Safely inviting in repairmen during the pandemic.

[2greys]

Be safe, protect others when you hire someone to come into your house.

Just imagine. You can’t get any hot water, so you go down to the basement and find your water heater has given up the ghost, and it’s flooding the floor. Or, you decide to turn on your air conditioning for the first time of the season, flip the thermostat to cool, press the on button and — nothing. Or, your refrigerator dies, and you need to get a new one before everything in the old one spoils.

Before COVID-19, these inevitabilities of living in a home were equal parts maddening and expensive. But now, with an end to the pandemic nowhere in sight, addressing these home repairs is fraught as well. Health officials tell us not to let people who aren’t part of our households into our homes. Researchers say the virus that causes COVID-19 is more likely to spread in tight, enclosed spaces, which is the description of many homes.

ajc.com/lifestyles/health/h...

[2greys]

Although this article is from a US paper, it may give room for thought.

[Jaybird19 in reply to 2greys]

Thankx 2 greys

Have already thought . My shower gave up the ghost in early march but as this is up 2 flights of stairs . Nothing done but to day i am told the gas pipes are being renewed by sleeving and will need the gas fire the water heater and yhe warm air heating all checking afterwards, Meter is in attached groundfloor garage In open plan house where air is designed to travel through house Stairs are all open plan and even doors have vents in them. They were reasonable and decided to leave our little drive of 11 terraced buildings and go to next section . It is only updating so not urgent but could be easily worse . The crunch was that the R rating has gone up in Northwest to over 1 , and after all these protests meetings will be going up more in two weeks time just when they propose starting. I hope they take that recommendation from the chap who inspected my open garage from 6 'away this afternoon try to see the meter and pipes.

Fingers now crossed . They are doing sections of steel pipes lining with plastic pipes . Not gas board but employing firm called Cadent and doing large areas of the UK.

Lots of paperwork about covid precautions. So they have thought about it .

[AndrewT]

Dear 2greys,

Yes Difficult times, my boiler needed Servicing- the Landlord's Contractors insisted on it. I managed to arrange with Staff, to 'Alert' me, to the engineers arrival. I 'opened' the Front Door, to allow access, I then went into the Bedroom whilst the Service was carried out.

The Cooker 'glass' can wait and The Shower I 'fixed' myself. The Shower will, in all probability, need Professionally 'looking at'- once 'this' is all over- but it's working. The 'Blown' downlighters I can do without so, all in all- so far anyway- I am coping.

This WON'T 'last' for ever, we WILL get though this 2greys. (Can I ask, is that 2 grey horses, dogs, cats or something else?)

Look after yourself

AndrewT

[2greys in reply to AndrewT]

I did have two African Grey Parrots when I first joined in 2016, unfortunately the male died a couple of years ago. I still have the female who is now 34years old and I have had her since a chick.

[MoyB]

I was pleased to read this article as it looks as though we have done everything they advise. We have had to have an electrician in to fix our bathroom lights to avoid having to use a torch after dark. We opened the door and stayed a safe distance from him. He wore a mask. Before he came we stripped the bathroom of everything moveable and cleaned it. After he left, we cleaned it again before waiting some time before putting everything back.

Then we had the man to look at the fridge/freezer. We opened the door and stood back while he went into the kitchen. He washed his hands. We had cleaned the sink, taps and surroundings thoroughly and left a fresh towel for him as we had been told he would do this. We cleaned inside and outside the fridge/freezer and surrounding areas and moved what we could to a safe distance. He quickly declared the fridge/freezer to be beyond repair as it had 'blown' ie lost all its gas. He washed his hands and left us, promising to notify the insurers next morning as the office was now closed. After he left, we went through the cleaning routine again, followed by careful hand washing.

Tomorrow, we should take delivery of the replacement fridge/freezer which will be delivered to our home courtesy of the insurance company. Unfortunately, we have had to make arrangements with another local company to come the next day and remove our old fridge/freezer and dispose of it, and to install our new one. As it is an integrated appliance, this will be a bigger job than simply putting it into position. So it will be cleaning again - and again- and again - and again!

My home has never been so sanitised!!!

But these jobs have been essential and life has to carry on. As the article says, this may go on for a very long time and things are bound to need doing within the home. You just have to take every precaution.

xx Moy

[Jaybird19 in reply to MoyB]

Thanks all info helps . Do you not have shelving in kitchen ? is it all enclosed. Tops of cupboards are somethings i would leave but i have lots of open shelves in all the rooms involved. And lots of books everywhere , garage has so much stull in in two walls are shelved there.

[MoyB in reply to Jaybird19]

We are fortunate that we have no open shelves in the kitchen. We cleared the work tops and dismantled the table and took it to another room. It sounds like you have a bigger job to do. Xx Moy

[Badbessie]

I had a man in to repair damage to a window hinge. We talked through how it could be done without him coming in and out the house many times. I sent him pictures of damaged hinge etc. We then agreed that putting new hinges in would be the easiest solution. He arrived carrying parts tools etc. He mended the window in half an hour and left. I wiped down after he left.

[Beth1949]

We have had a repair guy come in our house to fix our refrigeration 3 times in the past two months. The refrig is only 3 yrs old, so we're getting disgusted with it.

Before the repair person comes, I wipe the door handle, refrig handle and kitchen counter with a sanitizer. When he/she comes in, they are wearing masks, gloves and shoe booties (which are disposable). When they leave, I wipe down the same items.

Beth