Not a disaster as such
But seeing as QOTW is often a haven for useful information...

We want to get a shower installed. Just an over-the-bath job, as our bathroom is nowhere near big enough to accommodate a seperate cubicle (bloody ex-council bathrooms - the other rooms are massive, but the bathroom is a bit like a large coffin with a window installed). I have had the unit for a couple of years, but so far, attempts to render it a useful item, instead of an item that lives in a box, have proved fruitless.

We asked a plumber once for a quote, and were told 'You need an electrician for that, mate'.

So we asked an electrician, to be told 'You want a plumber for that'.

So, any b3ta handy-types out there... which is it? 'Cos the 'professional tradesmen' fuckers around our way don't seem to know...
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 14:46, 33 replies)

...
You need my Dad. He fixed me a powershower in about an afternoon.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 14:48, closed)

Enzyme...
I've just read your bathroom post. I'm not sure that would be a good idea... ;-)

Or was that a one-off..?
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 14:53, closed)

My mate's father in law is a builder up your way
I don't think he still works though, so probably not very useful for you to know.


Sorry

/coat
(Bazongaloid, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 14:55, closed)

Yeah, thanks al...
Honestly though, you wouldn't believe how difficult it is getting tradesmen round here... In my last place, it took 18 months to get a new bathroom fitted as every plumber I rang for a quote spectactularly failed to turn up.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 14:56, closed)

...
Davros

if you want a decent plumber/hand guy pm me and give you the number - he's based in the Tyne Valley - so dunno if that's any good.

Twicey
(twiceydrinker hmmm is it pint time?, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 14:59, closed)

We are having a similar problem
with electricians in north london/south Hertfordshire.

Admitidly it's only 1 electrician so far, but he forgot twice, in two days, which is pretty crap I thought.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 14:59, closed)

Twicey...
we are about 20 miles away from the Tyne Valley so it may be do-able.

However, we have a load of other stuff we want done as well, so it's probably going to form part of a major project with everything else.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:01, closed)

Why not DIY
...posting photographs, step-by-step, of any mishaps? It could be like a B3ta project.
(Le Misanthrope last procrastinated on, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:18, closed)

We could all chuck our two pennoworth in
about everything you intend to do and then suck air through our teeth when you do it differently and go "phhhhhhhhhhhhhh (noise of air sucked through teeth), I wouldn't have done it that way" whilst rocking back on our heels.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:20, closed)

mmmmmm
that looks like its going to be expensive
( bazza van der trance , ooh baby baby, baby baby. Get up on this., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:26, closed)

OK, project list
We have a two bedroomed flat. It's a good size, and we bought it last year. However, since I moved in there is a lack of space due to all the accumulated crap I brought with me. To create a bit of additional living space we want to:

Do the loft out as a computer room / hidey-hole as I'm sick of the computer living in our bedroom. Plus I'd like somewhere to be able to just escape to occasionally and gorge myself stupid on old Doctor Who videos...

I'd quite like a new kitchen as well. The one we have is perfectly serviceable, but not very attractive.

To go with the shower being installed, the bathroom could do with being revamped a bit. I like the idea of wall-to-wall tiles, having seen next door's...

We had a bit of an extension put in down in the entrance lobby, which still needs plastered to cover up the bare brick.

However, given that I detest upheaval and dust and mess, this may take a while...
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:27, closed)

Put your job

on ratedpeople.com and wait for the tradesmen to come running!

Mwahahahahah.

Not sure about the laugh, when reading the post back it seemed to need an evil laugh.

*tiptoes away backwards*
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:28, closed)

@ bazza
It probably will be expensive. However, we bought the place from the council last year, for cash (nice little profit from my last place plus cashed in endowment policy that was worth more than I thought), so we don't have a mortgage. Any expense will probably work out the same as monthly mortgage payments would have been anyway, so not too worried so far.

If only the credit crunch hadn't fucked everything up...
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:30, closed)

It was a one-off
As I said - the wall was held together by little more than luck. A severe sneeze could have had the whole thing down. Generally, DIY-wise, my Dad kicks ass.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:30, closed)

NakedApe...
*shakes fist ineffectually*
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:32, closed)

@ DG

Why I oughta!
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:35, closed)

*gestures emphatically with war axe*
First wave, DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEE

*doesn't bother to take coat off*
(Bazongaloid, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:44, closed)

On a more serious note
The bathroom you could easily do yourself, but, since you're gonna need some professionals to do the loft and probably the kitchen (and definitely the plastering) you would probably be better off getting the lot done for you and saving the hassle.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:46, closed)

^ My thoughts exactly
Besides, I'm not DIY minded, I invariably get in from work around 6.30 - 7-ish, and at weekends don't particularly want to be stuck in the house losing my temper when a screw won't go in...

Liked the Flash Gordon reference by the way...
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:50, closed)

Flash who?
I was just instructing my army of infinite monkeys on the finer aspects of water based sporting competitions.

