On Sunday the pump connected to our water tank malfunctioned … and by malfunctioned I mean gave up the ghost, kicked the bucket and succumbed to … something.
Water tanks became compulsory when building a house around a decade ago … due to an appalling lack of water in our dams. Council now requires that all new homes have a water tank connected to the house … so we can harvest our rain water to be used to flush our toilets, water our gardens and wash our clothes.
This is all fantabulous in theory … but when something goes wrong with the pump … which happens with tedious regularity … or we have a black out … we are suddenly and rudely thrust into living conditions that one usually only expects in a third world country.
By that I mean we no longer have the ability to cleanse our conveniences … purge our potty ... launder our lavatory … we can't flush the flippin toilet!!
Now because we are generally lazy folk … and we don't like the idea of transporting buckets of water to the bathroom every time we use it … getting the pump fixed becomes a matter of some urgency.
And so it was that the Pumpy Fix It Man … whose number I have on speed dial by now … was summoned with haste.
He always arrives promptly … with a jovial demeanour … and smiles at you cheerfully whilst telling you that your pump has clearly pumped its last dump … and must be replaced immediately if you are at all interested in personal hygiene and general commode cleanliness. Something I am most interested in.
Then he tells you it costs $1000 dollars … or $800 if you'd like to pay cash … which of course you are almost certainly … NOT … going to have lying around the house … just in case. To soften the blow he kindly informs you that it comes with a twelve month warranty … which we both know is code for "he will be back here replacing it again in precisely 12 months and 1 day".
But what choice does a person have … when their crapper is full of … crap?
None at all … but to get ones self to the nearest ATM and withdraw the next couple of months worth of grocery money … and flush it straight down the john!!!
Oh poo! That stinks! Enough, it isn't funny really. I hate shelling out for maintenance on the house, even though it is obviously necessary; it somehow feels like you have nothing to show for the money, you've just maintained the status quo. But as you say, it has to be done, and a flushing toilet is a necessity. Let's hope the new pump lasts longer than a year and a day! xxxx
ReplyDeleteI hope so … all the things I "could" have done with $800 … none of which involved poo removal ;0)
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Such a bummer!!!! Oh I really want to start punning on this but I'll hold it. Anyhoo, I hope everything works out okay and the money is well spent and you have way more than a year of happy flushing and immaculate clean laundry!!!!
ReplyDeleteDon't hold it in … that's meant to be very bad for your health ;0)
Deletexx
..........I had no idea *stunned face* what an absolute pain in the backside (sorry) pump systems and water tanks are news to me, what a bugger though and $800!!!! pour yourself a stiff drink immediately x x x
ReplyDeleteI'd pour myself several … but I can't afford them ;0)
Deletexx
Oh dear, no Christmas vacation for us this year . . . . :-(
ReplyDeleteNow, now … lets not jump to any hasty conclusions ;0)
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oh no!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI know!!!!!
Deletexx
I hear you, we're on our own water here and have blackouts all the time, which means no taps either. Drives me nuts! Let's hope that new pump lasts a long time xx
ReplyDeleteNow that would be seriously annoying … at least we can still get a glass of water … better go get solar electricity and wind turbines too.
Deletexx
Long drop! Put in a long drop at the back of your garden down a pathway!! Wash yourselves and your clothes in the nearest river, and....... yeah just pay the bill, suck it up and enjoy being able to flush again. Dam bills, maybe we should all just rent houses instead of owning them then the landlord would have to solve these problems.
ReplyDeleteYeah … that's what I figured … better just pay the bill ;0)
Deletexx
Worth every penny probably - because I imagine life with your 3 men sans toilet will turn very ugly very soon
ReplyDeleteLOL … it's like you are a fly on the toilet … I mean wall … a fly on the wall ;0)
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Aha … maybe that's it … a bit of nepotism at work … you could be on to something ;0)
ReplyDeletexx
It's just plain nasty, isn't it? We spent $3,000 getting the drainage fixed in our backyard and all we had to show for it was... better drainage. I'm sure, like me, you could have spent your $$$ on something less necessary (oh, so necessary) but so much more tangible and interesting! x
ReplyDeleteExactly … there's just no fun in plumbing ;0)
Deletexx
Money well spent, I'd say, even though way too much! As someone who has experienced the 'third world' no running water thing too many times (hubby from Cuba), it is not good for the brain! I would become obsessed with water… enjoy that expensive pump, until next year, sadly. Nothing seems to survive beyond the day the warranty is done!
ReplyDeleteYou always know when your warranty is up … that's when, whatever it is breaks down … it's uncanny.
Deletexx
Oh man ouch. That would hurt. I thought having to pay $400 for a plumber to remove a wrestler toy from our kids toilet pipe was bad enough. Ouch xx
ReplyDeleteLOL … i'll never forget my horror when I discovered that one of my boys new favourite game was to "post" things down the ducted heating vent. Then he discovered he could remove the cover … and just like that … down went a tennis ball.
Deletexx