Experience has taught me to live by this simple law.
‘IF SOMETHING CAN GO WRONG, IT USUALLY WILL’
Yesterday, the new washing machine was due to be delivered and installed. Things started well, with a phone call at 9 am to let me know the men would be here between 1 and 4. I took Ollie out early, so I could make sure to be around when they turned up. After a decent walk on a cold bright day, I arrived home and waited.
As promised, they arrived just after 2:30. The procedure was to remove the old one first, then while they unpacked and prepared the new machine, I could clean out the space that hadn’t seen the light of day in years. The water supply was turned off, and they used a special ‘slidey mat’ to move the heavy washer out into the main part of the kitchen.
Seconds later, ‘Pete’s Law’ applied.
It turned out that the guy who had installed that machine in 2011 had ‘hard-wired’ the electrics, using a junction box, and isolator switch. The new machine has to be plugged into an existing socket, and there wasn’t one at the back. There wasn’t one in range of where the machine was to be installed either. The men from the shop are not allowed to connect the machine by hard-wiring. That has to be done by a qualified electrician. In this case, it is now apparently illegal to wire a washing machine like this anyway, as it is not ‘waterproof wiring’.
The men were sympathetic. They made phone calls to the shop. But nothing could be done until a proper socket is installed in the space, and the previous ‘dangerous’ wiring removed. They put our new washing machine back on their van, and said they would return on Sunday, as long as I could get the electrics in place by then.
I was now faced with having to get our (very good) electrician to come and do the job in five days at the latest, and of course have to pay him for that work too.
After two phone calls and two emails, he has agreed to come tomorrow morning, to do the required work. Meanwhile, my wife has to drive 28 miles each way to her daughter’s house later, with two bin-bags full of washing that cannot wait until the weekend. And I am left wondering what further electrical issues might be discovered on Wednesday.
Is it any wonder that I am a pessimist?
I think it all started going bad for the human species when we started to take regular baths/showers and wore clean clothes daily. π¦ Warmest regards, Ed
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Was I supposed to be doing that? π π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Mr O suffers from the worst case of “Pete’s Law” in the history of humanity. He is the unluckiest person I have ever met when it comes to totally random misfortunes… which of course means I am infected by association!
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I suspect he must be vaguely related to me in that case. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Hope you get your washing machine installed soon, Pete. If Sam ever read this he would laugh. He started the career ladder in 1976 as a qualified electrician, but now does something else. He says he’s too old now for ‘house bashing’ and crawling under floorboards!
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The electrician came and installed a socket this morning. Hopefully, they should now be able to deliver and fit the washing machine on Sunday! Can’t help wondering what will go wrong next though,,,
Best wishes, Pete.
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Sounds like the underlay was too much of a good thing, I feel for you Pete.
I’m glad I’m my own electrician, I might burn the house down one day, but at least I’m cheap π
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If we do our own electrics, the house insurance won’t pay out in the event of a problem. They get you from all sides here. π
Cheers, Pete.
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Pete’s law seems pretty spot on. The dangling wires of non working broadband wires in my home are a testimony. First the wire was not long enough, next, the connector modem was missing, then their was a tech issue in the backend. Now the guy went MIA.
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A story of 3 months
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We all get affected by that law, I know. Hope your wires get sorted soon, Shaily.
Best wishes, Pete.
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πππclassic Pete. I missed you so much. Sorry I haven’t been on much. You know I fell sick and because of that I didn’t do work, now I have all the homework and notes on my head doing a nice dance apparently it might be doing salsa.
I loved your post. This one is great, I am sure everything will be fine. The good news is you got activity to do. The bad news is….you know right. Glad to be back to the classic Pete rant fever. πβππ
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This rant was a little melancholy, Suzan. I get fed up with so much bad luck.
Glad to hear you feel better. π
Best wishes,, Pete. x
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I know. But you never know when bad luck turns to good luck. Just stay positive and positive things will happen. Trust me. I know what I am saying.
Thanks, Pete. Although I am still a bit weak, I am better than before. πβ
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Oh my, that is just unfortunate Pete π¦
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I rarely get any ‘good luck’, Arlene. Just have to live with it. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Things happen….
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what a pain! hope it gets resolved soon. cheers! π
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It should all be over by Sunday, Wilma. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete’s Law? No wonder I’ve had had so many similar experiences I could write a bookβI’ve always written it off as bad luck. I hope things work out on Wednesday.
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Thanks, Pete. Fingers crossed!
Best wishes, Pete.
