Egluntyne Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 (edited) We have had a bit of a Grrrrrr evening. Burst pipe and water gushing everywhere.....outside fortunately, in the coal house. We'll be waking up to a skating rink tomorrow. Fortunately my lovely son is a plumber so has fixed the burst. (Am I glad he didn't go to university to study basket weaving with applied darts!) I am now temporarily without an outside tap, so the Eglus will have to have the watering can treatment until further notice. A small price to pay. Son is now demanding money with menaces!! This is the second forum burst pipe. I hope it will be the last!! Edited February 21, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairy&cake Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 oh poor you! lucky you have such a helpful son though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygal Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 glad you were able to get it sorted so quickly- and having a son for a plumber- genius! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Glad you got it sorted Egluntine! How much did you have to bribe him to train as a plumber though? Just curious - I need to persuade my three to be a plumber, builder and joiner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 All off his own bat!! We didn't have any influence. He said "if you think I'm staying on at school you can think again"....or at least words to that effect.... Very bright lad, who didn't open a book for the 5 years he was at secondary school, and still managed to get excellent GCSE's. However, he absolutely hated school, and when he did work experience with a friend of ours who has his own plumbing business, he said he knew that was what he wanted to do. He arranged his own place at college (they work 4 days and attend college for 1) and asked our pal to take him on as an apprentice. He absolutely loves it. He comes home exhausted and filthy, and is permanently starving. He came as a bit of a surprise after his brother and sister who both went to university and studied Law. If you get your boys to do plumbing, make sure it is a proper 4 year NVQ course. There are so many "six week and call yourself a plumber" night school courses available. Not worth the paper they are written on. I'm all for it. Better to learn a decent trade and be able to earn a living than to go to the University of Bootle and do one of these made up courses, and come out the other end unemployable and £15K in debt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Sorry about your burst pipe but glad to hear you've got a son "in the trade". Not too much ice-skating this morning, I hope? I surprised myself with my carpentry skill when building my new run. I quite fancy doing a course, but as I'm retired from the NHS, I think it would be for personal advantage....not a career change! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Rats about the burst pipe but brilliant that your son could fix it for you I hope it's not too slippery this morning though Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Egluntine, so sorry to hear about the burst pipe, I hope that it didn't do too much damage, and that you've not got your own private ice rink in the garden now . Very handy having a plumber in the house I must say. Of all the tradesmen we've had the most trouble finding a decent plumber..........ended up with some really expensive botch it jobs in the past to my complete fury. I just hope that I don't have any plumbing type disasters in the next few months. Better to learn a decent trade and be able to earn a living than to go to the University of Bootle and do one of these made up courses, and come out the other end unemployable and £15K in debt. I agree with you so strongly on this one, there are some really unecessary degrees these days, in my opinion, and whilst I can recognise a degree as a standard of academic achievement that's worth nothing if it leaves you unemployable..........and all these youngsters emerging from university with staggering amounts of debt worries me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clur Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 What worries me is now in some areas a degree is seen as just standard and you need to go on to do a masters and PhD. One of my friends has just started paid employment and we're 33!!!! Really glad you got your pipe fixed so quickly and easily - at least you know where he lives if it ever turned out to be a duff job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I hope he gives you "mater's rates" . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 at least you know where he lives if it ever turned out to be a duff job Just realised this morning of course that the coal is absolutely drenched and unusable.....for the time being at least. At least it is not freezing this morning so I won't have to put on my ice skates to get to the hens. My triple salko with double toe loop is a sight to behold. Especially in pyjamas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 This is the second forum burst pipe. I hope it will be the last!! Actually it is the third I had a cast iron radiator go just before Christmas Fortunately my dad was in the room when it went so not too much mess £300 Saturday call out to get it fixed though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 This is the second forum burst pipe. I hope it will be the last!! Actually it is the third I had a cast iron radiator go just before Christmas Fortunately my dad was in the room when it went so not too much mess £300 Saturday call out to get it fixed though Good lord!! The more I think about it, the more pleased I am about my son's career choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 The bill was actually relatively fair I had to pay a call out of £90 plus two hours at Saturday rates plus parts which was minimal and Vat none of the elements were horrendous just a coincidence that I had to call him out on a saturday I think the total was £280 in all But yes it is good you have a plumber in the family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Glad it is sorted Egluntine and hope your coal dries out soon. This has reminded me, I forgot to insulate the outside taps this year! I normally put that pipe tube around it and cover the tap in bubble wrap. Lets hope that is the end of the cold spell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 My triple salko with double toe loop is a sight to behold. Especially in pyjamas. only fellow chook keepers could appreciate this glad the problem could be sorted quickly - handy having a son who's a plumber I keep saying to my 2 that they should train as plumbers or electricians (good salary, always work available) but no - DS wants to study Maths and Physics and DD wants to be an Animal Conservationist Well looks like I'll have to retrain instead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I used to work as a plumber (plumber's apprentice I suppose.... with my ex.) - it came in handy with our burst on Monday. I hope it's the last of the cold snap as well - and hope your coal dries out soon Egluntine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Oh no! What a bummer. good job that it wasn't indoors. What a useful son you have though - I bet you wouldn't have got anyone out for at least 24 hours! I said a couple of years ago that if I had my time again, I'd have trained in a trade instead of a useless fine arts degree They're never ou tof work and always seem to have plenty of dosh... not sure that I fancy fixing other people's toilets though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 He's probably going to earn as much as the two who went to study law! I pay through the nose for British Gas Homecover. They are a pain in the proverbial, never keep appointments, and so on BUT when my hot-water tank burst last August and flooded the kitchen, it meant I could call someone out on a Sunday night at midnight, and get the water turned off. No charge, and no charge for the subsequent repair either. Getting hold of a plumber in London is pretty darn difficult, never mind the cost - so although it's expensive cover, I think it's worth it. (Don't ask - I am not that stupid, honestly - neither I, nor the plumber, could find the stop-cock. It's been buried under laminate flooring, I think.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I am lucky to have al ovely plumber, who will come out whenever and never charges the earth. When I moved in, the heating system had been installed by the previous occupants... you can imagine the state of it. Charles kept the boiler going for me for a few years until I could afford to get a new one installed and he made sense of the plumbing and sorted it out, putting in a drain-off point etc. Touch wood, it works fine now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...