To think I’m being a complete CF and not want to ring into work again!

[MeteorGarden92]

So I recently dropped to PT hours to accommodate completing my qualification. Work are wonderful and supportive but I know it’s a stretch for them!

Yesterday I get a call at 7am from DP who has written off his car on the way to work. He’s ok but car is not! (Second accident in 3 months but neither his fault- he has a 2 hour commute on bad roads).

Obviously I rang in and swapped my day off!! They were fine about it.

This morning he’s taken my car to work and I’ve come down to an exploded dishwasher poring water down the front of my washing machine (and no doubt over the plugs at the bag which I CANNOT get into) I’m 26 and not the most stressful practical with electrics but pretty sure I can’t go out to work and leave the new water feature going!

Rang DP - no answer as he’s no doubt mid way through an operation right now. (Dr) so don’t expect a response from him in the next hour or two and even if he does respond he’s over an hours drive away!

Rang my mum- can’t come over.

Rang the plumbers who didn’t answer yet.

This is the second time the dishwasher has done this in a month! And our car was sick a few weeks ago and had to be rushed into the vets (again by me as couldn’t reach DP at work!

DP and I are getting married in 12 weeks and he would bend over backwards to help...if I could get hold of him, which I never can as obviously they don’t allow mobiles in operating theatres and he spends 50% plus of his working day there!

He’s on a 13 hour shift today- I just feel like it’s always falls to me, and it’s always going to be my career taking a huge hit! I’m sat here feeling terrible about having to ring work again and honestly could just cry!!

Well, at least it's a learning experience for you.

I understand how you feel but I’m afraid I agree with other pps. You need to know these things and be able to cope in an emergency. Imagine what it would be like if you children also need led ferrying to school? This is a learning experience.

*needed not need led!

Obviously berating the OP for not knowing this stuff isn't exactly helpful, but I really don't understand all the posts making out that it's normal/funny/cool not to know how to turn off the utilities in your house.

Years ago I had an upstairs neighbour who had a leak and whilst the water was pouring through my ceiling (causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage to my stuff) was running around in a flap because she didn't know where the water stopcock was.

We rented before moving here
You can still repressurise a rented boiler and you'd still need to know where the stopcock, fusebox, etc are; how to unclog a drain or a million & one other household things.

Is this for real? Sorry but you can get an emergency plumber that can come to you within the hour You probably will pay price. Otherwise call the office and ask for a day to be taken off your annual leave. And please familiarise yourself with your house. It might save someone's life one day. Always where to such off electric and water mains. Essential knowledge

When my dishwasher flooded kitchen, I shut the water, power socket and wiped the floor. While simultaneously being on a phone with the company I bought it from, because it was under warranty. Luckily my issue was faulty waste from it so once it was off no water was going in. Note they will also take note of damage caused and you might get small compensation on top. Repetitive leaks can ruin even tiled floor.

If it is really emergency I can recommend googling local plumbing company or ppl and check their reviews properly, best ask neigbours for recommendations. I have now my favourite tradesmen and their numbers saved in my phone. Makes things easier.

Btw none of this is boasting. I honestly thought everyone keeps the numbers, knows where things are etc until this thread. That's as well why I made sure I know all this

Late to the party but at 36 we’ll educa with good job I just went downstairs to ask my DH where to turn water, electricity and Gas off!

So do not feel to stupid OP!

With regards to always doing everything with your DP job house stuff probably is going to fall more on you so probably good to have a chat with DP about any concerns and see if any other areas need to learn more about. Sounds like your work is flexible which is great!

*well educated

Also to more Shane I work in construction literally building houses 🙈

*OMG shame not Shane!!

If it's any consolation to the OP, I used to live in a house that didn't have a stopcock, a fact we discovered when the mains pipe leading into our house burst. Nobody could find it, not even the water board when we had a leak.

Eventually the water people found a plan that had it marked on, it was 2m outside our boundary, on the pavement at the side of our house (we were on a corner), rather than in front of it like every other house in the row. And it was daisy-chained to all the other houses in the row - shut our water off, and you also shut off the next 5 houses along the road. Next door's stop cock shut off their water, and the next 4 houses along. And so on.

Then, the nice water man used his special key thingy to open it, and we discovered that the council when they'd resurfaced had tarmaced it into position, and it couldn't be moved for love nor money.

The poor workman had to do a pipe replacement with full pressure mains water flowing through it. I've never seen a room or man so wet by the time he'd finished. :o

No more advice as you have plenty but can I recommend a book that I use a lot which is Mrs Fixit DIY. It's a proper DIY book and it's really good. I've leart loads from it, including where to find things like the stopcock.
Anyway, I hope you sorted it in the end. Honestly, the more you do this stuff, the more confident you will become. 😀

Wow! Really disappointed at how much negativity there is on this post. I usually see people coming up with amusing solutions, and more general support. Must've been a bad/quiet day I guess.

It's really unfair to say that people should know this stuff, when the way you pick things like this up are either by having a DIYer dad/brother/partner, or an emergency of your own. We all learn things like this at different times. Truth is that some people never learn it because they have a man around who does all that sort of thing. In the same way as some people (more in years gone by) never knew about family finances, paid bills etc.

It's a shame there aren't adult education classes for first time home-owners etc, that could cover the basics of general household maintenance and awareness. Likewise basic car maintenance.

I remember my mum going to the rescue of a young Mum across the road when she had burst pipe and water was flooding the house. It happens, but guarantee that they're going to remember the stopcock in future.

I hope for the OP that her stopcock isn't in a pig of a place as mine is - behind the fridge freezer! I also hope that it does what it's supposed to (mine doesn't shut off a later extension to the house!)

As such, whatever else I've disliked about this thread, I am grateful that I read through it to see the helpful posts making me aware of the switch that can be fitted. Very good to know, particularly when you can get one with a remote.

I hope that you are all sorted now Meteor, and personally, it's better that you panicked about the potential of water and electricity, than we read about you doing something that resulted in you/your home going up in flames. Collins DIY manual is a very handy thing to have. I gave one to my niece when she left home, as well as my brother when he bought his first home - our Dad was rubbish at DIY.

Why would an adult education class help you know where the water stopcock in your own house is?

Unless "the man around who does all that sort of thing" literally never leaves the house of course women need to know this sort of thing. I'd say your statement was a bizarre 50s throw back but that would frankly be an insult to my grandmothers who sure as knew how to turn off the electricity.

Problems with adult education class for new homeowners are:

1. People would have tl want to find them and attend them. But if they are not googling even simple info when buying, I doubt they would be looking for classes
2. They can't be mandatory, so back to problem no 1

People really need to start taking responsibility for thrir own knowledge.

Special key thingy....That's my kind of talk too🤣😂🤣😂👍

the way you pick things like this up are either by having a DIYer dad/brother/partner, or an emergency of your own
Sucks to be surrounded by vaginas only and have to wait for an emergency to figure this stuff out!