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what a mess! A washing machine puts you in a bind fast! I went through it last year and the one that was installed to replace it, malfunctioned too! Within minutes! I cried too! Best wishes for success!
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Thanks, Michele. I have everything crossed!
Best wishes, Pete. x
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When something can go wrong Pete it usually will. On the other hand, hard wiring a washing machine is dangerous and you were lucky to have no problems over the years. Now you can have a plug installed and bring that piece of wiring into this century!
π
Besties from cool Florida.
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Thanks, Frank. Ignorance was bliss, in my case. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Your tale reminds me of buying our gas range. A plumber had to come and disconnect the gas line. Then the appliance was delivered. Then the plumber had to come and reconnect the gas line because the appliance guy wasn’t allowed to do it. Agh!
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Rules, and more rules. And apparently they are all because of house insurance.
Life used to be a lot simpler. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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And a jack-of-all-trades could do the whole installation of things.
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The electrician came and installed a socket today. But he doesn’t do ‘plumbing’. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Egads. It is as bad there as here.
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It surely is. π¦
Best wishes, Pete.
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We live under the same black cloud, Pete, but I try to look for the humor whenever something goes wrong, otherwise I’d spend all my time in tears!
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Thanks, Jacquie. My wife was in tears all day yesterday. It never gets any easier as we get older.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Many thanks.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, you are not alone! I just had my roof replaced…of course, once up there they see that the AC/Heating unit is old…”replace it now” they advice, “because when it goes out, and it will soon, then you’ll have to tear up all the new roof that is connected to it in order to install a new brace to hold it.” So, the price of my roof project shot up 60% like that!
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Sorry to hear that, John. I know that ‘my law’ applies to most people, I just want a break. One year would be nice. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Bummer. I think you need to enact a new law Pete! Hope the install goes smoothly after the electrical fix! We will be replacing our dishwasher soon and hopefully there won’t be any surprises for us!
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Thanks, Susanne. I am the only dishwasher in this house. I haven’t broken yet, but I am getting close to that. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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π π
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No problem with wiring here! Although it’s a bit spooky when the touch lamps and ceiling fan lights turn on and off all by themselves… As for the washing, there’s always a sink, detergent, and the squishy-squishy technique…
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Yes, hand-washing happened yesterday, but only for thin items that didn’t need to be spun-dry. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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So true…I live under Pete’s Law, too. XX
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Thanks, Pippa. Like minds, in so many ways.
Best wishes, Pete. xx
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DonΒ΄t feel you are being singled out. These things happen to us all the time! Hope it is resolved soon. You may have to buy some new undies until you have a washer installed.
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Thanks, Darlene.
I know it’s not just me, although some days it certainly feels that way.
My wife has taken all my boxer shorts to her daughter’s, with the rest of our washing. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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An entertaining post, Pete. You certainly do have your share of irritating issues to deal with.
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Thanks, Robbie.
I would much sooner not have them, then I could write about something nice instead. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, we had similar issues when our water heater went out. It had been installed in a closet in front of the electrical panel. No longer in code (if it ever was) the new water heater could not be installed there. Long story short, we had to install the new one in the garage which meant re-routing the plumbing and the electrical. It was a costly addition to just buying a new water heater. I feel your pain. Hang in there.
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I remember your recent troubles, Maggie, so know you understand. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh, noooo! Are you sure your given name isnβt Murphy? π
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I might have more luck if it was, Jennie. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Haha!
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βIf something can go wrong, it usually will.β Yep. Iβve ascribed to this my entire life. Iβm so sorry Pete. What a mess.π
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Thanks, Kim. I would so dearly love to have just one year without ‘dramas’. I really would.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh man! It makes me think of this song by Flanders and Swann, The Gas Man Cometh. https://youtu.be/v1dvAxA9ib0
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Thanks for the link, Herb. Yes, that song feels very appropriate indeed. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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As someone else has already commented, you are a relist, not a pessimist. Good luck with it.
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Thanks, Mary. I am hoping for a better year in 2020, but not holding my breath. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Make sure they use the new hoses that come with the machine. When they last did ours I didn’t realise that they hadn’t bothered feeding the new hoses through the holes to where they connect and had just used the old ones. When it was moved out to fit new floor covering, the rubber washer on the water supply was perished so we had water all over the floor, and the waste hose was kinked because they had trapped it.
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Thanks for the tip, David. I will remember that.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I can not imagine why an electrician would have hard-wired the old machine. It would have been just as easy to connect the electrical wiring to a socket. Oh well. The one suffering is your wife. Isn’t there a pay laundromat closer than 28 miles?
