20th May 2018

On Monday this week the smart electric and gas meters were fitted so we now have a gas supply that can be used.

Poor old John has had a pig of a week this week, he never really gets frustrated but this week has just pushed him a tad too far. It started off with him finishing off the piping to the boiler that we’d started last week. That went well. However as soon as filled the boiler with water it pissed out everywhere. Even the non plumbers amongst you will know that’s not a good thing. Now if that had have been me, the boiler would have been knackered and I would have gone out and bought a new one, but good old JB’s not the sort of person to admit defeat. He stripped it down, found a perished washer, replaced it and rebuilt. Fair play to him, that cracked it and the boiler filled and held pressure. So his next job was to get a pipe from the gas meter at the front left of the house, to the boiler at the back right. The 2 couldn’t be further apart. Anyway, as I would have done, he went up in to the roof space, across and down in 22mm pipe and dropped it in nicely. His plumber mate made the connection to the boiler and meter and then tested it - queue issue number 2, not enough gas pressure. Cutting a long story short, the pipework had to be removed and the run shortened and pipe diameter increased. So he had no option to go around the front of the house, down the side and up in to the bathroom floor in 28mm pipe. That added another challenge, the gate now needs to be modified as it catches when opening. The dickhead next door had something to say when John was in there but he’s picked the wrong man if he thinks he can be cocky with John. Finally, he needed to get the hole for the flue drilled, he’s got a diamond core drill specifically for the job. And there sneaking in is challenge number three. The bricks are so hard, they burned the diamonds out on the drill and it got stuck in the wall. His only way out was to chisel it out. Despite all this, he never gave up and the good news is the boiler has fired up and is holding pressure which is great news.

On Friday night we were all going to Eddie & Lynne’s so I took him a nice bottle of red wine as I really felt for him. He then told me the clown next door had been round as he had a water leak and decided it must have been something a John had done from our side, like drilling through a pipe or something, John checked snd it most definitely wasn’t anything he’d done, so he took the opportunity to advise him if there was any damage arising from so called water leak on our site, liability and recommence would be pursued!! Good old John 👍

Saturday Sharon and I went up and it was another beautiful day. We had a bit of a tidy up and I set to fitting the fused supply to the boiler.. I also refitted all the upstairs door handles as Adam has been up there and finished painting them. He has also painted the front bedroom a nice blue/grey colour. It was royal wedding day and Sharon had a sore throat. I decided to take her home around lunchtime and I gathered a few materials and went back armed with a sandwich and some goodies. I chiselled the wall out and fitted the two post switch sockets and terminations for the hob and the oven. Filled them, refitted the cupboard and connected the oven up. I also realised that I had put a power supply in for the extractor. So again I chiselled out and added a spur ready for that. I didn’t seem to achieve very much yesterday but it took me all day and I didn’t stop. Having to pop home twice for bits of tools and wires slowed thing down. Finally I completed the consumer unit off, putting on its cover and labelling all the MCB’s up.

Sunday, Sharon was on a day off as she was going shopping for a dress with her Mum and Lynne, I went up this morning as I sold the 2 fireplaces we took out on eBay and one of them was being picked up this morning. I was there early so being a Sunday i am aware of not making a lot of noise. I turned my attention to a bit of painting. I painted the wall in the back passage, all the walls in the downstairs toilet, cut the walls back in in the kitchen so they have a nice neat line and finally I undercoated the sides of the staircase. I had a little tidy and then came home just after lunch.

I have took the liberty of asking a Uncle Spok if the gate is shared and it was purchased by Uncle Les, so I’ve advised JB of that and told him to fill his boots when telling the baffoon next for to “Do One”, I’m sure John will choose his words carefully 😂

So there’s been a lot of work this week but no big visible changes, that’s what happens at this stage, but I’d sooner there be central heating and hot water than something big to look at. Away again all this week, but off on Friday so a long weekend at it next weekend.En savoir plus