What's
the buzz? Weeelllll. Remember that business a wee while back?
Don't
panic, I'm sitting here typing at you so nothing damaged! But it was a close one. It goes something like this.
There I
was after my shower a few days ago, still in towels, remembering I had not
'offed' the geyser switch - the switch I had mentioned previously was inclined
to get a tad warm to the touch at times.
Hands
were dry. I promise. Feet not so much.
Whatever
little springy technology resided within said switch decided to cease
springing. The whole thing bulged out
from its seating and as I saw the spark and glow happening in the innards of
the thing there was a singing and a tingling within my own innards.
A girl
could get used to the buzz.
Finally I
had enough evidence to form a case for urgent action to be taken by
administration. This time there was no
intermittent hit and miss with nothing visible as proof. Here was a woman who had been fired up with
electricity and the only way to switch her off was to attend to the
matter. Two days later…
The point
was, apparently, that it didn't matter if the geyser was left on for a couple
of days - at least I wasn't faced with cold showers. Were the other switches operational? "I don't know sir, I have no desire to
experiment. The refrigerator is still
running, so am going to have to answer 'yes' on the basis of that particular
unit continuing to have buzzing in Its
innards."
Late on
the third day, a day that was darker than dawn due to the heavy monsoonal
downpour, the sparky showed up. He of
few words, dour and quizzical expression, short of stature. And of tools.
We could
barely see each other, yet onto the chair he got (the unit being above shoulder
height of both of us), and proceeded to unscrew the wall plaque containing the
set of switches. (Yesssss, he did
remember to turn off power first!) As he
set about removing the offending switch socket and the wires attached to it, I
realised he was going to try and do this whole job
in the dark. Between his Engli and my Hinglish it was established he did
not have a torch.
Good
thing I did. (Thanks Emm!) What is more,
my father's training once again came to the fore and I stood as the off-sider,
shedding light at all points required, holding trays beneath to catch filings
and drillings, handing over equipments.
What really ought to have been little more than a five minute task
turned into the best part of half an hour.
The replacement unit was a third again bigger than the original and the
wall plate had to be filed at vigourously to enlarge the cavity. Then there was the question of the
screws. Sigh. I did initially indicate that to have not
just removed the geyser wires, but also all the wires for the other switches so
that the plaque could be taken outside for adjustment might have been a better
and more effective plan of action.
This was
a bit too much for him to cope with.
He's a jobbing sparky. Of the old
school. He wasn't going to be told
anything by anyone.
Anyway. It got done.
Eventually. As you see here. The wires didn't go back quite as they did
before so the wall plaque is bulging ever so slightly and there is a gap where
once there was not (bottom right flange).
But it
feels surprisingly more secure and there is not a buzz to be had.
As all
was being cleared up afterwards I cheekily asked "kya mai accha apprentice
hoon?" (am I a good apprentice?).
It actually raised a twisting of the lips which I took to be a smile.
Possibly a look of horror.
But I'll go with the smile option.
Well I am glad it got fixed, even though, not to scale. As for the apprentice, he would have thought who is this white lady trying to tell me what to do. ( no offence intended). Wonder how much he got paid? And he would have thought in an ashram who is going to bother about the size and looks of it all. Sigh! Do a job and do it well, not the policy heh!
ReplyDeleteAnyways glad you are safe from firing plugs. Vikster and you, not so sure, gathering from the last post. Take care
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteNo, he's like that with everyone. He is a long-time onsite employee, so classed as an 'ashramite'. Raising even a Hari Om from the man is like the proverbial...