Waiting for Mr Plumber

As part of a comtinuing series of whinges, here's my latest adventure in tedium waiting for that salt of the earth, the great New Zealand tradesman.

A few weeks ago I noticed that whenever someone is having a shower, or the washing machine is running, the toilets "bubble".

A quick shifty around with google told me that this is a problem in waiting, either a partial blockage of the sewer pipe, or a partial blockage of the vent.

I have a list of tradesman who have worked on our place over the past few years & I resolved to call the local Mr Plumber.

But before that, by coincidence, a friend & her fiance arrived to visit. He's a plumber. And so we consulted the garden plans & began digging for the sewer inspection pipe.

Eventually I found it. And the plumber guy started to help clear the pit I had dug, and he cleared right through an electric cable feeding the pumphouse (hint: No water at that point).

Anyway, he patched that up & I resolved to call an electrician - which is interesting in itself, I rang a company we shall call Peace Electical & told them I had a live & naked cable running half a metre deep under the lawn. They told me that was illegal & asked if the pumphouse had a switchboard. I said "yes". They said it was probably dodgy as the cowboys who installed it must have been cowbaoys because they left a naked cable under the lawn.

Later, I chortled as I read the "Installed by Peace Electrical" sticker on the switchboard.

But back to the plumber. The guy with me was showing all signs of being stoned - overt signs like rolling up a joint for a "top up", so I decided to forgo his services & expertise & ring Mr Plumber. Who probably installed all the plumbing.

He said he'd be there Friday.

I had many things to do Friday, including source a new axle for the mower & replace it. I made sure I was at SunnyO in heaps of time for our appointment at 1.30pm.

At 2.30pm I rang & enquired as to his whereabouts. The person in the office told me he was awash with emergencies & they'd call me soon to confirm the time.

That was last Friday. Today is Tuesday. I am still waiting.

In fact I've left a message & sent them an email.

And so it goes.

Meanwhile, a mate who is an electrican has come & fixed the naked cable situation.

MR PLUMBER - probably fantastic - if they turn up.