Gripe of the day - What is yours?

[embee]

Originally Posted by admin

New tyres for the VFR, blimey the prices....

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Tyres are cheap, it's the inflation that gets you.




(Coat ..............)

[admin]

Originally Posted by embee

Tyres are cheap, it's the inflation that gets you.









(Coat ..............)

Groan.

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[Seeker]

Gripe or smile?

About 3 weeks ago I noticed, via an estimated bill, that my water meter wasn't working so I called Anglian Water (AW). A week later they sent someone to the change the meter. Info: I know my internal stopvalve is seized, quite frankly it looks menacing lurking in the corner of the bathroom (with the water meter), covered in 50 (?) years of paint daring anyone to try and turn the handle and laughing when they fail. There's another valve that is on the other side of the meter and I noticed it seemed to be weeping (possible gland failure).

I did warn AW but they were confident. Naturally, the AW meter swap guy couldn't intimidate the valve enough to stop the water flow (and decided that applying anymore force would be risky - a recurrent theme) so he went outside to the external valve at the end of my drive took one look and said: "No, that's not accessible". He arranged for AW's team (seized valve team? SVT) to come.

Meanwhile I took a look at the outside valve, dug out the cover so it could be lifted (which AW meter guy hadn't attempted), I removed 18 inches of dirt and finally saw the valve's handle but I couldn't turn it (I'm leary of these gate valve's handles detaching themselves from the gate and spinning impotently so I don't use much force).

AW SVT showed up 2 days later, thanked me for the excavation and freed the valve in about 15 minutes demonstrating that the water could be shut off and turned back on again.

The meter swap was back on the schedule for the 14th Feb.

I have BritGas Homecare which covers internal plumbing. "Aha", I thought. They can replace the internal stop valve now that the external valve is operational. Plumber showed up and I could tell from his face how this was going to go. He asked (and I quote), "What type of feed pipe is feeding the valve, what is it made of?"
(What are the choices?) Apparently lead (what?), copper, poly...I had no idea. He pointed out that the valve assembly moved (the bottom of the valve is almost flush with the floor) if force applied. He said that to replace it would require the floor to be dug up by which point I was losing interest (and possibly the will to live) as another plumber is defeated by this damn valve. He did notice and fix the leaking post-meter valve and I learned that you can change the gland without shutting off the water so I could have done that myself and avoided the £60 BritGas excess.


Then I noticed that meter was now leaking at its fittings so I called AW emergency number (I should also point out the my external stopvalve also shuts off the water to my neighbour - who designs these things?). AW said they would let the meter swap people know (huh?) and I would get a call in 3 or 4 hours. OK, I'll start building my raft.

I decided to try and tighten the fittings myself and nipped them up a bit which slowed the leak to a drip which increased when water was drawn. The meter sits barely 5mm off the floor so you can't put anything underneath to catch the water.

I called the meter team myself and initially was told that someone would call by 10pm (or maybe the next day), I must have sounded despondent because the lady said if I would hold she would contact AW operations (how many departments are there?). Anyway, AWO said she would get the meter team to contact me asap which they did. He asked a few relevant questions and said a plumber from Sutton-on-Sea would contact me (Sutton is about 50 minutes away).

At 8pm there was a knock on the door and a young man introduced himself as the AWMT (Anglian Water Meter Team) on call plumber. I gave him the run down, explained about the seized valve and he said he'd fix that (no, you won't I thought). He'd brought a new meter with him too and said he'd swap it out.
Naturally, the seized valve didn't get fixed (valve 3, plumbers 0 if you're keeping count) but he had the meter swapped with no leaks in 30 minutes - I was impressed.

So, I guess this should be a smile really. I can shut off the water after the meter and the water to the house if I let my neighbour know (we get on well). My water meter works and doesn't leak.

As a postscript - the BritGas plumber recommended I take out the Anglian Water insurance for when the seized valve has to be replaced. I think I will.

[Craig380]

Glad you got it sorted after many calls. Sounds like that internal stop valve will be the last thing standing in Lincs after a nuclear attack

[R1ffR4ff]

Originally Posted by Seeker

Gripe or smile?


As a postscript - the BritGas plumber recommended I take out the Anglian Water insurance for when the seized valve has to be replaced. I think I will.

Would you be able to ignore the old petcock for now and fit your own new one where required ? You can get the compression fittings from ScrewStation <grin>.

If you are not confident to do this you can get good info on trusted local plumbers etc if you join and ask on,

https://nextdoor.co.uk/news_feed

for your road/area.


HTH

PS

I operate my Mains-Water petcock several times a year and keep it lubed with ACF50. A habit I got into when I worked away as I always shut my water off before leaving the house as I live alone.

HTH

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by R1ffR4ff

Would you be able to ignore the old petcock for now and fit your own new one where required ?

Not a lot of room, I asked the last plumber if they could fit one of those screw driver operated isolation valves. He said there wasn't enough straight pipe to fit one (without a more significant repipe - he didn't say that part.)



The last 3 plumbers have been reluctant to disturb the menacing looking seized valve (the one that's sulking on the left, to be clear).

Why it was ever installed so close to the floor and vertical will remain a mystery, maybe they ran out of feedpipe (or the original plumber may have been a sociopath).

[R1ffR4ff]

I agree. That was a badly thought out original fitting

I'd join your local group as per the link I posted. Then post that picture and see if there's a local Plumber who might like the challenge of improving the whole caboodle. Can't harm to ask as it may prevent future problems.

One of my neighbours had a similar situation and an unseen leak. It cost his insurance thousands to fix as it wrecked part of the house foundations

[daktulos]

Originally Posted by Seeker

As a postscript - the BritGas plumber recommended I take out the Anglian Water insurance for when the seized valve has to be replaced. I think I will.

If the problem is on the supply side of the meter, isn't it the water company's responsibility?

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by daktulos

If the problem is on the supply side of the meter, isn't it the water company's responsibility?

Good point but it gets a little hazy. Go back a few years and anything from the street to the meter (actually to inside the property since this was pre-meters) was the water company's responsibility but then things started to change.
I don't know if all water companies are the same but at the beginning of each year I get mail from Anglian Water inviting me to take on plumbing and drains cover since they say that they are not responsible for pipes once they enter your property. (Two weeks later I get another one with a price drop).

I have read that they are only responsible up to the first stop valve (mine is at the end of the drive), I've also read that they will "consider" a repair (for a leak) at your property once (only).

The lady across the street from me had a non visible driveway water leak and Anglian Water did take responsibility for it (after much to-ing and fro-ing). Good thing they did because it started leaking again after the driveway was relaid.

[DarrenSV650S]

So frustrating trying to just get mp3's now. Can't buy them and just have them. Got to sign up to apple or amazon music.

I'd rather bring back CD's that this crap now