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None that we know of, GP. It also gives her the chance to spend time with her grandson, so not all bad. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Not a pessimist , realist is the word your looking for and realists know that simple jobs are never simple.
Electrics are tricky and regulations are on the move all the time. Kitchens now need large numbers of sockets and the practice of putting sockets close to the floor has been revised. I’m sure you will get it all sorted and then you can sit back for a month or two.
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Thanks, FM. My fingers are crossed! π
Best wishes, Pete,
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We had a washing machine delivered in the summer. We knew some plumbing would need to be done and paid Currys to do this; however when the men came they hadn’t been told. They said we should get a plumber and Currys would reimburse us. We did this and it took until last week to get our money back.
My husband is a pessimist but I am an optimist so when things go wrong I always take the view that they can be fixed
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Thanks for adding your own experience, Sarada. I always use a local shop in town, then I can easily pop in and talk over any issues that arise. It’s slightly more expensive, but the local shops keep Dereham alive. Besides, the nearest Currys is over 20 miles away. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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I agree. This wasn’t my decision and for our next appliance we used a very reliable local shop
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Oh, although my Dad was no electrician, she did pretty interesting things to the wiring of the apartment building. I blame the huge increase in devices we use (you would only have one single socket in most bedrooms, but now you need a huge amount to plug everything in…), although I convinced my mother to get an electrician to make sure the new sockets are safe (I didn’t like the sparks every time I tried to plug something in). I hope for once your law is wrong, but I know it well. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Good luck, Pete!
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Thanks, Olga. I confess that I am sometimes beaten down by the sheer number of things that go wrong these days. I have just stopped expecting anything to work, or go smoothly. It’s a part of my character that I am not happy about at all.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Wow! That was a googly you could have well done without. It always amazes me that washing machines aren’t fitted with rear castors and a retractable strap so that you can pull it out, if for no other reason than to level it, because once they’re in, they’re a bugger to level, especially when there’s so little clearance under the worktop. I can’t see that these would add significantly to the price. It was always a job I dreaded, when I fitted kitchens. Cheers, Jon.
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Thanks, Jon. I agree, levelling is a nightmare, and one of many reasons why I pay the small fee to have it ‘installed’. Then if they do it wrong, they have to come back and fix it. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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All I can say is ‘oh bugger’.
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I confess my expletive was a little stronger. π
Thanks, Peggy.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh dear, so was mine, but I figured this was a family site. Your comment gave me a good laugh.
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“Bugger” sounds like an alternative to “roach killer” (or, in the more general sense, “exterminator”βwho, upon leaving the house, always snickers, “I’ll be back!”).
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It’s often heard here as a ‘harmless’ swearword, David. It has another meaning too, of course. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh, no, what a pain! When we moved here the removal men put our washing machine in place without removing the stabilisers from the back. It’s in a cupboard and not easy to remove. Fortunately I was able to contort myself enough to get them off, but boy was I cursing! BTW why didn’t they leave the machine with you?
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I told them to take it away and bring it back on Sunday. It was packed in a huge box, and I had nowhere to store it. Plus the old one was left sticking out so I can clean behind it today. It’s too heavy to shift on my own, and I don’t have one of those ‘slidey mats’. I will have to use polish or washing up liquid to get it to slide around.
The only good thing about yesterday was that the electrician was able to take the job. π¦
Best wishes, Pete. x
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They are so damn heavy! The manufacturers should fit them with heavy duty castor that you can drop down to move them. The slidey mat sounds interesting.
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They always happen at the worse possible moment…..at least Ollie got his walk in before the problem…..chuq
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Thanks, chuq. Ollie gets his walks whatever is happening. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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I know….they do exert a lot of power over us huh? LOL chuq
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As someone who is married to a sparky, I am well aware of the stories involving dodgy wiring techniques, just to get things plugged in! And of course, hearing the phone calls from friends who have moved into houses, then called him to ask why a certain item is tripping, to find a whole host of “interesting” electrical add ons created by non qualified previous owners, often all running on old fuseboards that are being pushed to their limits! So, all I can say is good luck π
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Thanks, MBB. The fuse box was new, when we moved in. But the previous owner was actually an electrical engineer, so some of his ‘creative wiring’ is hard to explain.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Ah no, what a P.I.A
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‘Situation normal’, unfortunately. π¦
Best wishes, Pete.
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Aaaaargh! I hate it when things like this happen
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They seem to have happened to me ever since I was 19, and moved out of my parental home. π¦
Best wishes, Pete.
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Bad news! But I do have my instances of the inborn malice of inanimate objects!
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