Magnet Kitchens

[tim...]

but you don't need to actually do any DIY if what you want to do is "design" the kitchen yourself and get a friendly tradesman in to do it for you

tim

[The Natural Philosopher]

4 kitchens 5 bathrooms

[tabbypurr]

I reckon that's beyond the current generation

NT

[Dave Liquorice]

What is it with tradesmen and telling porkies?

Just had the boiler replaced(*) and as part of that a Fernox TF1 magnetic/cyclonic filter was fitted. On checking things out after they'd gone I spotted that the flow arrow on the filter housing was pointing in the opposite direction to the flow. Rang 'em up, plumber rang back and from the conversation I quote "it doesn't matter it's only there for the next plumber to know which way the flow is".

They also didn't install the full lenght of plume kit they where supposed to, used steel waskers and screws to fix the birdcage around the inlet the and I suspect cracked they condensate trap. The condesate pipe has a short vertical section that isn't and a horizontal section fitting into a wastepipe tap is a couple of mm to long so places things understress.

They've sorted the flue and filter but the cracked condensate trap is, in theory, covered by the boiler warranty, they said they'll inform Worecester-Bosh who'll be in touch. Still waiting.

I'll replace the steel screws and washers with brass at some point so they'll actually last more than few years and still be removeable. Also sort out the condensate drain...

They seemed like competent chaps who knew their stuff but they mades an awful lot of basic errors. Just re-enforces why I like to DIY, it'll be done properly to my satisfaction.

(*) Replaced under the ECO scheme so no option to DIY.

[Andrew Gabriel]

2 kitchens and 2 bathrooms (and helped with several others). 2 lots of aircon (outdoor unit can be bloody heavy).

[Huge]

Jesus, a DIY dicksize contest.

[Clive Arthur]

I put our last kitchen in about 25 years ago when money was tight. (And the heating, plumbing etc.) Far better, IMO, to pay someone to do it more quickly and to a higher standard. If I ever retired, DIY would become mainstream again, but for now, it's essentially limited to repairs and small jobs.

Cheers

[Huge]

The problem with that is, so far as I am concerned, at the age of nearly

64 I no longer wish to struggle with baths, shower cubicles and worktops. I'm still doing minor DIY, though.

[John Rumm]

Not sure I can remember them all, which is possibly more worrying...

I think its 6 kitchens, and by the time I have done the bathrooms I am doing now, it will be about 9 bathrooms (where one of those is the sum of many bits of ones I have done for others)

[Huge]

[21 lines snipped]

Don't you tend to have 3 or 4 of something (say, pop-up wastes) left and no taps? I know I seem to have a lot of duplication in my "plumbing odds and sods" box.

[John Rumm]

Kind of, but I keep enough stock of basic plumbing bits that I can do most smaller jobs from stock. Same goes for electrical accessories.

Having said that I have had a pair of WC connectors sat in a drawer for many years, but finally found a use for one the other day - so now the one I bought which turned out to be to short can go back in the drawer to replace it ;-)