How'd the rewire go on the weekend Mike? Hope it went better than my weekend:
Saturday morning, ominous puddle in kitchen.
Look under sink, water leak from a soldered joint. Easy fix! Stop-cock off, drain down, cut out offending elbow, get a new one from stock, clean pipe, flux, solder, tools away, coffee!
Standing draining my cup, I hear drip! drip!
Under sink- it's bluddy leaking again! Same place, but a closer examination shows I have damaged the flexible pipe to the cold tap by moving it over a bit. Water off, car ride to the 'brico'. Fit new flexible and washers, but now it leaks from up at the tap! A full hour of gradually more desperate expletives later, I decide to get tap unit off for a shufti, but then Mrs. B says she'd like a new tap, one of those swivel lever ceramic disc chrome mixer jobs. Back to the 'brico', where she chooses the most expensive tap in the northern hemisphere. Home, fit new tap unit, no leaks, bliss!
Sunday morning, ominous puddle in kitchen. Check tap, not leaking. Listen, and it's coming from behind the blinking unit! Nothing for it, rip the back out and make a new two part back later. The pressure relief valve has decided to spring a leak- water coming from a crack in the casting. It's Sunday, so the stores are shut. Temporary fix, remove valve, make up a spacing piece with plastic pipe, couple of band clips, cut new ply-back and fit in two halves, and cross my fingers. All seems ok. An hour later we got no hot water!. The mains is at 4 bar. The water heater pressure relief is 3 bar. I just blew 20 gallons of hot water into the front garden and pasteurised the lawn. Turn relief up to 4.5 bar, set heater to run manual, all ok.
Monday morning ominous puddle etc.etc.
Look under sink, one of the temporary fix band clips needs a tweek. Off to brico, get a new pressure relief valve and a new stop valve and the fittings. Home, fit new kit, turn water heater relief back down to 3 bar, check- no leaks. In and out of the kitchen all day checking, but no leaks.
Tuesday morning ominous etc. etc.
Unit is full of soapy water now! I've split the dishwasher drain hose in my exertions, but this runs on a timer overnight on cheap electricity. Off to local electrical store, new 'Zanussi' pipe, a bloody fortune for a bit of plastic, it's outrageous! Home, fit new hose. Test run, all ok.
If there's an ominous puddle etc. etc. tomorrow morning, the dog is gettting a good kick up the 'arris, 'cos I'm turning the water off at the stopcock tonight, so there!
Alan
