect.