The grumpy thread

[PhilA]

6 minutes ago, Rod/b said:

Compressed air is good to blow the drain pipes through on ac units, about the only useful tip i’ve ever picked up from the maintenance gimps in this part of the world. They carry what like a scuba tank round with them. 

I would've, but access is impossible for that unfortunately. So instead I spent a couple hours trying to flush it through.

[richardmorris]

In a way, I’m impressed he was still conscious, but really - 5 x the limit!

[Tadhg Tiogar]

15 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

In a way, I’m impressed he was still conscious, but really - 5 x the limit!

Try three times over, and driving a HGV....

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

I'd have expected once the big nut on the front of the valve is removed the whole lot to pull out

Care to show this big nut & valve? Might have a suggestion, no guarantees though.

[MarvinsMom]

today has been the first day of the new job.

i'm not impressed by what i've seen about the firm and what this job is going to entail.

lets just say, the words "fucking" and "disaster" best describe how this job is going to work out.

marvelous.

 

[Pieman]

On 6/9/2021 at 7:52 PM, 155V6 said:

Miss_155 had some smaller letters like that in the window above the front door when her extension was built.They may have been rearranged to spell vole & velo quite a few times 😁

I've just seen this and it reminded me that in my sister's old flat she had some wooden letters on her shelves spelling "LOVE" and "HOME".   On one visit I rearranged them to spell "EVEL HOMO" and it was ages before she noticed!

[Rod/b]

9 hours ago, Jerzy Woking said:

Same with my motorbike in the UK. Insurers were happy to insure me on it when I first moved here. But I declared I had been given residency here, they want a lot, lot more.

Hoping my brother who is garaging it, will want to buy it. It is just not worth keeping in the UK for maybe one trip there a year. Getting it here and getting it matriculated and registered will be both difficult and expensive. Shame, Ive had it for 10 years, longest I've ever had a bike.

Yeah think i might just get rid of this Saab too. Although i have got a garage now so i could stick it in there, but bot sure its worthwhile. 

[Zelandeth]

4 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Care to show this big nut & valve? Might have a suggestion, no guarantees though.

These buggers.  Bottom is on/off and temperature, one above it is on/off control for the side jets/rainfall head - and there's a two way diverter above which picks between the two.

All seized up.

Temptation is to see if the guts do indeed just unscrew from the front, take it out and then find a plumbing specialist and walk in with these parts and say "I need a new one of each of these..." And see what happens.

[vulgalour]

Finally found out why one of the tyres on the Princess sometimes, but not always, goes flat.  There's a tiny slash in the sidewall that only opens up when it's at a particular point of rotation, saw it today because the car was getting washed and there were bubbles appearing on the sidewall.  Because of where it is I don't think it can be repaired and even if it could I'm not sure how wise it would be to patch damage like that in the sidewall.  I don't reckon it's anything malicious or a fault with the tyre either, I must have just picked something up when I was driving it last.  It's been so difficult to find because sometimes the tyre would stay inflated properly for weeks, and other times it would go flat in a couple of days, it's a really unusual puncture.

[Angrydicky]

12 hours ago, richardmorris said:

In a way, I’m impressed he was still conscious, but really - 5 x the limit!

Highest reading I ever saw on a drink driver was 201. On Traffic Cops a few years ago. 

[Agila]

1 hour ago, Angrydicky said:

Highest reading I ever saw on a drink driver was 201. On Traffic Cops a few years ago. 

Sadly there have been a few over 200.

The woman that killed my work colleague was "only" double over. 

Head on in a bmw 530 against a matiz. They got 4 years 8 months.

R.I.P Ian.

[myglaren]

15 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Finally got a plumber in today to look at the shower.  Their view is that without knowing exactly what make and model the valves are there's no way to get the parts in so they want to replace the lot.  Reckon it's the best part of a full day's job.  At £85/hour plus VAT plus parts.

Now I know it's not the 90s any more so I wasn't expecting £20 an hour any more - but was budgeting more £50-60... what's essentially a hundred quid an hour seems steep.

However out of the dozen and a half we've contacted they're the only one who has so much as returned our call...so we've not a huge choice.

I just really don't want to get involved in this as it's all equipment of a type I've never worked on before as it's about 30 years newer than anything I've touched.  Plus if I foul it up because of the way things are piped it knocks out both showers and the bath...so I really can't have that all out of commission while I try to figure it out.

I'm absolutely sure he's throwing bull shit at me by saying that it all needs to come to bits and that the cartridge can't be removed from the front.  I'd have expected once the big nut on the front of the valve is removed the whole lot to pull out - assuming it's not just welded together by limescale as this is Milton Keynes after all.

I had a similar but simpler thing last year, a mixer tap in the bathroom of a house my daughter rents out.

Imagined the worst as the last ceramic disk taps I fixed the cartridges were very expensive.  Anticipated replacing the whole thing.

Removed the cartridge and took it to a plumbers merchants half a mile up the road.

£8! and fitted and working twenty minutes later - as I had to replace one of the service valves too.

Yours won't be that simple but if you can shut off the water to that unit it would give you a breathing space to source parts.

They are Plumbase and spread out throughout the country.  The one I went to is quite small but the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, unlike many of the other plumbers merchants.  Been back several times and they always give me a 40% discount, no idea why as it is easy to see that I am no plumber.

Your closest one is Bedford.

[High Jetter]

9 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Temptation is to see if the guts do indeed just unscrew from the front, take it out and then find a plumbing specialist and walk in with these parts and say "I need a new one of each of these..." And see what happens.

Yup,  am sure they will - the rest is probably a 1-piece casting. You'll probably need something with 9-12" leverage, they could be very stuck.

[reb]

Ordered a pack of 6 plastic storage boxes with lids from Amazon to help with kitten-proofing my spare room. What has in fact been delivered is a single box without the lid. Now I have the fun of Amazon customer support, which is always a joy.

Edit: apparently you can't actually talk to a person anymore, it's all automated menus, it was actually fairly painless but I'm still going to be grumpy about it!

[Supernaut]

20 hours ago, cort1977 said:

Post ad on gumtree, within 20 seconds had a call from a nice young man in the Philippines about 'the minor accident I may have had in the last two years'.  They must have software that constantly scans the internet for phone numbers and distributes them to scammers.

I told him it wasn't an accident and I meant to run the bastard over.

Aye.

I've had this if I put my number on anything even vaguely car-related, such as parts. This is precisely why my phone number is never on ads any more. If somebody contacts me via email and seems serious, then they get my number.

 

16 minutes ago, reb said:

Ordered a pack of 6 plastic storage boxes with lids from Amazon to help with kitten-proofing my spare room. What has in fact been delivered is a single box without the lid. Now I have the fun of Amazon customer support, which is always a joy.

Edit: apparently you can't actually talk to a person anymore, it's all automated menus, it was actually fairly painless but I'm still going to be grumpy about it!

...and this is why I always make sure what I'm buying on Amazon is from Amazon themselves and not a third-party company selling on there. The third-parties on there seem even dodgier than a lot of ebay companies these days!

Unless you did buy directly from Amazon, then that's just shite.

 

 

 

My grump today is letting agents.

Trying to find a flat in Stirling is like herding cats. Plenty of adverts for plenty of properties. Do the letting agents have any viewing appointments? No! Are the flats still available? Mostly, fucking NO! The stupid bastards let them out several days ago and leave the adverts up. I'm currently in negotiations to get a viewing appointment with a landlord directly. The bloke seems nice, and lives nearby, and the flat looks great for the price (about £150 per month cheaper than an equivalent one through an agent). He seems a bit frantic with his own work, though, and trying to get access to the flat in the middle of the old tenant moving out.

Admittedly, my start date for the new role is the 19th of July, and I think they'll be flexible with that if they really need to be. So I'm not going to start panicking quite yet.

I've got a car collection happening over the next couple of days to distract me, anyway.

[reb]

8 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Unless you did buy directly from Amazon, then that's just shite.

It was indeed direct from Amazon, they're even allegedly Amazon Basics boxes, though the listing is a little bit vague on that front. It does indeed say "Sold by Amazon.co.uk" though. Hence the automated system more or less immediately deciding to send a replacement. Here's hoping they actually send all 6 this time because they weren't cheap! This was meant to be less hassle than going to a shop!

[Zelandeth]

Just managed through an excess of stupidity to sprain my right thumb.

Slammed the car door with my hand in the wrong position and my thumb locked...cue searing pain right up to the elbow and my palm swelling to about 3/4 the size of a golf ball.

Fun fact: driving a car with a twist grip throttle with a sprained hand/wrist is really painful!

Won't make that mistake twice. Ow.

 

[meggersdog]

One of todays MoT fails

Can you see the problem

some dangerous idiot has fitted a new spring on top of the broken old one. Hit a speed-bump a little too fast and that spring will be out.

