Had to share my story here. As a warning, and to get it out of my system.
Well I stumbled into a situation today like a total chump. Kicking myself for my lack of street smarts.
Our gas hot water heater was very old, so I recently paid for a new one and it was installed. Expensive and a hassle as well.
Then I get an email from a group who work for the government doing gas safety checks and quality of work checks.
It was 'free' so I decided to call...like a baby mouse venturing out to an open field. So naive.
The guy went to the hot water heater and got out his measuring tape and clipboard. My internal alarm bells started ringing, but too late.
"The top of your heater needs to have 300mm clearance above it, and there's only 250mm. That's against regulations and it's gotta go." he says.
Oh great. And I volunteered for this?? 50mm?? I'd like to order a Common Sense meal please, with a side of Practicality. And extra Who-Gives-A-Shit.
Then he checks the meter and says we have a tiny gas leak. He searches the house for it but can't find it.
"Do you have any other gas appliances?" he asks. "The gas heater is in the roof" I answer.
Then he tells me it is against regulations for him to explore the roof.
"If I can't find the leak, I'm going to have to turn off your gas until you can get it fixed."
At this stage, I'm wondering where I can bury his body in the garden bed (kidding).
So now I'm looking at no cooking (gas stove), no hot water, no heating and no showers for days and a hefty bill that I didn't need at this time.
Not to mention my wife going wild at me. Man, did I feel sheepish and angry!
Luckily after he replaced some seals and jiggled some knobs on the stove, the gas leak disappeared.
The hot water heater will need to be dealt with (5cm!!!)...but at least we still have the gas on.
In hindsight, this was like me calling the taxation office to make sure my income tax report was okay.
"Well, after you drew our attention to yourself, we've decided that you should have a full audit done...but it's for your own good."
Drop your pants and prepare to be boarded.
I felt like I had gotten my sleeve caught in a giant bureaucratic paperwork machine, and it was pulling me in to my doom.
Beware fellow citizens! Never again.
This was the look on my face after 30 seconds:
Well I stumbled into a situation today like a total chump. Kicking myself for my lack of street smarts.
Our gas hot water heater was very old, so I recently paid for a new one and it was installed. Expensive and a hassle as well.
Then I get an email from a group who work for the government doing gas safety checks and quality of work checks.
It was 'free' so I decided to call...like a baby mouse venturing out to an open field. So naive.
The guy went to the hot water heater and got out his measuring tape and clipboard. My internal alarm bells started ringing, but too late.
"The top of your heater needs to have 300mm clearance above it, and there's only 250mm. That's against regulations and it's gotta go." he says.
Oh great. And I volunteered for this?? 50mm?? I'd like to order a Common Sense meal please, with a side of Practicality. And extra Who-Gives-A-Shit.
Then he checks the meter and says we have a tiny gas leak. He searches the house for it but can't find it.
"Do you have any other gas appliances?" he asks. "The gas heater is in the roof" I answer.
Then he tells me it is against regulations for him to explore the roof.
"If I can't find the leak, I'm going to have to turn off your gas until you can get it fixed."
At this stage, I'm wondering where I can bury his body in the garden bed (kidding).
So now I'm looking at no cooking (gas stove), no hot water, no heating and no showers for days and a hefty bill that I didn't need at this time.
Not to mention my wife going wild at me. Man, did I feel sheepish and angry!
Luckily after he replaced some seals and jiggled some knobs on the stove, the gas leak disappeared.
The hot water heater will need to be dealt with (5cm!!!)...but at least we still have the gas on.
In hindsight, this was like me calling the taxation office to make sure my income tax report was okay.
"Well, after you drew our attention to yourself, we've decided that you should have a full audit done...but it's for your own good."
Drop your pants and prepare to be boarded.
I felt like I had gotten my sleeve caught in a giant bureaucratic paperwork machine, and it was pulling me in to my doom.
Beware fellow citizens! Never again.
This was the look on my face after 30 seconds:
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