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!!

We moved a year ago into rented house and this post has just reminded me I don't actually know yet where stop cock is. It's something I'm usually on the ball with! Going to fish out the rental folder today and find out. Thanks op!

I do repressurise the boiler and bleed the radiators though and it's me who does all the car maintenance and always have done.

Absolutely right that it's vital people know how to do these things.

I’ve only ever bled 2 radiators in my life. I keep meaning to buy a radiator key and forget. I’ll do that online today. I’ve seen videos online how to do it, and when I did it to my bathroom screw type radiator it was quite fun

And ladies and gents, don't forget to get your boiler checked regularly.

1. For your safety
2. Many insurances stipulate regular check ups as one of conditions

Bleeding rads is awesome. 😁

Oh ffs. Why do people get so angry and chastise others on threads like this. I don't know where my stopcock is. I'm sure this is a basic requirement. I'm rubbish, fine. Whatever.

Funny that we're all different with a range of strengths and interests and some people happen to be reluctant to learn or improve on the areas they don't excel in.

Some people should know how to deal with people better, others probably need to learn to drive, some people aren't very good with money, some can't cook. Yes, they should probably make the effort to learn but where does it stop? How much do we need to know as a functioning adult? I reckon I get by ok.

@Oftenhangry I do - we had to call waterboard out to find it originally and try and turn water off and it was jammed - that was a fun couple of weeks - good job I had decided to be proactive. You also need a key for it

@puppymouse maybe because not knowing how to deal with water/electricity/gas can actually kill you? And others.

@RB68 I will have to buy the key. Just realised our builder did that one so I might not have the right tools...

I only k ow where out stopcock is because I fitted our kitchen (smug) and drilled through a water pipe at the same time.

Anyway - OP, you obviously come on here with a list of "excuses" not to go into work which leads to people piling on you - of course you have a list of things making you consider calling work, otherwise you wouldn't be bloody posting. I can't believe you've taken such a bloody battering.

Hope your kitchen is ok and that your studying goes well!

In my first house (maisonette) the people before me had painted over the stopcock. Completely painted it to blend in with the wall (it was at the bottom of the stairs which was odd). I couldn't turn the thing!

@OftenHangry I get that. But I'm pretty sure crossing the road can do that too. I think it requires common sense and having a good network around you.

@puppymouse and when you are crossing a road, you look if car isn't coming. If you don't, you get honked at, in the best scenario.

I really think people shouldn't try to find excuses about this. There is absolutely no reason not to know. It's not like cooking, which requires skills. Or knitting. Or driving.
There is nothing to learn except "Here it is and if you turn it this way, it's off". Nothing more to it.

After reading this thread I searched high and low for mine and no idea where it is, wonder what kind of person this makes me according to MN...

@Wallywobbles Ahhhh I remember that poster! Refusing to let employees leave the building in the case of a family emergency

Good reminder everyone (even kids) should now how to turn the water off. Ours learnt when a tap went and I was at work. Unfortunately it was the hot so it kept going until the tank had drained quite a bit.

Will show them the electrics tonight.

We've got rental properties and the guidebooks we leave have clearly got flagged in them the stopcocks and electrical points.

Don't get me on changing tyres and checking car oil and fluids.....far too many practical skills don't get passed on.

Hope you found the stopcock and the circuit breaker for your kitchen, and a nice plumber! Hang in there -- we all know it's hard juggling everything!

Discussing home emergencies and the like at work today and one colleague (aged 54) said that her dh sorted out all the family's washing ever since they'd got married aged 22 ( prior to that she'd lived at home with parents)
Sadly when he'd died she had no idea how to use a washing machine!

Our stopcock is in the downstairs loo. It had become very difficult to turn so DH replaced it with a switch. You can also get one with a remote button if the stopcock is in a tricky place to access.

It's really judgemental to tell OP off for not knowing about stopcocks ect..
I know where mine are now but in my first home, I only found them when I needed to, as I suspect most people did. I've even photographed the blighters now, so I can ID the correct one, since there's a few old taps in there and also, a long row of switches.
I only need to find them about once every five years and I'm bound to forget. But that's just experience.
That's what Mumsnet is about isn't it?. coming on here to ask for help. Maybe MeteorGarden has subjects in which she has more knowledge than us? I hope you got it sorted Meteor.

That's a good idea SLB.

why dont you join one of these emergency schemes offered by electric/gas and other companys, not hugely expensive, save you a lot of stress, get them to show you how and where everything is (stop tap ect)so you can take pics on your mobile then if/when anything goes wrong again domestically you know exactly whom to contact and what to do.
good luck with sorting todays problems out.

Stealth boast thread

I'm still trying to work out how water pours from the dishwasher down the front of the washing machine.

Could be a counter top dishwasher, in which case, unplug it and move it. Cant think how else water would pour from one appliance over another?

I wouldn't know what to do with the water either! I'm useless in my house our boiler went off in feb and I didn't know what to do youtube didn't help as ours looked different luckily our neighbor came and sorted it out for us otherwise I would have spent a fortune just to add pressure to our boiler! We rented before moving here and are new to this whole thing too no need to be so mean to OP!

FIRST!!! it is absolutely imperative that everyone knows how to the shut water off in your home. There are knobs behind toilets, under sinks, near washers and there will be a main water off knob for dwelling but that isn't usually a good one unless you're in big trouble.

Secondly. You need to discuss the car situation. My dh rents one if ours is dead. That's fair. Cat/vet everyone with pets has emergencies.

You should be able to sort out your water problem.

You're a grown up. (Notice. No sex named bc everyone eats, poos, hopefully works and should be able to take care of minor emergencies). Figure this out!

Emergencies and disasters don't give a flying fig if your are 26 or 62. That's a cop out to say you can't do the dishwasher. Google it. Its on the internet somewhere. There can't be ONE plumber in your area?

Finally. Many of us have husbands who aren't doctors, who can't come home or answer the phone because they are working! Be independent, be capable. You'll probably have children. You will need to be able to be calm under pressure and level headed then as you should be now.

Discuss things with your dp. Explain that your career is important and if he says, "i'm taking the car, dear." Encourage him to realize that's not the only solution.

In this world we need to be grateful for the good things and competent when things go south. I hope your water has stopped flowing and your job is safe.

I have no patience with women who don’t bother to know things because ‘my husband does it all’. It’s such a lazy cop out. Well one day your husband may not be around so you’d better learn hadn’t you? And yes, I’m looking at you, work colleague, whose car I very kindly topped up with oil because your oil light had come on and you didn’t know what to doooooo!