Life on the boat presents us with a never-ending supply of small but essential jobs. We have to keep an eye on the levels of everything from water to Watt-hours and diesel to dish-washing liquid. Planning our travels so that we don’t get caught out provides quite a lot of entertainment for me. I was concerned that back in Edinburgh I’d struggle to find things to fill my days.
Once we were back in our own flat, there were a number of projects that kept me entertained on days when I wasn’t out cycling. The most protracted of these was resolving the plumbing problem in the bathroom. Following some excellent advice (thanks Roland!) I had attacked the wall in the kitchen rather than ripping off the tiles in the bathroom.
![Pipe Work in Kitchen Wall](https://bartimaeus.blether.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_20220424_172451-1024x576.jpg)
I haven’t done a lot with push-fit plumbing before, but I am impressed by how simple it is to cut, join and rejoin pipes. As the project progressed I found I had always missed some vital item or another. I cycled many (enjoyable) extra miles to various DIY shops (other DIY shops were used too) to keep the project running,
![Bike Laden with Plumbing Kit](https://bartimaeus.blether.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_20220412_113545-1024x768.jpg)
The trouble was, I couldn’t get the valve in place without the cold supply leaking. I eventually realised that the leak was not with plastic fittings. The connector that screws in to the valve is brass, and the drip I got repeatedly was from this thread. The web provided me with a number of techniques which should solve it, but none did. Rather belatedly I noticed a ragged edged inside the recalcitrant coupling.
![Faulty Shower Valve Inlet](https://bartimaeus.blether.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_20220420_154359-1024x884.jpg)
I got in touch with the supplier. They asked me a few questions but quickly agreed to send me a replacement. I was pleased with that, but annoyed that I would now have to wait to finish the project. To my amazement, the replacement valve was delivered late on Saturday afternoon. I fitted the couplings straight away and left the sealant to dry – the tube says it dries fast, but that can be “up to 24 hours” depending on the conditions. I decided to wait a day to be on the safe side.
![Trimmed Hedge](https://bartimaeus.blether.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_20220424_175430-1024x576.jpg)
So this morning I decided to get out a different power tool to occupy myself. The bush that disguises our front garden bike “palace” needed a trim. In the afternoon we went for a short walk, the air temperature didn’t make a long stroll very inviting.
When we got back I decided to fit the shower valve. Putting it in place takes only a few minutes – I was relieved and delighted to find that there were no drips! I spent a little longer putting the kitchen unit back in place. It’s now hard to tell that it was ever moved. The valve in the bathroom also looks great.
![Kitchen Cupboard](https://bartimaeus.blether.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_20220424_175522-scaled.jpg)
![Shower Valve](https://bartimaeus.blether.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_20220424_175537-scaled.jpg)
I’m pleased to have restored both the kitchen and bathroom to a decent state before I go in to hospital tomorrow. Here’s hoping it’s a good omen.