"Merry" Xmas

[Huge]

Just got home from collecting the M-I-L for three days of soap operas and Strictly Come Dancing (aka "Christmas"), to discover the cess-pit pump has failed - RCD tripped & won't reset. Drains backed up to house. It's

16:30 on Xmas Eve, FFS.

Fortunately, being a d-i-y-er of some years experience, I have a spare pump and 40ft of 2" hose, so I ran an extension lead out to the pit, dropped the spare pump down the cess-pit (*) and pumped the, er, effluent, out into the farmer's field next door. It can stop like that until Boxing Day, when I'll fix it properly.

(It's the output from the Klargester, so it isn't too horrid. And fortunately the drains haven't blocked.)

Oh, the joys of rural living.

I am now enjoying a large sherry and a few peanuts.

And I've just remembered that my 500W site lamp is still outside. Ain't having the DIY kit grand? Who the Hell are you going to call on Xmas Eve night with a failed cesspit pump?

(* On the end of a rope...)

[Bob Eager]

There is a certain kind of satisfaction in this kind of scenario. More than once, we've had some kind of critical failure and SWMBO has been amazed when I produce necessary fixings out of the workshop...

[Bob Minchin]

I can think of a few folk who maybe deserve that to happen to but not you Huge :-(

Glad you got is sorted!

Bob

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Huge writes

Hmm.. I do hope you realise that you have opened him up to the possibility of DEFRA fining him any proportion of his Single Farm Payment for being in breach of the Cross Compliance rules on spreading nitrogenous waste outside the permitted period (March-October)!

Quite:-)

Merry Xmas.

[Huge]

That's very kind, thank you!

Not as glad as I am!

Recovered the flood-light, finished the glass of sherry, moved on to Isle of Jura single malt.

It's CHRISTMAAAAAAAAAS!!!!

[Huge]

Yes. :o)

But given that the drainage field is in his field anyway, does it really matter?

And to you, also.

[Huge]

SWMBO actually said "What on Earth would you do if you didn't have the tools & spares?"

Suffer, I imagine.

[Andy Cap]

Oh how I laughed !! ;-)

No seriously, have a good Christmas all.

Andy C

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Huge writes

Hardly likely to get an inspection over Christmas:-)

AIUI the purpose is to reduce nitrates reaching water supplies due to surface run-off over the Winter period.

regards

[geoff]

Off to a good start here - I'm not going to let the bridge of my glasses snapping or the filling falling out spoil it

[Huge]

*grin*

Happened to me on a 2 week site visit in New Jersey. Fortunately, there was a large mall with some kind of speedy glasses place in it opposite the data centre, so I popped in there and they made me another set overnight.

[S Viemeister]

LensCrafters?

[Huge]

TBH, I can't remember. The glasses were OK -slightly more expensive than my UK optician.

[Huge]

Given the nearest watercourse is several miles away, I'm not going to lie awake worrying about it.

Not that I was anyway.

[gremlin_95]

I have a pretty urban life but would love rural life, just seems a lot more fun and I have experienced it a few times too :)

Anyway, hope you all have a great Christmas :)

[S Viemeister]

Yes, I've noticed that, too - Glasses in NJ do seem to cost more than those in the UK.

[Huge]

Bought this at the distillery, IIRC. (Yes, I know it has to go to Glasgow to be bottled, but it's appropriate somehow.)

And the same to you, also!

[andrew]

I have two sites where the surface water drains to a sump in which I had cheap ( 50 quid) float switched submersible pumps. They both tripped their circuits within a week of each other after 2 years service, problem was one of the circuits also ran the boss's freezer and he didn't notice ;-(.

I dissected them and both had shorted windings and signs of condensate in the housing, they seem to depend on a bubble of air being maintained around the motor.

AJH

[Huge]

IIRC, this one's been down there ~5 years. That seems to be about their limit. Although this one's been repaired once already - the float switch went intermittent after water ingress. I replaced it with one I happened to have spare from a previous repair. (Flygt pumps sent one too many...)

Ah. Fortunately it's on a dedicated spur with its own RDC. That wasn't always so, but given the day we moved in there was no electricity and I spent the afternoon baling out the cesspit with a bucket (to the huge amusement of the removals men), that was soon rectified.

Given where they are, I try to handle them as little as possible. They generally go straight in the bin.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Mmm. I found a frog had pushed a load of leaves up the exit pipe and was overwintering in the warm outflow..

be aware that the motor MY not restart when its dried out..

I replaced mine - still got teh original somewhere..

Might be of use if your is bushed