It’s Monday today, although it actually feels like Sunday. I get thoroughly disoreientated over Bank Holiday weekends now I only work part time. By the time I finish work completely, I’ll be totally confused!
The week started off well. Tuesday morning enter one plumber and assistant to tear out old leaking boiler and replace it with a brand new one. In the fitting of this we lose our hot water tank and cold water tank in the roof. Everything comes straight off the mains now, that’s how a combi boiler works apparently.
Wednesday I leave for work around 10 am. Floorboards are up and I’m hopeful when they nail them back down neither of the cats is beneath them!
Thursday morning we can have a shower, everything up and running and is so powerful that it has the potential to blow you through the window and out into the garden. It will obviously need adjustment and some getting used to.
Friday evening I arrive home to find a utilities van outside the house. They’ve hit a snag. The main gas pipe into the house is not sufficient in circumference to feed the new boiler. It’s registering 14 when the minimum is 18. ~We are told they will return on Sunday to did up the road and put in a new pipe. Am glad we have no street party booked otherwise there would have been total chaos.
Sunday a crew of four arrive, dig two holes, fit pipe and leave. Holes are surrounded by large plastic barriers waiting for another crew to come and fill in properly and tarmac. From other examples I’ve seen in the past, we could be looking at weeks with these mole hills! Our problem is sorted, gas now registering 21 – woo hoo! Well within the limits. Neighbour opposite is away, although car left on drive. Am hoping he’s gone for a week because the utilites men have partially blocked his driveway with their orange plastic barriers. He will not be pleased if he returns.
Monday (today) plumber has returned to commission boiler. Heating must be run to achieve this. I’m wilting! Radiators are so hot you can’t touch them! At least it looks good for winter says she trying to be positive.
Tomorrow is the last day of the Jubilee Holiday and am hoping this will be quiet and totally non-eventful!
JO LAMBERT 
OMG! Sounds a real nightmare, but on the fip side a great short story too one day! Hope everything is sorted and the gas man goeth and be gone! x
Blimey, Jo, what an ordeal! Hope it all gets sorted soon and sending you big hugs. Worst similar experience we’ve had was when, on our return from holidays, we found there was no electricity in the house. Just our house, not the neighbours. To make matters worse, it had been off for at least a week. Yes, imagine the freezers. Or rather, don’t. Of course, the phone was dead, the handset having run out of charge long since. And it was getting dark, with the kids still grubby and gritty from their last day at the beach. Oh yes, of course the boiler (though gas) didn’t work either, without lecy. No spark for the ignition, you see. Hm.
Many a frantic phone call later, we established that we had paid our bills (as well I knew), we hadn’t been cut off and the lecy provider was mystified why we had no power. A close friend popped by at ten pm–he happens to be an electrician, and confirmed that there was no power coming into the house, so the connection between our house and the mains had blown, quite literally. Enter the emergency assist brigade with diggers, jackhammers and… orange plastic barriers. (Those stayed behind for only three weeks after everything was fixed, haw haw).
Good luck with it all and keep smiling!
Yes, it was it bit hairy Nicky, but obviously not as bad as what happened to you! The guys who came to fix the gas main were brilliant as was the plumber, who though it wasn’t anything to do with him, said if the new pipework didn’t work he would downsize the boiler and fit a new one to avoid our driveway being dug up. And that meant he would have taken a financial hit for it. Happily that didn’t arise!
You just reminded my day and it was really a nightmare! Having new boiler installation and get nothing for certain period it was shocking disorientation.