Squally Showers

Working around the house all day waiting for a couple of workmen to appear. A joiner was supposed to come to fix a couple of windows, which are letting in water. The problem has been there since they were installed and they were repaired last Summer, but signs of water ingress appeared again this Summer. We are very exposed to south easterly gales, so the fact the windows leak during the Summer months tells you something about our weather!

We have also had an intermittent problem with our heating since the house was built. The circuit breaker for the heat pump keeps tripping and the electrician who installed it reckoned there was a fault with the pump. The suppliers of the pump were happy to talk me through resetting the equipment, but less keen to come all the way from Glasgow to have a look at it. Anyway, 10 days ago the pump couldn't be reset and after 5 days of talking to umpteen people on the phone, an engineer from the manufacturers of the pump appeared at the door unannounced. Nice lad who had been diverted to our job after c0ming off the Islay ferry at teatime on his road home to Glasgow. He was most helpful, checked out everything in the pump and declared it 100% OK. Later learned he did not get home to 11 o'clock!

The problem had to be in the cable and after another couple of days chasing up the builder, an electrician appeared and found the problem in minutes. The supply cable was broken at the end of the underground conduit and was going to earth. The problem appeared to come to a head when heavy rain reached the cable and caused a short. Apparently the original electrician should have installed an armoured cable to protect it. It was almost certainly this electrician who damaged the cable when he rammed a metal pipe through the conduit! An armoured cable was ordered and should have reached the electrician yesterday.

So my day was spent waiting for a joiner to fix the windows and an electrician to install a new cable. Did either appear? Don't be silly, this is Kintyre where it sometimes seems easier to find a hen with teeth than a tradesman who will turn up when promised! Never mind, there's always tomorrow!

Oh, today's blip was taken on the beach early on after a squally shower had passed (still falling on the horizon) and before I started waiting for tradesmen!