Anyone drive away from a job and then worry about if you’ve forgot to tighten any nuts

[Dylandyl96]

Just me or anyone else drive away from a job and worry if you tightened all the nuts?

 

[Pickwickpick]

Once I just settled in bed and had an alarming thought of did I close p2 on the gas valve. Did not remember doing it up. Phoned customer at 11pm and explained. Went to his house and....I had closed it. He was actually happy I went back and recommended me to his mother. I would not have been able to sleep if I had not gone back.

Must admit I think any reasonable customer would really appreciate the honesty and the conscientiousness.

 

[BYP]

Good old mobile phones cameras

It’s not just me who has a photo album full of test points then

 

[Dylandyl96]

Compression nuts I tend to have a routine where I check every nut again before I turn water on.
Radiator vents I prefer to open and later close them myself, so to not miss one and risk water everywhere on refill

From this post I have taken it’s a good idea to get into a routine on every job to check and test and forget it knowing you’ve done.

 

[DGT plumbing]

Yes, have that feeling most times about one thing or another, especially about did I turn the gas back on. Go through the sequence in your head and yes everything is always fine. It really screws things up when customers come and talk to you when your half way through doing something. Also left my mobile phone in an airing cupboard once after using the torch on it. Trouble was the number of the client was on it so couldn't phone them to ask them if it was there just had to go back to the property and see if my hunch was correct. Luckily they were still in so I was able to retrieve my phone after turning the van upside down looking for it.

 

[dan_the_plumber]

The trick is to link an action (eg, tightening a nut) to a memory.
It goes like this: ‘I know I’ve tightened this nut because at exactly the same time, I’ve looked at the clock and the time is exactly 11.22’
Or..,’I know I replaced that test point because right then the postman shoved a letter through the door and made me jump’
Honestly I’m the kind of guy that checks a door is locked 20 times, but using this method I’m almost always 100% sure every time.
For the few times now and then when you can’t quite remember if you did or didn’t, just go back! It doesn’t look unprofessional, if anything it makes you look more conscientious

 

[Rob Foster]

Yes, have that feeling most times about one thing or another, especially about did I turn the gas back on. Go through the sequence in your head and yes everything is always fine. It really screws things up when customers come and talk to you when your half way through doing something. Also left my mobile phone in an airing cupboard once after using the torch on it. Trouble was the number of the client was on it so couldn't phone them to ask them if it was there just had to go back to the property and see if my hunch was correct. Luckily they were still in so I was able to retrieve my phone after turning the van upside down looking for it.

Yup, done that too, left mobile on a roof in Chepstow whilst shoving a liner down, went back , scaffold gone....its still there !

 

[sammathias]

Meter test points always get tested with off once put back in. I stick to the routine so never worry. I do worry about flue gas caps tho but thankfully my analyser reminds me to put cap in when I turn it off.

 

[Best]

Meter test points always get tested with off once put back in. I stick to the routine so never worry. I do worry about flue gas caps tho but thankfully my analyser reminds me to put cap in when I turn it off.

Just a thought, but maybe flue test point caps should be spring loaded covers that just snap back closed when you pull the analyser probe out, so to be idiot proof.

 

[bacon_sandwich]

Yep, because i was that idiot. Found it on the following annual. It was the fresh air side, but nethertheless rather stupid of me. I too try and have a routine and never answer the phone during testing or any activity that has a sequence where i must leave it safe.
I normally leave tools and yes even testers onsite, not sure why, i guess its old age, they generally come back to me over time

 

[Ric2013]

How about the gland nut on that stiff stopcock? Did I tighten it back up? Not that it would make any difference either way, the amount of limescale that was in there...

 

[PETE 123]

I have a few tick boxes on my job sheets one which says test points ok ( which could be gas or boiler sample points) then i check them before i tick.

 

[Stigster]

Just me or anyone else drive away from a job and worry if you tightened all the nuts?

The first cylinder I did on my own as an apprentice, after doing my unvented course, late finish getting them up and running in one day, I literally didn't sleep that night. I even thought to myself "I don't know whether I can do this?" I phoned the customer first thing in the morning, sounding as confident as possible, "Just doing my routine thing and checking you have hot water this morning and everything is OK?"

"Lovely thanks, the shower is better than ever now, great job!" came the reply.

Phew!

Confidence builds, you stop worrying and then later down the line you get the "inevitable" leak and the confidence is destroyed for a while again.

 

[Rob Foster]

That's a really good idea, my oh is particularly impressed and is going to trial that next week when locking up at customers (she does dog walking &sitting).

I'm really bad for worrying about this sort of thing, its bad enough with water, guessing its going to be even worse when I start working with gas! Still think its better to be overly paranoid than not enough.

a water leak makes a worse mess than a gas leak ...sometimes.
Any decent tradesman or business man who never gets the 5 am's is either a liar or a conman . There will always be problems ...its how you deal with them that counts in my book Centralheatking

 

[Pickwickpick]

there will always be problems ...its how you deal with them that counts in my book Centralheatking

This is a very true.

 

[GeorgeP93]

All the time. Just gas safe registered but always get home and overthink what I’ve done! Always do a tightness test and then relight appliances just before I leave but still get home and stress.

Hopefully it gets better, any tips?