DIY (Marvining) in the Bathroom

Bathroom

Drip. Drip.

"Turn the shower tap OFF please!"
Problemo-  a worn valve or washer suspected.
Three days of reminders.....
Finally, "DONT FORGET THE HARDWARE STORE TODAY!"
"YES Marvin!"



Look for parts in the usual place at the Cob & Co hardware bazaar¤ store.
I thought it was the right place.
Phit?† NONE?
Back to the front counter.
"Ah, ahem, um, valves for taps[faucets]? Do you still sell them?"
Ah.
Behind the counter was the collection of parts, washer, valves, o'rings, all in a little box.
And "Cheaper one piece at a time" was the answer.[Hmm, lesson learnt by the store, plumbing stuff=easy targets] 
Possibly true, compared to the Big Hardware store around the corner anyway.
Total only $3.80 for two each of washer, o'ring and valve. El Cheapo!! Yay me...

Installation
Proceed to g'rage, Vice Grip for water mains, and that's Off. A lesson learnt. Sometime ago.
Collect tools for jobby. Vice Grips. Special Silicon or nylon grips for the flange. Adjustable spanners, large, and larger.

Scratch the flange again

Proceed to shower, open other taps to relieve pressure... [Another lesson learnt previously.]
Hot knob off. Attempt to use new silicone tool on the flange(?). NO BLOODY GOOD. Not exactly cylindrical, so the adjustable grips come into play, and once again a little scratch. ARGH! MARVINED again.

valve damaged and so DRIP DRIP

The last time I did this little DIY in the house somewhere, the hot side fitting was very difficult to undo, so braced myself and the dang thing undid easy... Hmmph! Maybe another lesson previously heeded? Disassemble the fittings noticing that the old valve was very NFG*, and, it was a more expensive silicone sealer too! Go off to get another tool for removing old o'rings. Then go and get another tool to scrape remains off or remove old washers. Hmmph. Assemble and install new parts.

The cold side was much the same, easy, apart from the rubber valve staying inside the fitting. Bloody hell. So had to go and fetch ANOTHER tool, pliers, and a torch. Finger crossed the damming thing did not fall down to really stuff the plumbing up. Knocked the spanner to the floor, JUST missing my toes... Bend over to pick it up and drop the mobile phone in the ONLY little puddle...
Finish up, turn the water back on and put away the tools.

Completed in less than twenty minutes all up I reckon. Shorter without the extra walk-about time...
Things never really go according to plan, huh?
I imagine that it may have cost more than the $3.80 if I had called in the--- Especialists!!!... At extracting $s.


¤ It really is like that, you need a guide to to find things there!
†Phit- Scottish for What, cos they actually and really pronounce the WH like a F sound in Aberdeenshire,as in "FOO was Here"! or me,  A FOOL was here!
*No Good