Has anyone been on a sit and an appliance or part of the house doesn’t really work properly, or hasn’t been fixed and instead needs a special knack, and is something that needs to be used?
I’ve had it before and just made do, but right now I feel quite awkward about a scenario.
On a sit and outdoor plants needs watering often, but the hose doesn’t have a faucet. Not sure why, it’s just missing. HO has left a little bit of metal and screwdriver to get it open and closed but I’ve been struggling and now it feels kind of lodged from my attempts with this method. So I’ve resorted to using a bucket and tap from the kitchen which takes a lot more time.
Not sure if the HO will be annoyed the screw is lodged and doesn’t seem to be working now (when I try anyways - but maybe they have a special knack).
Wondering how others would feel about this? Or had similar situations where you wish the HO just had a normal functioning appliances and equipment? I know HO don’t think twice about their home’s quirks, but it can make certain tasks quite anxiety inducing.
Just generally, various homes, garages or appliances can have tricky or nonstandard ways of working that hosts have lived with and don’t think about, because they’ve gotten used to them. So if something doesn’t work during a sit, it’s better to ask the host first. Like I’ll say, I’ve tried X, Y or Z and the X isn’t working. Is there some trick to getting it going? … The couple of times I’ve had to do that, the thing wasn’t working as it should, and the hosts knew it, but hadn’t thought to mention it.
@RR12345 It sounds as if you’re describing an isolating valve or lever ball valve. They sometimes have a removable handle/lever, so worth checking around.
@RR12345 on my last sit the HO/PP’s washer machine jerked about so forcibly and very loudly when used I thought it was going to jerk its way out of the front door. I immediately messaged the HO to ask if that behavior was normal he said yes. I told him I would refrain from using the machine during my sit as I wasn’t sure if continued use would break the machine. I stripped the bed linen at the end of the sit and left it in the hamper in the laundry room.
Faucet is the correct word or ‘tap’ as it is usually called in the UK. I’ve had various ‘challenges’ on sits (dishwasher where all the button functions had been rubbed off over time, trap door to a swimming pool filter that was ancient and broke in two). I agree the are anxiety inducing to use but some people just don’t see maintenance as a priority, and I know there are some things in my house that aren’t ideal but I’ve just got used to.
One thing you might want to try is a squirt of WD40 - it might be that the opening has got limescale buildup. WD40 is often a miracle worker.
Having said that, I’ve always found HOs sympathetic when an issue like you describe has arisen. It’s a personal call but I would let them know - something like ‘Ek, unfortunately I’ve found the ‘adaptive faucet’ increasingly difficult to turn on and now unfortunately it doesn’t seem to budge. Any suggestions?’ Also let them know you’re watering using a can for the time being, which shows care and self-sufficiency.
Hopefully the sit isn’t too long and/or you get an extended period of rainfall
I should’ve expressed myself more clearly: I meant it might be useful to ask them if there’s a trick to fix it now that’s stuck/hard to use.
A trick to fix the knack
When is was in the South of U.S.A. someone mentioned the word spicket to me. I had No Idea what they were on about, turns out it’s a tap / faucet. When I travelled north, they called it a spigot
I’m a homeowner and I’m appalled you’d be expected to ‘make do’ with stuff that doesn’t work. It’s ridiculous asking someone to water by lugging heavy buckets of water. They can afford to go on holiday; they should be able to afford to ensure their taps (or whatever) work. I probably wouldn’t be able to water. But then, it’s been said before, I’m not nice.