[Agila]

3 minutes ago, meggersdog said:

One of todays MoT fails

Can you see the problem

some dangerous idiot has fitted a new spring on top of the broken old one. Hit a speed-bump a little too fast and that spring will be out.

Is that the rear of a vectra?

[meggersdog]

Oooh close, it's a Zafira rear spring.

[Saabnut]

On 14/06/2021 at 21:30, Rod/b said:

Yeah think i might just get rid of this Saab too. Although i have got a garage now so i could stick it in there, but bot sure its worthwhile. 

You have a pm  

[jakebullet]

Bloody insurance. Renewal came at £270, Welsh singer man says £210. I click thru to the £210 to make sure it really was, and then phoned current lot. £213 they say. Can't be arsed changing for £3, so said ok. Put phone down, and 2 emails dropped. 1 confirming renewal, other from the £210 peeps saying oh go on then, £190 special offer. Arse biscuits!

[Talbot]

Distance selling regs still give you time to change your mind on the £213 one.

[Crackers]

7 hours ago, Saabnut said:

You have a pm  

r/UsernameChecksOut

[twosmoke300]

23 hours ago, meggersdog said:

One of todays MoT fails

Can you see the problem

some dangerous idiot has fitted a new spring on top of the broken old one. Hit a speed-bump a little too fast and that spring will be out.

That is very special !

[jakebullet]

I may* have moaned about the twunts surrounding me, but it's time for another go.

Had a go at cutting the hedge between us and housing association next door. 24 years of druggies and feckless workshy cunts has created a monster. There's a photo of me as a small child with the hedge in the background and it's 4ft tall. It's now 6 ft wide, and between 6 ft and 15 ft tall. 6ft as far as I can reach, 15ft where I can't.

Ma thinks we should contact housing ass peeps and complain. This is a no win situation. Current occupant is a single young man who doesn't cut the hedge, but appears to be quiet. Which is odd as it normally gets a woman with child who just needs a chance* to stop being a druggie dropkick. I suspect the last woman with child has sublet to said quiet young man. So we could get the hedge cut, and also him replaced with another she demon from hell when they find out he's there illegally.

Spotted another new delightful mrs. builder trick today too. One of the hellspawn is running around uncontrolled in the road as usual, she opens car door and screeches at it until it gets in car, and then shuts the door. She then gets in and drives off at warp speed. No seat belt for her or hellspawn. I guess pretending you're a WAG makes you exempt from laws. 

[Mally]

Got a txt from my Dentist 'you are overdue a checkup, please ring'.

Rang them. We have no check up vacancies on the NHS until December.

December it is then.

[adw1977]

2 hours ago, jakebullet said:

Had a go at cutting the hedge between us and housing association next door. 24 years of druggies and feckless workshy cunts has created a monster. There's a photo of me as a small child with the hedge in the background and it's 4ft tall. It's now 6 ft wide, and between 6 ft and 15 ft tall. 6ft as far as I can reach, 15ft where I can't.

Ma thinks we should contact housing ass peeps and complain. This is a no win situation. Current occupant is a single young man who doesn't cut the hedge, but appears to be quiet. Which is odd as it normally gets a woman with child who just needs a chance* to stop being a druggie dropkick. I suspect the last woman with child has sublet to said quiet young man. So we could get the hedge cut, and also him replaced with another she demon from hell when they find out he's there illegally.

If your neighbour is otherwise OK, does the size of the hedge matter that much? 

If it's causing problems, perhaps you could ask nicely if he'll let you cut the hedge from his side.  I know it's not really your job, but if it gets it done without upsetting the neighbourly equilibrium, could it be worth the effort?

[adw1977]

2 hours ago, Mally said:

Got a txt from my Dentist 'you are overdue a checkup, please ring'.

Rang them. We have no check up vacancies on the NHS until December.

December it is then.

My dentist isn't doing check ups.  But I had a crown fall off during the first lockdown; once they finally saw me to fix that they booked me in for a check up six months later, which I've now had.  My other half is with the same dentist, but because she hasn't had any problems she still isn't being offered a check up. It's been over 18 months now for her.

[jakebullet]

6 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

If your neighbour is otherwise OK, does the size of the hedge matter that much? 

If it's causing problems, perhaps you could ask nicely if he'll let you cut the hedge from his side.  I know it's not really your job, but if it gets it done without upsetting the neighbourly equilibrium, could it be worth the effort?

It just looks a dog's dick, and is impossible to keep tamed when he can't be arsed. His side would need more industrial grade tools than I've got, I've already damaged my cutter overloading it trying to stretch over the top.