Is Constable Growler on the beat today, Rupert dear?
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Today the downstairs loo filled after it was flushed, and then went right on filling. So after a considerable struggle to take the valve-and-ballcock joint apart (yes, turning off the water first!) I took it down to Plumb Centre, where they took it apart and then sold me a new diaphragm to fit into it. I have now fitted it back, but I canāt have got it quite right because a little water is still leaking past at the joint; Iāll have to take it apart again in a little while once I have made supper and put that into the slow-cooker.
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If all else fails, adjust the ballcock float tension screw.
I had that happen once and found it hard to believe that one simple thing like that could cause so much head-scratching (by me).
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Yes, that is indeed the first thing to check if water is leaking out just a little from the hole which it is meant to come out of, but that isnāt where the water is now coming from. No amount of pushing on the little plastic plunger on the left where the ballcock is (and as the ballcock does) stops water from coming out of the joint on the right where the connection to the mains supply is. The joint is not fully tight, but itās a complete bugger to make tight enough when there is no way to get a proper purchase on it because of the side of the tank.
(Iāve adjusted or mended three of the five lavatories in this house during the past five years or so, and I fully expect to have to do the other two at one time or another.)
(later) Anyhow, itās working now, and supper is cooking, and I can get back to writing up ruddy Emma. Iāve got her as far as August 2008.
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Business card in Bristol a few years ago: āSmall, niggling plumber undertakes those small, niggling plumbing jobsā.
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Thatās rather splendid! If Iād got the right tool for tightening that sort of joint it would have been the work of a minute; as it was, using a mole-wrench took rather longer.
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Poor little mole!
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Come and 'ave a go if yer fink yer 'ard enough:
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They have their own cellar, you know. A bit rough in there Iām told.
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So far achieved to day by me: I have uprooted quite a bit of some sort of ornamental grass that spreads like crazy every year and tries to swallow up our lovely yellowtwig dogwood, not to mention infesting my little herb garden. I got up a lot of the buggerās roots, gosh they are long! Luckily not deep, they just spread out horizontally. Unlike (tiny font ON) Japanese Knotweed (tiny font OFF) which is deep!
Speaking of herbs, I find it amazing that a delicate-looking herb like tarragon survives the Ottawa winter, whereas the rosemary cannot. Thyme, sage and chives are old faithfuls as well.
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The annoying thing with the one I referred to above, was that the tension screw had to be released rather than tightened, which to look at the thing is the complete reverse of what youād expect.
Glad itās working now though.
Next time it happens, take a look at the alternative cistern valve assembly, which doesnāt use a float.
The fact itās all plastic,means itās cheap as chips. The fact that itās all plastic, means that it might not be an easy swap with all ball float cisterns.
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Unless it has a lever on the front of the cistern which you press down, instead of a plunger in the middle which is not a lot of use if you have arthritic hands, it wonāt work in the current cistern. Thatās the thing that makes it impossible to get a modern one.
I suppose we could cut a bit off a broom-handle and use that to push it down withā¦
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This is another problem with water, which I have defeated this day.
Today I cleaned out the whole of the pump in the goldfish pond.
Yay me!
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DIY home improvements?
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Kinda sorta.
But at least the water is circulating now, which it was not at about one this afternoon.
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Have you got a vested interest in the Fish pond, or distant relatives?
Sounds like a horrible job
Carinthia.xx
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Without the pump the fish might die, and it would be My Fault if they did, so yes, a vested interest.
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An update on updates to Chez Armitage.
Flat roofs were renewed a few weeks ago, as were soffits & guttering and underneath. I didnāt know what soffits were to be quite honest but Iām impressed. Guttering I knew about from the Victoria Wood āYoung Loveā sketches with Carl and Gail as they sat on a wall and discussed lifeās deeper meanings.
http://www.cello.prestel.co.uk/YoungLoveOne.htm
(Carl - ā¦ theyāre on tāroof.
Gail - What?
Carl - Penthouse flats.
Gail - Iām not living on a roof. My knittingāll roll into tāguttering.
Carl - Whoās been telling you about guttering?
Gail - You did. When we were kissing goodnight last night, and we snuggled up, and you said you had something to tell me, and you told me about guttering.
Carl - Yeah, well, I wonāt always be that romantic.)
Well, 5 windows were fitted on Monday. Painless and looking good.
Today ā¦ a new door. We bought the current one, as a āsecondā 26 years ago. we can now see through a couple of points where the wood has shrunk. Iāve looked for the warranty but canāt find it. Except now theyāve arrived the windows are fitted arse about face ā¦ so will need changing round. Simple to do but why ???
Monday. A new drive will begin ā¦ initially by rolling up the current one, which is truly a disgrace. I have no idea where theyāll put it. 176m sq. all told. I have finally shifted 2 dead cars off the drive ā¦ Iām tempted to buy an old ambulance and remove 3 wheels which can then be replaced by bricks propping it up. Iāve seen this garden art in Birkenhead and it gets much attention.
The external walls are to be re-rendered and painted. That was planned for before the drive, but the wevva has put paid to that.
Central heating & boiler is in later this month. Then plastering walls and ceilings, followed by decorating, can commence. THEN itās the carpets. Now selected, but the final thing to go down.
ā¦ except that Mdm. Armitage has finally found a kitchen. In a shop & everything. That may be a September project.
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Armoured car up on bricks. āYeah, it can get a bit rough round here.ā
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I suppose this is probably not the best time to ask for the loan of a fiver until next Friday, thenā¦
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