I hate plumbing

I hate the lack of a good old fashioned waste plug on a chain. The various newer types of waste arrangements all create problems that need not happen.

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Try it on a Geberit, that’s gynaecology not plumbing.

Having done numerous plumbing projects, including complete bathrooms with basin, pan, bath, shower, tiling et al, I’ve learned that having the exact right tool is key to success.

Even if you never need that tool again, if it’s the tool that allows a job to be done right first time, in good time, it’s worth getting.

I have kept all my Imperial spanners. Half of a large socket set has Imp sockets. I haven’t used Imp tools for decades but I find it impossible to get rid of them - just in case.

I did find a use for an Imp socket once. On the ‘paid’ side of a peaje on a Spanish autopista a dog-eared car towing a huge, dilapidated caravan was parked up. The car was full of lots of family. The caravan was clearly badly overloaded and had a flat. They had no tools at all. Nothing.

I tend to travel with a great many tools. I fished out ‘Big Grey’ tool box - metric and Imp sockets/spanners from 4mm - 27mm in a variety of forms. I found an Imp socket that was a fit on his caravan wheel nuts. I gave him this and a spare tommy bar from ‘Big Blue’ - another box with yet more sockets/spanners/ratchets etc. in both metric and Imp.

We were able to slack off the nuts but my jack could not lift the caravan! A friendly trucker hove to and got the jack from his rig. I left them to it.

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Can any of these tools be hired if it’s likely to be for one use only?

Yes, but with cheaper stuff it is not much more to buy.

Eg a set of spanners might be £15 a week to hire but you can buy a cheap set for the same money.

It’s generally more worthwhile with higher ticket items - a 2.7kVA generator mighht cose £300-600 to buy but be only £40 to rent for a week.

That said 2nd hand might not be much more than rental and you can always sell it again at the end of the job.

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It’s very unlikely you’d find ‘hand tools’ of this kind rentable. Perhaps as a set, a whole kit. For example, industrial quality hole saw sets can be rented - they’re expensive to buy.

One can get by with DIY grade versions for one-time/occasional use

These would do OK in plasterboard/chipboard/ply

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I wish I’d never mentioned it. :rofl:

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You get the DIYista on about tools and you get chapter 'n verse!

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Pipe down then !

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See “Fat Lama” in the UK.

Otherwise you are likely to be correct in that it might be difficult to find anyone hiring out hand tools - most power tools can be hired though.

The deputy PM?

Unless he has a side line in tool hire, no.

Well his boss is the son of a toolmaker.

Ditto everything you have said. Exactly the same situations arose with my fitting a new tap just like yours. My gripe is no shut off valves were fitted - comme dab - so as well as the access probs it’s all happening in the wet.

At least I had isolation valves. Why not turn off at the mains though?

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And the hot water supply, then open all the taps and flush the toilet

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I HATE plumbing too! For no apparent reason we have a blocked toilet this evening :weary_face:. Tried Bicarbonate of soda & vinegar and failed. We’re on a septic tank system so have to be careful. Any suggestions gratefully received :woozy_face:

Blocked toilet or full fosse?

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I don’t know - know zilch about septic systems :woozy_face:

Have you any clue as to when it was last emptied (the fosse, not the toilet…)?