if you get a tap that has loosened up because of a split top hat and you cant undo the water connection or cant get to it easily (i have had this happen before) . instead of undoing the water connection , jest unscrew the backnut a bit down the tap thread . then cut a 1 1/2" (ish) square piece of ply and drill a central 20mm hole in it, then cut from side to the hole as to create a kind of C piece of ply that can be slid easily inbetween the bottom of the sink and he backnut , then tighten in back again , this acts as a tophat without the need to dissconnect the tap if you cant turn the water off or something!
- Thread starter REDSAW
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Welcome to the forum. Although you can post in any forum, the USA forum is here in case of local regs or laws
if you get a snapped lockshield pin because somebody has closed it too tight with a wrench and you cant open it again because it has snapped too low to the gland , jest undo the gland nut totally then you have much more of the pin to hold with pliers to open it again , obviously you would jest replace the lockshield , but this trick has helped me out before, dont know if its just common sence but i struggled for a while trying to open it before this idea came to my head!
im a maintance plumber at the moment, i often get broken trv heads because somebody kicked them by "accident" or something, i work for somebody else so i keep a small box of various old heads in my van for a quick replacement, my pocket personally would not benifit from a draindown or whatever for a valve replacement! i get them from other guys in work that do heating replacements!
- Feb 21, 2010
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- Heating Engineer (Has GSR)
M
mountainman
P
PlumberTiler
P
Pipedream
this doesn't really work if your a sole trader but more of an employee
if while your cleaning up and a customer tells you "don't worry about that i'll get that" and you leave assuming the customer is quite happy cleaning up the remainder of the mess no matter how small, INSIST that you finish up cleaning up and its part of the job.
This happened to me before it was 7pm and the following day I got pulled up from the boss because customer complained about the mess I left.
Trust no one!
if while your cleaning up and a customer tells you "don't worry about that i'll get that" and you leave assuming the customer is quite happy cleaning up the remainder of the mess no matter how small, INSIST that you finish up cleaning up and its part of the job.
This happened to me before it was 7pm and the following day I got pulled up from the boss because customer complained about the mess I left.
Trust no one!
R
rideorhide
to avoid that :
always list on your quote/estimate remove of rubbish and scrap mettal is included in the price
P
Plum Bob 66
I usually just cost in the size of an appropriate sized hippo bag, clean tidy ,collected no bother. Plus I only have a teeny weeny van 🙂
W
Whyme
if your letting the scrap men take rads from site have a bucket of water handy cos they dribble black muck everywhere everytime..
If you are replacing an open vented boiler which has the flow and return drop feeding from above into the boiler and there are currently no air vents cut into the pipes above, then save yourself alot of hassle and install air vents while you install the boiler otherwise you will be trying to shift an airlock for quite some time.
especially if there is very little head of pressure, and the cold mains is poor
especially if there is very little head of pressure, and the cold mains is poor
I understand but I would have not fitted any unless pipe work from boiler had a long horizontal run ......
I would have fitted and I alway do a drain of on the return just next to boiler and when filling up I always run hw only first and then run ch separately ....
We all had them 2-3h to clear the air lock on a open vent boilers ....🙂
keep the plastic plugs that protect the tappings in new rads and put them into the tappings of the old rads, this will stop getting black sludge everywhere, this also helps when carrying a rad down stairs or in a clean property.
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Plum Bob 66
L
lame plumber
No not simples, read post 817 plastic plugs will stop this, also will stop sludge running round your van if you are taking a rad away, also carrying a large rad downstairs and you never know you may trip when carrying a rad, as you know black sludge goes through dustsheets. your idea is fine if in a property with no carpet and you are putting a rad directly into a skip.
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Plum Bob 66
Simples maybe, but some clown will come along and forget when the rads are standing outside, pick them up and presto, black slime down the drive, it happens.
:iagree: this was the main point as the scrap collectors do not care about a clean path/drive
L
lame plumber
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Whyme
i always spin em upside down through properties so sludge in house not a problem..like the plug idea to stop the scrappys jackson pollocks'in the drive.
B
Bunker
Oilies: always check the nozzle is what the pot says it is, twice now I've found it to be wrong.
I always put in the terms and conditions that the value of the scrap metal is taken into account when I arrive at the final price (in reality it covers me for unforseen extras). Regarding the rest of the waste, it really depends on how much there is and I itemise it on estimates. Some customers decide to get rid of the rubbish themselves, others ask you.
Close vent and up side down is the easiest way !! If you have time you can do what ever you like but best trick of the trade is to up side down them and rads go in the back of the van(the only safe place for scrap is back of the van without many people seeing you ) never ever leave scrap or copper pipes outside the house where you are working
B
Bunker
When draining down, always count and record the number of rads you open. I've just worked in a very large house with 47 rads, missed the 2 in the walk in wardrobe, came back next day and had to get on with this:
Drawing and dining rooms, ceilings knackered. One sofa to recover, one large carpet to replace. Thank God for PubLib.
