DIY PLUMBING

Some years ago our then lovely young neighbour came racing over my newly planted lawn shouting out that there was water pouring through her light fittings.
I raced over turning the power off before going inside and indeed water was everywhere.
Up into the ceiling to see what had happened and found the pressure of the cold water tap being turned on and off had forced the inlet pipe into the storage tank to come out of it's fitting.
The girl rang the "licenced" plumber and he helpfully said he'd be round in about a week!!!!:o
So I went back up into the roof space and filed out the copper ring which clamps over the pipe and refitted the joint in about 10 minutes flat. Perfect job and I got a beer as thanks.
Few nights later there's a knock on the door and this horrid little man advises me that as I'm not a licenced plumber he'll have me taken to court and prosecuted...."Go ahead" I responded "we'll see what they have to say about your workmanship".
And never heard another word about it.
Not just us amateurs who can make balls ups. I make plenty.
AlanH.

I've been fortunate with plumbing, but over the years more than one LICENCED 'sparky has proved to be not as bright as he should be... Yes, I do check their workmanship afterwards... You're welcome to read between the lines.:angel:

Maybe 'drip-loops', stripping cable without nicking the wire and double-folds for terminations are old fashioned skills, - but If I can do them I reckon it's reasonable to expect a Tradesman Electrician to demonstrate the same basic skills:eek:.

Poor quality is'nt limited to workmanship, even materials supplied are more, um, 'variable' than they used to be.

We had major renovations done 12 years ago, and the quality of the new ensuite dunny is, well, not as 'Teflon' as is one would hope. Made in China. When the other old pan (Aussie made 45 years ago) was broken and replaced last year, well, same thing was noticed. Very much Not Nice.:eek:

Never noticed the 'decorations' on the work toilets, despite the relative lack of regular cleaning (as compared with how you look after your own household ones...) Maybe Industrial-standard pans are better made than domestic.

- Don't start me on the fragility of modern cistern mechanisms and the co$t and inconvenience of replacing them !

If you buy a rainwater tank... get one with the tap already fitted. - you (legally) cannot take out the blanking bung and screw one in.
Then, if you put it under a hole in your guttering, well fine. - But you can be fined if you an ANY way 'connect' your tank to a downpipe etc. You need a specialist plumber to do that on the house tank or any shed on your property....- True gripes from a country-based Plumber.

Well, maybe we are lucky that we rent a farm "workers cottage" which is a removal house built just post WW11 about 47/8 all hardwood weather board and frame,the termites don't like it :) but the downside is the Fibro ceiling and sufettes, it is plumbed with a combination of the original galvanised piping and rural blue stripe polypipe in true farm style,we have a change-over tap that allows us to either use town or tank (8,000 gallons) so drinking water is tank and all other is tap.

DIY Disasters | Reece

The leaking milk carton was limp compared to the superlative 2 years of Duct Tape!:D