Musings from the Merse
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Plumbing new depths
For the second time in three months the sink in the small house in Duns blocked up. Wrong sort of rice down the plug hole possibly. Not to worry we have an emergency plumbing cover 24/7 including Christmas Day and 29 Feb in Leap Year. And this was an emergency. 5 for lunch and no chance of using the dishwasher which exhales through the same hole as the sink. And the latter full of greasy water. Immobile and unsmiling.
'Home Sweet home serve' was as charming as ever. Promised that a local plumber would call within an hour. In the meantime I did battle with our plunger. A feeble little thing for clearing little old ladies eye baths.It did not even stir the greasy liquid; just irritated it. Off to Mr Pearsons to get a man sized plunger. Two in stock. Massive. Would remove the elephant in the sink, never mind the room and get stones out of horses hooves as an encore. At £1.94, credit crunch price, a snip. Started plunging. After ten satisfying gloops, the water level sank a bit and the plunger disintegrated-the rubber thing coming off the wooden handle showing evidence of perishing in a neat circle. Call Home Sweet Homeserve. Plumber will certainly call back very soon. One was in the vicinity TY12? No TD11. Of course.
Back to Pearsons. Nae bother will get you another one. Picked it up off the shelf. Promptly disintegrated. Another perisher. More expected next week. No thanks. Took the £1.94, the profuse apologies and observations on Chinese workmanship; and left.
Sink had sort of cleared itself. Secret is boiling water and lots of washing up liquid. But still needs a plumber.
Phone rings. The Home Sweet home serve duty plumber. 'Just finishing a little job-you are next on my list'
'Where are you?'
'Middlesborough' 'Middlesborough?' 'Yes. Born and bred'
I told him that as time was of the essence we could probably manage without him. He seemed disappointed. All the way to Duns at Homeserves expense, I presumed. 'Duns is a very long way' I told him.
'Oh' he said. 'Where exactly is it'
I told him. 'Oh' he said ' Not just south of Newcastle? I thought they said. The B*****S''
He put the phone down.
Hard.
(We will find some one in Duns, come Monday)
If we are spared
For the second time in three months the sink in the small house in Duns blocked up. Wrong sort of rice down the plug hole possibly. Not to worry we have an emergency plumbing cover 24/7 including Christmas Day and 29 Feb in Leap Year. And this was an emergency. 5 for lunch and no chance of using the dishwasher which exhales through the same hole as the sink. And the latter full of greasy water. Immobile and unsmiling.
'Home Sweet home serve' was as charming as ever. Promised that a local plumber would call within an hour. In the meantime I did battle with our plunger. A feeble little thing for clearing little old ladies eye baths.It did not even stir the greasy liquid; just irritated it. Off to Mr Pearsons to get a man sized plunger. Two in stock. Massive. Would remove the elephant in the sink, never mind the room and get stones out of horses hooves as an encore. At £1.94, credit crunch price, a snip. Started plunging. After ten satisfying gloops, the water level sank a bit and the plunger disintegrated-the rubber thing coming off the wooden handle showing evidence of perishing in a neat circle. Call Home Sweet Homeserve. Plumber will certainly call back very soon. One was in the vicinity TY12? No TD11. Of course.
Back to Pearsons. Nae bother will get you another one. Picked it up off the shelf. Promptly disintegrated. Another perisher. More expected next week. No thanks. Took the £1.94, the profuse apologies and observations on Chinese workmanship; and left.
Sink had sort of cleared itself. Secret is boiling water and lots of washing up liquid. But still needs a plumber.
Phone rings. The Home Sweet home serve duty plumber. 'Just finishing a little job-you are next on my list'
'Where are you?'
'Middlesborough' 'Middlesborough?' 'Yes. Born and bred'
I told him that as time was of the essence we could probably manage without him. He seemed disappointed. All the way to Duns at Homeserves expense, I presumed. 'Duns is a very long way' I told him.
'Oh' he said. 'Where exactly is it'
I told him. 'Oh' he said ' Not just south of Newcastle? I thought they said. The B*****S''
He put the phone down.
Hard.
(We will find some one in Duns, come Monday)
If we are spared
Labels: Plumbers, Small House in Duns
Comments:
I have so far avoided all plumbers in Kelso-will continue until have exhausted the possiblities of Middlesborough
A metre-long spring like a net curtain's but without any covering, rammed up and down, generally clears the U bend where the blockage lies. Or you could unscrew the U-bend? Boiling water plus washing powder clears grease but not rice. Good luck.
Its beyond the u bend I think but not near enough the outlet pipe to poke from outside. I suspect there is some grease. Boiling water and washing up liquid did it last time but it is proving more stubborn
So enjoy the perspective on your site ... perhaps not funny to you but the posts always brighten my day.
# posted by 
: 5:29 PM
: 5:29 PM
And he had to use sulfuric acid! No way could a rod manage the very badly designed and convoluted pipework.
Novel - caustic soda would normally be a better bet - if there are metal pipe sulphuric acid would tend to attack the pipework (=expense).
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