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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that emergency is actually an emergency and not some time between now and 6pm?

82 replies

Glitterknickaz · 02/07/2011 10:51

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.

Had a childfree night, mum has them overnight. Rare and much enjoyed.
Until we came downstairs this morning.

There is water pouring through our kitchen ceiling.
It's not like the bathroom is above it or anything, this has got to be a heating pipe or something. So we've shut off the water at the mains and put a bucket under it for now, but there's a big hole in our kitchen ceiling (size of a fist). Shut the boiler down and I think that's all we can do. It is still dripping through, but not pouring thankfully.

Rung the housing association. Their emergency people have never heard of us (that's happened before - we've only lived here six years and they've not put us on their tenant list for their emergency service). So it took them an hour to confirm we're who we say we are Hmm

I've explained the situation, including that I have three disabled children, and they've said someone will be here between now (well an hour ago) and six this evening. Mum's having to keep the kids, they can't use the loo or wash their hands or anything here, and one of them has dodgy continence so we'd not be able to clear up properly in case of accidents. My poor mum!

Is it really an emergency service if it takes eight bloody hours to come out?!?!?!

OP posts:
MrsKravitz · 02/07/2011 10:52

Perhaps they couold be reminded of that poor wee baby that died from burns when a pipe burst above his crib :9

MrsKravitz · 02/07/2011 10:53

:(

M0naLisa · 02/07/2011 10:53

That is disgusting. I would make a complaint once they have gone.

edam · 02/07/2011 10:54

That is shit. I bet if the chief exec of the housing association had a burst pipe, they'd expect a ruddy plumber round PDQ.

worraliberty · 02/07/2011 10:58

That is crap Sad

Can't one of you go to our Mum's and help her?

bubblesincoffee · 02/07/2011 11:02

It is crap, but look on the bright side, if you owned the house you would probably have to wait that long and you would have to pay for it.

Original poster
Glitterknickaz · 02/07/2011 11:43

Plumber's here. Very relieved.
He's now having to rip out the built in wardrobe in the kids' room though. This is going to be a heck of a repair job to all the plasterboard etc.

OP posts:
jade80 · 02/07/2011 11:46

Agree with bubbles. If you owned the house you would be bloody lucky to get anyone out quicker. And you would pay through the nose for it. I'm assuming here that you don't have to pay at all- disregard the last bit if you foot the bill yourself.

Original poster
Glitterknickaz · 02/07/2011 11:48

If I owned the place I'd get my mate's husband to do it.

OP posts:
moondog · 02/07/2011 11:55

I fail to see what the issue is.
It's a warm day, perfectly possible to exist between now and early evening without water.
Oh, and the plumber's there already you say?

jade80 · 02/07/2011 12:00

Well you're lucky you know someone to do it for free and fast. Come to that, if it's such an emergency, why didn't you get him to do it anyway?!

Original poster
Glitterknickaz · 02/07/2011 12:02

It'd be against the terms of my tenancy.....

OP posts:
Original poster
Glitterknickaz · 02/07/2011 12:03

At the time of writing the OP I had water coming through the ceiling despite efforts to stop it. I think being a little annoyed is reasonable.

OP posts:
jade80 · 02/07/2011 12:11

Really, I didn't realise tenants aren't allowed to get things fixed off their own bat. Seems a little daft, but I suppose the landlords would argue they wanted control over the standard of the job. Would you have been allowed to get a friend in just to stop the water, if they didn't do any further work after that? I think I'd prob have done that anyway if water was coming through at the time.
Yes I can see why you're cross but tbh I think having a guaranteed, free and quick response to plumbing is very lucky- most people don't. A lot of people would need to ring round numerous places, try and find someone to do the job quickly, then take a day off work (if a working day) to hang around and wait for it to be fixed. Then pay through the nose for it! Usually in the region of £60 before the plumber is even out of his bloody van! (Yes you can tell how ticked off I was, lol!)

Original poster
Glitterknickaz · 02/07/2011 12:16

There's little more you can do but shut off at the mains and switch off the boiler until someone qualified can get to you.

The damage bill for this lot is going to be horrendous

OP posts:
ThisIsANiceCage · 02/07/2011 12:19

Wow, you people who expect to wait 7 hrs when you phone an emergency plumber need to change your plumbers.

I've never had to wait more than 2 hours, wherever I've lived (private tenant or houseowner).

And I don't get the description of repairs as "free" if you're a tenant. Private, council or HA: if you're a tenant, maintenance and repairs are among the things you pay rent for. That's the deal.

I feel your pain, Glitter - we thought our vv slow leak might be under the built-in wardrobe. I could have kissed the guy when he found it just beyond.

jade80 · 02/07/2011 12:26

You don't have to pay though do you? Sympathy if you do, these things are never cheap.

TIANC- In the end though, the OP waited far less than that. Presumably they gave worst case scenario. You say 7 hours is unreasonable- can you name plumbers who come out quicker (guaranteed) please?
OK if you are going to go down the route of semantics- I will alter the statement to ''it is free AT POINT OF USE'- any better?

Original poster
Glitterknickaz · 02/07/2011 12:30

Private tenants would also get it free at the point of use though.
One of the few benefits of not being a home owner, and I was one of those once.

OP posts:
jade80 · 02/07/2011 12:37

Yes, I'm not disputing that, I was referring to tenants of all kinds.

oneofthosedays · 02/07/2011 12:40

YABU, I sympathise with your situation but they will have other emergencies to deal with as well, no doubt also involving children and/or the elderly - why are you significantly more urgent than them? By law this repair would come under the right to repair scheme and you are entitled to have this sorted within 1 working day which is what they are doing for you!

Original poster
Glitterknickaz · 02/07/2011 12:45

We're now waiting for a second plumber as the first one was not authorised to work with heating systems like ours.

How is this cost effective to the housing association?

OP posts:
oneofthosedays · 02/07/2011 12:49

Because until they come out they are not aware of whether it's a heating pipe or a cold water pipe so they've obviously sent a bog standard plumber first, now they are sending a heating engineer. What is you problem? They seem to be working hard to get this sorted for you and you don't seem very grateful?

Original poster
Glitterknickaz · 02/07/2011 12:52

No, the plumber that came out was qualified to do the work but because of the way Homeserve is organised he's not covered by insurance to do it, so he's had to go back and someone else come out.
It's a weird way it's organised.
It's not about gratitude, I just see it as a bit of a waste of money.

OP posts:
jade80 · 02/07/2011 12:52

Agree, you don't seem very pleased that they are sorting all this for you? I'm just comparing to when i had similar problems, spent ages and ran up phone bill to finally get someone out and be charged what I see as a lot of money, which had to be paid there and then. Then I had to get them back out twice more as it still wasn't fixed! And pay again, and again!

Of course it isn't cost effective to the HA- since when has that kind of organisation ever been cost effective lol, wasting money is what they do at a local and national level. day in and day out.

jade80 · 02/07/2011 12:55

Just saw your latest post, yes I totally agree re. waste of money, but local and national authorities are skilled at haemorrhaging money and at employing 20 people where 5 well organised people would probably do the job better! The whole thing needs a major shake up but that wouldn't go down well with a lot of people!