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Over the last three months or so we have been experiencing some problems with the hot and cold water pressure in the house. If you are taking a shower and someone turns on the tap in the kitchen you either have no water or it changes temperature to just hot or just cold. My son takes ages in the shower so I flush the toilet to get him out and works every time.
Yesterday we had the lottery of finding a plumber and not knowing any as the last one we used was a drunkard this was going to be hit and miss. I found a company that looked reputable but you still don't know as they say the proof is in the pudding. I settled for one that was in between on call out fees and labour costs and according to their advert had been around for over 30 years. Anyone can say that as we are in Africa, but you hope it is true.
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$50 Geyser pressure valve is what needs replacing and nothing else.Should be quick and easy for professionals.
The plumber and his assistant arrived at the house next door so not the best of starts. Some how a number 6 became a 4 so no train smash and one hour later than expected at 5pm. After looking for a few minutes they realised they needed a part they didn't have being the geyser pressure valve (boiler). Leaving his assistant in the roof the plumber left at 5.07 pm and by 5.30 pm I phoned the plumbers office. My concern was I was just informing them that this was not on the clock at $40 and hour and I was timing them. The lady said no worries he was meeting another plumber to get the part needed.
A toot at the gate at 6.35 pm let me write down the times on the piece of paper yet again. Clock starts again as they have now been officially working for 7 minutes. Never trusted a plumber when you can't see what they are doing in the roof. Replacing a pressure valve shouldn't be too difficult surely as it is removing the old one for a new one.
At 7.15 he told me they had to put the old one back on as the new one was broken and faulty. He said he will pick up the part in the morning and would I please sign his time sheet.My answer was that they hadn't started the job yet as the old part was back on and nothing has been accomplished. He started to blow bubbles as he thought I was joking and told him to make sure he had the right part and a new one that worked so he can start the job from scratch.
He left me his time sheet which I looked at and couldn't believe the times he had logged a 5 pm start which was correct then stopped the job at 5.35 to fetch the part and recommenced at 6.20 until 7.27 pm. If he had done the repair he would have tried to rush me for 90 minutes labour which in fact would have been 15 minutes work maybe 20 tops.
I wasn't born yesterday and have become wise to the shit people pull and no job is starting tomorrow until this is settled. They start from zero or they aren't allowed in as I think that is only fair. Sometimes I wonder what planet people come from as they think everyone else is plain stupid. Possibly people don't pay attention and just expect to be taken for a ride. All said and done I am looking forward to how this one pans out.