Worst day of my working life, the poor custards were very good about it when they came back from holiday Saturday morning. A real pride denter, stupid, avoidable mistake. I hope someone else can learn from it!
Drawing and dining rooms, ceilings knackered. One sofa to recover, one large carpet to replace. Thank God for PubLib.
Worst day of my working life, the poor custards were very good about it when they came back from holiday Saturday morning. A real pride denter, stupid, avoidable mistake. I hope someone else can learn from it!
W
Whyme
When draining down, always count and record the number of rads you open. I've just worked in a very large house with 47 rads, missed the 2 in the walk in wardrobe, came back next day and had to get on with this:
Drawing and dining rooms, ceilings knackered. One sofa to recover, one large carpet to replace. Thank God for PubLib.
Worst day of my working life, the poor custards were very good about it when they came back from holiday Saturday morning. A real pride denter, stupid, avoidable mistake. I hope someone else can learn from it!
I feel for ya pal. thats why i hate it when custards are away or out and i have to post keys back through..Always get paranoid on the way home..
P
Plum Bob 66
When draining down, always count and record the number of rads you open. I've just worked in a very large house with 47 rads, missed the 2 in the walk in wardrobe, came back next day and had to get on with this:
Drawing and dining rooms, ceilings knackered. One sofa to recover, one large carpet to replace. Thank God for PubLib.
Worst day of my working life, the poor custards were very good about it when they came back from holiday Saturday morning. A real pride denter, stupid, avoidable mistake. I hope someone else can learn from it!
Oh flip, your an absolute sport for putting this up. That's a real ****er mate. like you say, thank god for public liability insurance!
S
s&s gas
Bunker, I feel for you mate, hope everything turns out ok. I guess most of us if not all have made a similar mistake.
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B
Bunker
L
lame plumber
unless you use tectite and their little keying tool so it has a gripper ring cut into the chrome
S
Sag
T
tamz
These
Frame Fixings 8 x 80mm Pack of 10 | NoLinkingToThis
They are not corrosion resist tho so someone will hve to break the pan out in a few years when the pysh rots the screw head.
What ever happened to using 4" No.12 brass slotted screws & raw plugs to fix a pan down, a Tamz ????
T
tamz
W
Whyme
Yes, sorry but the floors are not so good down here as the granite you may be use too Tamz
(PS you are right it was 3 not 4 oh how old age effects the memory that & the bottle of wine, well it has been a good day, sun shining Alpha solar kit installed & the BL-----dy kids not back until Monday, O a few more days of bliss)
M
Mike Jackson
I struggle to find brass screws now. I've started using stainless steel.
E
Ermintrude
Strip foam cylinder by cutting it from top to bottom so it's segmented, do this in 3 or 4 places. Once around circumference mid way up cylinder. Cut as deep as u can through foam. Lay on its side and stamp on it once or twice. Insulation comes off in about 8 bits not 20000.
Tip two buy recip saw and u will never leave any loot behind in an attic or tight space again.
Tip two buy recip saw and u will never leave any loot behind in an attic or tight space again.
W
woodytheplumber
when fitting rads under a window sill measure down from the sill for top of bracket height fix brackets pop rad in place check levels and whichever side is the high spot pop the bleed valve on . I go to quite a few complaints (not my jobs) that are rads that seem un level when infact its spot on but they look out because of the sills
K
Kyle87
I'd speak to customer first. "Do you want rad level or parallel to windowsill?"
With some people no matter what you do they will find a problem.
W
woodytheplumber
fair play I just do it as a standard only ever had one customer follow me round with a level and they didn't find one level rad of mine all the ones under the window sill were perfectly parallel and every other rad I fit I send a level line across fit brackets check for level and if they are spot on I send a tiny tap to one of the brackets I was always taught to have a slight un level on rads up to the bleed nipple and as I think its make perfect cense that's how I fit them ime not talking much but over sat a 1200 level 2 milly is in my eyes perfect
When change a immersion heater , make sure you remove old gasket and clean the sitting with Stanley blade and then install the new immersion heater
K
Kyle87
If every using anybody else's electric appliances or set ups, in my case my uncles set up for the light in his loft......
Just have a quick check for obvious defects or potential problems.
I got a belt from a horrific DIY job where my uncle had wired a plug on both ends of a flex to power the light in the loft.
I didn't check this and when I unplugged one end, it was still live as other end was plugged in and it hurt!!
Just have a quick check for obvious defects or potential problems.
I got a belt from a horrific DIY job where my uncle had wired a plug on both ends of a flex to power the light in the loft.