The war axe is in case they turn on me.

oh and *snigger* you said screw!
(Bazongaloid, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:54, closed)

I also said...
'go in'.

Woop, fnaar etc.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:56, closed)

and
Stuck in!

teeheeheehee
(Bazongaloid, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 15:57, closed)

Oh so I did...
I love childish innuendo (I said 'in' again).

In the original post I also said:

Haven
Over-the-bath-job
Accommodate
Massive
Large
Box
Mate, and
Fuck(ers).

Somehow, all of the above are more amusing than they should be when taken out of context... Especially haven, I think.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 16:01, closed)

AND you said:
handy-types
over-the-bath-job
big enough
massive
good size
hidey-hole
gorge myself stupid
put in
extension
down in the entrance lobby
endowment
do-able

*collapses into fits of giggles and doesn't give a shit that the kitchen's still like Sarajevo*
( Tourette's ( . )( . ) has a monkey hair in her fried egg, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 16:05, closed)

^ so...
...do I win anything?
( Tourette's ( . )( . ) has a monkey hair in her fried egg, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 16:32, closed)

^
Yes. Pick any prize off the top shelf.

:o)
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Apr 2008, 16:40, closed)

^^^^^ Thanks!
TOP SHELF!!
Oooof ,uncontrollable belly-ache giggles!
( Tourette's ( . )( . ) has a monkey hair in her fried egg, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 18:31, closed)

^^
You two......adopt me please.
( girlinthehole, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 21:05, closed)

plumber/sparky confusion explained...
simple really.
it's all down to part p of the building regs.
the plumber is no longer allowed to connect the electric supply to the shower. despite it being the plumbers area of expertese s/he is no longer deemed to be a "competent person" in this matter. so you need a plumber to install the shower, run pipework and 'ting then a sparky to come and connect up the cable. and then the plumber can come back and commision the shower. good grief.

OR you can do it yourself cos the law allows this.

so to sum up...
the householder (who may well NEVER have lifted a spanner in their life) is allowed to do something involving water and rather a lot of electricity that it takes 2 qualified and experienced tradespeople to do. sheesh. no wonder the country's fucked. pretty soon you'll need a certificate to wipe your own arse!!

for the record i know all this cos i'm a plumber with higher education certificate in surveying and a number of years experience. my old man is also a plumber and ran the plumbing department at the local tech college for thirty something years.

if i can be of any help or assistance to a fellow b3tard then just let me know. based in north cumbria. x
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sat 5 Apr 2008, 10:31, closed)

@BGB
Of course, sweetie!
Come any time you like!
HOOT OOF FWOOP etc.

tits ( . )( . )

arse (_._)

fat arse (__.__)

wibbly fat arse {__.__}

day after a vindaloo arse (_x_)
( Tourette's ( . )( . ) has a monkey hair in her fried egg, Sat 5 Apr 2008, 13:40, closed)

blaireau69
Thanks for the advice.

Agree that the loophole of any old unqualified fucker with the power of thought and motor function can piss about with electricity in their own home, but a competent professional tradesman can't, is a bit, well, ill conceived.

Gotta love living in the UK sometimes...
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Sat 5 Apr 2008, 14:03, closed)

Shower unit fitting
From your description, it sounds like you have a power shower unit, this will have a single plumbing inlet to connect to your water main. They must be used when there is an insufficient head of water from your hot water supply.

The basic type has a heater (electric) and mixer unit, if your mains water pressure is low, the unit will need electric pump assistance.

The other type of unit will have two plumbing inlets, for hot and cold water. These are used when the head pressure is sufficient for the hot & cold supplies. It works as a simple mixer unit and requires no electric supply, it may require a pressure reducer for the cold supply.

We have both types of units fitted in our house, as ours is (an ex council) five stories. The plumber connected the piping, he also wired up the electrics to the upstairs unit, as he is a "competent person".

The wiring was checked by a certified electrician.

You could do the work yourself, but get it checked (in writing) by a certified plumber and a certified electrician. It's best to cover your arse in case you need to make an insurance claim.

You shouldn't have a problem finding local tradesmen in the Tyne Valley area, Yellow pages is a start, on line, check "The Paper Boy" for tradesmen in free local papers.

Another alternative would be to knock the wall through and fit a bathroom suite, that will add more value than a shower, should you be thinking of selling on.

I believe you are living in a hard water area, it would be a good idea to fit an electronic (around the main supply pipe) water softener unit, this will save you plenty on lime scale build up damage to your washing M/C, dish washer, immersion heater, central heating system, electric kettle etc.
(alanrbnsn, Mon 7 Apr 2008, 6:57, closed)

This is why I love B3ta
Smut, filth, and obscure Flash Gordon references interspersed with the odd bit of actual sensible advice...

Thanks all.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Mon 7 Apr 2008, 11:07, closed)