What next?

A telephone call, this morning,from the letting agent who manages Mrs Gruff's flat. The business occupying the ground floor had called complaining of a leak from above (the Gruff 'home') and asking if I could go down to have a look, which I explained it was not at all convenient to do and which would be pointless as I could do nothing about it, there being no taps running etc. etc. I suggested sending a plummer.

He arrived sometime later and eventually attributed the drip downstairs to a leaking radiator valve in the kitchen., caused by Mrs Gruff leaving the filler valve to the central heating system open and the system therefore operating at three times its recommended pressure. I have experience of leaks that result in water finding its way through ceilings and they tend to be rather more obvious than the barely detectable weeping in the kitchen so I doubt the accuracy of his diagnosis.

This flat is in need of almost constant repair and maintenance, attributable to its age and the poor quality of both it's systems and components and the workmanship of those who installed them. Economy is everywhere apparent and my fear is that the excessive pressure in the system may have caused the failure of a joint in an inaccessible location, possibly causing us not just inconvenience but also unwanted expense.

This could not have happened at a worse time.