I didn't check this and when I unplugged one end, it was still live as other end was plugged in and it hurt!!
ч
Tell uncle never to play with electrics like this ..... Is this even allowed !?
K
Kyle87
No way is it allowed. It's like allowing a plug with a flex and 3 exposed wires. Pins on the plug are just the same when the other side is live
E
Ermintrude
To aid adding inhibitor, leak sealer or cleaner ect Make one of these up, keep compression fitting loose as then u can keep filler upright and tighten into rad. Take blanking plug out of other side as it avoids gurgling.
Solder a bit of 15mm into a 1/2 to 3/4 rad stump. Attach to hose. Draining down via a rad or makes syphoning easier. If rads are 15mm tail type just attach 3/4 valve and use 15mm connection.
Solder a bit of 15mm into a 1/2 to 3/4 rad stump. Attach to hose. Draining down via a rad or makes syphoning easier. If rads are 15mm tail type just attach 3/4 valve and use 15mm connection.
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woodytheplumber
I have a drain of hose exactly the same as that one great if theres no drain off hopefully snatch a small radiator and drain away
W
Whyme
To aid adding inhibitor, leak sealer or cleaner ect Make one of these up, keep compression fitting loose as then u can keep filler upright and tighten into rad. Take blanking plug out of other side as it avoids gurgling.
Solder a bit of 15mm into a 1/2 to 3/4 rad stump. Attach to hose. Draining down via a rad or makes syphoning easier. If rads are 15mm tail type just attach 3/4 valve and use 15mm connection.
for inhibitor i use half an auto air vent and bent male iron with o ring, and the very same make up for draining with no drain off. good call.
W
Whyme
if you come across a deck sink tap thats leaking from the spout to deck joint and theres no grub screws. turn the spout usually to the right so its parallel with the cold head and pull and wiggle it up. theres a spring loaded bearing and a slot in the deck that makes it only possible to pull out at this angle. re o ring and replace..jobs a goodun.
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woodytheplumber
I will remember that one changed my mothers only yesterday for the reason that I couldn't find a grub screw! to be fair it was time for a change anyway
E
Ermintrude
Get a ladder base mate
Then ur ladder will be a lot safer when ur on the 3rd floor roof. Or helping dickie of his horse. Also a ratchet strap fastened to wall will make u a lot safer !
Then ur ladder will be a lot safer when ur on the 3rd floor roof. Or helping dickie of his horse. Also a ratchet strap fastened to wall will make u a lot safer !
T
tamz
Get a ladder base mate
Then ur ladder will be a lot safer when ur on the 3rd floor roof. Or helping dickie of his horse. Also a ratchet strap fastened to wall will make u a lot safer !
Who's been on a ladder access course then :smile:
Don't forget your ropes and bucket hook :lol:
E
Ermintrude
Yeh when working at heights 2008 introduced. Only bought these when my youngman catwalk ladders were lifted! Titan base mate is the daddy!
http://youtu.be/aAdhIXRKV6U
http://youtu.be/aAdhIXRKV6U
T
tamz
J
james the plumb
Need to change a syphon that wont flush.get a hose that is long enough to reach the pan and suck. Oviously not while in the pan. If its low enough the hose will syphon out the water and you can whip it off the wall without being full. 🙂
T
tamz
Bloo loo tastes worse than diesel. I'll stick to a sponge :wink:
E
Ermintrude
J
james the plumb
Wet vac indeed. But if you dnt have one. Oh yeh tamz, like limescale on cylinder when drainoff dnt work lol.
T
tamz
Aye right Simon. I'll humpf a hoover up a flat stair to suck 2 pint of water out a cistern. Don't think so. I'd have the job done before you got it out the van even if it meant cracking the ballvalve jamb nut and wiping it up with a towel :wink:
T
tamz
No limescale up this way. We have decent water (too much sometimes) and better prices at the scrappies :wink:
B
Bunker
Bosch site measurement ap:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bosch-site-measurement-camera/id565900816?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bosch-site-measurement-camera/id565900816?mt=8
E
Ermintrude
Keep some spare test nipples in your bag! Nothing worse than one snapping off or worse loosing it in a semi concealed ! If u do snap off head of nipple simply get a good flathead screwdriver, put inside test point and give it a few whacks with hammer to get grip and unscrew! Obviously only should be done by a GSRI
im with you tamz anyone can do it with a small artic full 0of tools and spares what sorts the men from the boys is doing it with what you can carry olive splitters and fancy drain bowls comes to mind
B
Bunker
G
Gas
or use a speedfit you have taking off a leaking DIY install :devil2: you only need to screw into the rad hand tight, no tools needed
W
Whyme
B
Bunker
G
Gas
B
Bunker
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