What a pain in the ass

DXP55

DXP55

DXP55

Soldato
Joined
5 Aug 2013
Posts
6,970
Location
Shropshire
My sink tap has started to drip - It is 10 yrs old so I accept that- Oh - I cannot shift the chrome bits that cover the tap valves.
Started searching for a new mixer tap and found what we wanted -slightly bigger than existing - Bought that.
Next job was to have a look under the sink :o Most people can probably guess what it's like - Started poking things and found the two isolators Hot and cold and the sink waste pipe is directly in front of hot isolator. The cold one is directly behind sink bottle trap. Taking off waste pipe I found the isolators siezed solid and could see a label on them "Jacko's second hand isolaters" - - One of the pipes was covering outside tap isolater. One major problem is hot water pipe does not have a drain valve and when I drain it down there will be at least 2ft of water in upright pipe below isolator valve so its drill a hole time.
In short it is a right mess - So got some flexi pipes and two new isolator with handle on - a drain valve and dug out some old copper pipe and spent a rather tense afternoon fixing up a new bit of pipe for when I take the old lot out.
It should be much neater and it should work fine -I hope !
Tomorrow is launch day - Wife is going out despite the lockdown as she said I am not staying in when you do that job.

Rant over - feel a bit calmer now :)
 
The_Arbiter said:
Is there any job in life that is truly a 5min job :D

Your wife seems sensible at least.
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In terms of DIY.....no, unless you count topping up the loo roll reserves:p. My jobs always take longer. I chose the change my tap a couple of years ago and found the new tap was slightly too big for the hole:rolleyes:, so I had to file it out and the sink was resin so blunted my file:mad:.
 
When I was in my 40s-50s all jobs were simple - Now simple jobs have to be planned but they still go wrong - Just been under the sink to double check and it seems I agree with the last check but come tomorrow things might change on the first thing I touch.
My sink is resin and tap is 10mm bigger than the old one but from what I have read there is a standard hole size for the tails to go through but when in Lidl last week I bought two packs of Dremmel sanders just in case.
I am expecting the worst but hoping for the best - bad luck can't last forever - or can it. ?
 
It's jobs like this where a local Screwfix is a godsend. Something goes wrong you can pop out and get a replacement.
 
Last Thursday I decided to change the rear & front derailleurs. the cassette and a new chain on my MTB.
I estimated 2 to 3 hours at the most but took the best part of 8 hours because of everything going wrong.
On Friday the chain decided to break (my fault) but it took out my brand new rear derailleur and I had to buy a new one :)
I actually finished the job today and I'd spent around 12 hours for a 2 hour job.
 
psd99 said:
damn that's bad - the person who installed that took too many shortcuts! poor workmanship
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True story
I had a mate who actually had ties with the Overclockers shop many moons ago but his venture soon died.
He was well known for doing odd jobs for people and he even had a skill where people would take him shopping for electricals and he'd stand there for an hour getting a great deal as long as he could go home with £20 in his pocket.
Anyway, he had a lovely house and one of my other mates bought it for cash off him (around £60,000 at the time).
It soon became apparent that while my mate Simon was doing DIY that not all seemed to be what it looked like and he came across job after job where the other guy had done the minimum.
eg the pipes in the bathroom had been bent at right angles, not properly bent
The dividing wall between the hall and living room was basically just pieces of plasterboard
While doing a job in the kitchen he hammered and a tile fell off, all the tiles had been put on with a little bit of cement in only the middle
The list was endless and he ended up paying out £25,000 to put everything right.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
Last Thursday I decided to change the rear & front derailleurs. the cassette and a new chain on my MTB.
I estimated 2 to 3 hours at the most but took the best part of 8 hours because of everything going wrong.
On Friday the chain decided to break (my fault) but it took out my brand new rear derailleur and I had to buy a new one :)
I actually finished the job today and I'd spent around 12 hours for a 2 hour job.
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You must have a big garden to house a Motor torpedo boat - Its the only thing MTB means to me.:D

Steampunk - unforunately the chrome covers for taps were pear shaped and nothing would grip the chrome casing - I didn't try mole grips or stilsons but I will now the taps are off.

1972 jerry built bungalow.

meUNwTw.jpg


Didn't start till 10.00 and finished by 1.30 -It went well considering - only problem was the guys who fitted the taps pulled pipe out of clip and added more pipe and I couldn't /wouldn't pull on the pipe - I had to get my junior hacksaw and slid it up and down wall to cut the plastic clip and screw off.
Had heart stopper when turned on water as nothing worked then heard sound of water -Hadn't tightened up drain valve which is piped up to go outside.
Leaving it now till tomorrow to make sure theres no leaks then put all shelves back.

I am much to old for DIY now
 
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DXP55 said:
Steampunk - unforunately the chrome covers for taps were pear shaped and nothing would grip the chrome casing - I didn't try mole grips or stilsons but I will now the taps are off.
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I had the same problem with a stainless tap, and a rubber strap wrench will grip the fitting, the handle presses the rubber and tensions it, and it grips the steel to turn it without any tool marks.
 
Good work @DXP55. I stupidly did my next door neighbors for him about 18 months ago. It took me about 3 hours and was a right pain, too tight to work in for the most part and I am only a small bloke.
 
:D.
Believe it or not the kitchen fitters would only connect if they used a qualified sparky - I would have put it on the top right but there you go - Who am I to argue - I did wrap gaffa tap over the top just in case-
Had a job at 19th Tee once and all our stuff was earthed back to main board - Another lad got a call out as our equip had blown off wall - Turned out there was a double socket on the floor of bar right under the beer taps - Patrons had complained of getting belt from the showers.
:rolleyes:

ps - well spotted by way
 
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