Do it yourself?

[Steve1960]

Just wondering how many of you out there get involved with D.I.Y. ?

This week the kitchen light bulb blew spectacularly and took the ballast unit out with his. I managed to find a hardware store in Toa Payoh Central that stocked the ballast unit and fixed the light for less than 6 dollars instead of buying a new one.

Also this week the shower heater unit decided to blow an internal pipe while my wife was showering. Soaked the electrics and knocked out all the power (thank goodness for circuit breakers!). I bought a new one and fitted that myself last night.

Not sure about the rules and regulations here for D.I.Y. In the UK they have tightened the regs over the last few years on what you can or cannot do yourself.

I have also fixed cupboard shelves and a door handle amongst other small things but this week has been electrics and plumbing and I don't want to be breaking any regulations.

[the lynx]

Just wondering how many of you out there get involved with D.I.Y. ?

This week the kitchen light bulb blew spectacularly and took the ballast unit out with his. I managed to find a hardware store in Toa Payoh Central that stocked the ballast unit and fixed the light for less than 6 dollars instead of buying a new one.

Also this week the shower heater unit decided to blow an internal pipe while my wife was showering. Soaked the electrics and knocked out all the power (thank goodness for circuit breakers!). I bought a new one and fitted that myself last night.

Not sure about the rules and regulations here for D.I.Y. In the UK they have tightened the regs over the last few years on what you can or cannot do yourself.

I have also fixed cupboard shelves and a door handle amongst other small things but this week has been electrics and plumbing and I don't want to be breaking any regulations.

I've been doing pretty much of the DIY myself (except the heavy ones - would call a plumber/electrician for that). The HDB/URA rules do not prohibit DIY jobs but they do frown upon changing water outlet (you need permission to relocate that) and maybe electric circulation (not sure about this -- need to check).

[offshoreoildude]

Most sinkies despise DIY. It's much cheaper - or used to be - that the west to have stuff fixed. I do a bit of DIY but the heat, sweat and lack of space can be an issue.

[Steve1960]

Good to know I am not actually breaking any regulations thanks.

I grumble about the DIY but secretly I like to keep my hand in

Plus having some work done on the air con last week reminded me what a pain contractors can be. Said he would arrive at 10am and the job would take 1 hour. Actually arrived at 11.30am and the job took 2 1/2 hours!

[ScoobyDoes]

So far I've had to change out a couple of light switches, one where the indictor bulb for the water heater failed and the fitting was discontinued and the other where i turned the light off in an angry mood and punched it into the wall....... oh, well.

I had thought whilst doing them, 'Hmmm, I probably wouldn't be allowed to do this in the UK anymore.'

Mended the shower fittings as well after all the cheap 'chromed' plastic fell apart.

In our last place I had to fix a couple of built-in wardrobes because the build quality from the developer was so low everything was in crooked. Crooked is as crooked does, I suppose.

Given the building quality here, it pays to be able to do the basics.

[nakatago]

Given the building quality here, it pays to be able to do the basics.

Especially if contractors can't seem to be able to tell time. You'll end up wasting a lot of time for something you're supposed to be able to do yourself.

[the lynx]

Given the building quality here, it pays to be able to do the basics.

Especially if contractors can't seem to be able to tell time. You'll end up wasting a lot of time for something you're supposed to be able to do yourself.

And they rip off!

[zzm9980]

This topic's timing wouldn't have anything to do with the SMS conversations publicized in the media last night and this morning, now would it? :p

I can't link the article, but I can link the google news search results, right?

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl= ... e+siew+DIY

[ScoobyDoes]

And they rip off!

Builders are the same the world over.

[nakatago]

This topic's timing wouldn't have anything to do with the SMS conversations publicized in the media last night and this morning, now would it? :p

I can't link the article, but I can link the google news search results, right?

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl= ... e+siew+DIY

That's just so wrong....

she understood "DIY" to refer to home-fix stores.

She knows it as a store whereas everybody else know it as a movement and stores are called "hardware stores."

[Steve1960]

Vet funny and I can assure you I had no idea about the court case when I posted this topic today

[x9200]

This topic's timing wouldn't have anything to do with the SMS conversations publicized in the media last night and this morning, now would it? :p

I can't link the article, but I can link the google news search results, right?

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl= ... e+siew+DIY

It took me some precious seconds to understand what sundaymorningstaple (SMS) has to do with all this. It looks like I may need to get unplugged from this forum.

[Steve1960]

'very funny' my typing is truly awful sometimes sorry

[ecureilx]

if i didn't say it before .. let me say it ..

In Singapore, most 'contractors' and 'handymen' quote so low, to win the work, and then they always 'add' other costs ..

heck, even the gas delivery guy seem to find the regulator as needing change and guess what ? he has spare 'new' and 'used' regulators .. and when I refuse and kick him out, and then push the regulator in, and flick it, it works fine ..

Same goes for aircon service - 30$ for service becomes 300$ when the guy discovers that some more thing needs to be fixed ..

DIY is the way to go, as much as possible, unless it is Aircon or major electrical

Oh, I do remember the guy who turned up to replace the water heater and was very upset that the circuit breaker was missing .. and insisted that I must get a circuit breaker for 300 $ - I told him that I will call him again, with the landlord's permission .. instead of telling him that the water heater specs say nothing about no compulsory circuit breaker and I already figured out that one of the breakers is for the heater

His charges to replace the heater was again, 30 $ - so he had to find some other stuff to boost his income I guess ..

[the lynx]

This topic's timing wouldn't have anything to do with the SMS conversations publicized in the media last night and this morning, now would it? :p

I can't link the article, but I can link the google news search results, right?

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl= ... e+siew+DIY

It took me some precious seconds to understand what sundaymorningstaple (SMS) has to do with all this. It looks like I may need to get unplugged from this forum.

If I didn't pick up the newspaper this morning, I too would have ended up exploding a couple of brain cells to try to understand the same thing.