So by Friday night we were back in the modern world, We had a flushing toilet and central heating, two things we'd gone without for quite some time. Neither massively bothered me but it is much better for all my ladies that live with me.
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| Still lots to do and lots of materials needed |
My cousin, Ian, came round on Thursday to fit the boiler and the new toilet (this was in exchange for some work I did for him last year on his house). The toilet broke about 4 months ago (maybe more) so we've been flushing it with a bucket ever since, I hate plumbing jobs so kept putting it off. The toilet was so old I knew if I took it apart it wouldn't go back together again without leaking so I bought a replacement. I think the new toilet with all the bits came to around £50, I can't believe how little water it uses, much more efficient that the old one.
The heating was on as I got home on Friday night (I'd been working at my brothers but more on that in another post) and the house felt completely different as I walked in. The wood burner only heats so much of the house, the bathroom and bedrooms didn't benefit much from it at all so it was good to get rid of the damp feeling up there. To make matters even better it froze outside that night so we really felt the affects of it!
My wife is much happier now we can get the house warm ready in time for baby number three arrival and the midwife might think that our house is more suitable than before!
I've still got lots of work to do yet but slowly the list is getting ticked off!
You are a very wise man to get both the heating situation and the toilet fixed before the coldest part of your year began! ;o} We lived for more years than I want to remember with an outdoor biffy, no running water or electricity and trying to heat a beat-up old house trailer with wood heat. Now many years later I still appreciate indoor plumbing, all the electrical power we need and a tight, warm house more than I would have had we not done without. I think you truly don't appreciate all you have unless you've not had it. These "upgrades" will mean a lot to your wife with the arrival of your third child looming!
ReplyDeletegood for you! We had a new kitchen and boiler put in when my daughter was just 10 days old. Should have taken 3 weeks but took 3 months!
ReplyDeleteKev you recently asked if you were being cruel to your pregnant wife. You withheld the information that you allowed your family to live without a flushing toilet for four months. That's cruel. Picking the cucamelons could have waited.
ReplyDeleteIt did flush if you did it right, only trouble is only I could do it! A bucket is fine, she really appreciates a flushing toilet now, it makes us see the simple things as pleasures!
DeleteGreat news on the home front, you are going great guns, its only when you have been without you appreciate it :-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the progress. Still, it's good to know that you can live without if you must.
ReplyDeleteGratz. I am with you on the plumbing I HATE plumbing jobs, or more specifically I HATE plumbing fixtures of all kinds. They never fit back together right, you can never find the exact part ya need to make em work right once they begin messing up and then two weeks, a month, six months after you finally think you got one working right they start doing the same thing again.
ReplyDeleteI would rather tear the knotters from my baler completely apart and put em back together again than repair a leaking or not working plumbing fixture.
And the method to your madness has been revealed. ;-) You kept the house cold so the missus would cozy up to you at night. LOL The preppers can say what they want, living without flushing toilets is a literal pain in the arse. There comes a point in live when you are done with the roughing it monkey business. I've made my wife live for a spell without trim on a few windows and a couple unpainted walls, but never without a proper working flush toilet or heat. Come to think of it if I made her live without a hot shower I'd be sleeping in the tool shed.
ReplyDeleteA pukka flushing loo is certainly an advantage. Mine here uses about 50 gallons per flush; I really must do something about it.
ReplyDeleteKev, you've got a bunch of tough ladies living with you! Well done girls:)
ReplyDeleteWe have central heating running off our Rayburn now, and it sooooo nice not to be living in dampness any more, so I would think your wife is very happy with you for getting the heating sorted!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got everything up and running. People really need to be comfortable in their homes. That's your refuge.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read flushing toilets now, I thought you meant that you had an outhouse and finally have indoor plumbing! at the last location, Himself made a face when I suggested we swap out one of our two toilets for a composting toilet. I told him it was okay to put in the bathroom I chiefly used; we lost power every third storm and were on a well, so when the power went out, we couldn't flush. I don't miss having to fill a bathtub with water just so we'd have enough besides storing some in jugs down cellar.
ReplyDeleteit all takes time, love the barter system, much more fun
ReplyDelete