I don’t usually leave comments but I just love this channel, when I’m having a bad day it’s just nice to sit down, relax and watch one of your videos. There’s a really calming aura around these videos and I can’t express how much I love it! Sending much love to you, and glad you’re enjoying your time in the UK! We’re glad you’re here :)
Older houses and public buildings in the UK have single taps but almost all new houses are built with mixer taps. They are quite easy to replace and all the DIY stores sell mixer taps. Usually when people update their homes they change to mixer taps.
On the shopping hours... I'm British and live in Germany, I like that the shops in Germany are open less than in the UK and nothing is open on Sundays or public holidays. People in retail also have families, it's good that they can all have at least one day together per week. The sinks have a plug, fill the sink with hot and cold water to the desired temp and use it, saves water and much better for the environment.
I use yo work in retail your right about people needing time with their families apart from Christmas day the shop was open 7 days a week. We had what could be described as a rolling shift pattern. We got 1 weekend off in 7 weeks other wise it was mid-week days we could never go out as a family . Don't think they paid overtime, once sunday open became legal it was ordinary pay
As a retail worker, I am very glad that I am not forced to work through the night. People need a work/life balance. The tap thing is easy. You put the plug in the sink and mix the water to the temperature ou prefer. It saves a lot of water. I have a mixer tap in my kitchen and it is impossible to get properly hot water. I have to boil a kettle to wash the dishes, which is ridiculous. Fortunately, in the bathroom, I have separate taps, so my baths are beautifully hot.
With the sink taps you just have to PUT THE PLUG IN THE SINK and then mix the hot and cold water to the desired temperature; same result as a mixer tap.
I can understand the restaurant thing, as I spent some time in the US and missed being able to go to a decent Indian restaurant, they are everywhere in the UK but hard to find in the US (and when we did find one it wasn't very good), I do wish there were more Mexican restaurants in the UK, I love Mexican.
I live in Manchester area and I pine for a decent Tex- Mexican Restaurant. (disclaimer: expatriate Texan) I make do with the Taco Bell in the Exchange mall downtown.
Me too, i love the textures and flavours of Mexican food. I've never been to an authentic restaurant, so i attempt recipes i find online. I would miss Indian food; it's my go-to takeaway.
Lovely to hear from you again however there is one thing I don't understand. Repeatedly Americans complain about having two taps. Simply put the plug in and run both taps until you get the temperature you want. It also saves water and most homes are now fitted with a water meter so it is costing you a lot of money to just let the water run away.
Shops used to shut at 6pm, and had a half day during the week and never opened on a Sunday. The changes have only happened after a weakening of the workers unions thus forcing them to work longer hours.
Put the plug in the sink for a wash and mix the water in the basin, no need to choose between hot and cold 😂😃You notice things about the UK we take for granted. I’ve always enjoyed my visits to America and I’ve always found you to be a friendly nation.
FYI Mains water in England is drinkable. However hot water stored in a storage cistern could become unsafe to drink. Bylaws prevented hot and cold water being mixed
I love it that you love the UK - it makes me feel proud. I have moved away myself as sometimes it drives me crazy there.. but it's in my blood so I still love England and the other countries for their beauty.
You’d be er survive in Germany. Half day close on Saturday and all day Sunday. I grew up ( here in the U.K. ) with everything being closed on Sunday and I remember being wonderful. A day when no pressure to do anything. I would bring that if I could. People who work in retail have families and they deserve that time off too.
The reason shops had to close on a Sundays was originally to allow people to go to church..the Sabbath day was holy....This only changed when big business took over, in the '80's...I worked 12 hours in Blockbusters...no lunch break....only time allowed to close was to take the takings, just across the road to the Post Office!...
I’m so happy you and your lovely family are enjoying and making the most of your life here in the U.K. I have never visited the U.S. but I appreciate it would be very different from the U.K. and you made a very brave decision to up sticks from what you know yet from your videos I can tell you are loving your new life here… Happy days to you all x
I really enjoy your channel. I lived in Germany for a couple of years so do understand the culture shock. The shopping hours there are really strict. Nothing is open on Sundays and Saturday is a half day. This is due to a strong retail union that insists that retail workers have a right to a family life. I just got organised and worked with it. I now totally support it. Who, seriously who, need to grocery shop at 23.30, even if you are a shift worker? Days have a cycle, you know that as a farmer. 24 hour convenience is exploiting the lowest paid, with the less rights. You also live in a rural community, how could a shop stay open so someone can buy parmigiana ham on the off chance someone's life will be devastated if they have to substitute a cheese? I liked your differences, I also liked that none of them are major, and seriously destroy the quality of life - well aside from TexMex - it's a cultural thing, Texas doesn't have many good Indian restaurants
i agree. people's health and well-being, family life matter more than making money. shops in uk used to close half day. each district had it's early closing day, usually thursday; ours was wednesday. so the staff could go home and do their own tasks. they also worked half day saturday. so 5 whole days. most everything was closed on sunday. it was a better way of life.
Understand why you miss your home country food. Food preferences / standard comparisons between UK and the US will always be somewhat subjective and controversial. We found that on our US holidays (skiing / California tour / Florida) is that whilst we enjoyed the ease and variety (some great fish dishes) we also felt (for us) that there were too many fast food joints and the portions were enormous even in restaurants. generally we were missing veg dishes but in LA we found a great asian style restaurant where you dipped fresh veg into boiling water - delish after weeks of fries / burgers
Lived in the US for 4 years. The five things I miss: 1) Drive in movie theatres - lots of fun. 2) New England Clam Chowder 3) Big cheap houses 4) “Gee, I love your accent” 🤣 5) Macy’s But overall definitely prefer living in the UK - the quality of life is so much better.
A great video as always, but I have to say about opening times if shops are open past 8 then people have to work those unsociable hours? Ok for the consumer but what about the work life balance of the workers and their families? I would rather keep that for them rather than at the (small) expense of my own inconvenience. As to taps, you are allowed to run both at the same time and collect the water in the sink to your preferred temperature? Another option of course is get a plumber to change the sink and install a mixer tap? That is also allowed too.
It is always interesting to listen to Macs cultural differences, especially as I have extended family in Chicago and St Louis. I must say I was pleasantly surprised on how minor the things he and his family missed. As Mac will find most new houses post 2000 have mixer taps installed and it is a simple DIY job. On the restaurants, yes convenient but in certain states like Florida and across a lot of the south/mid west you drive into every town and it looks exactly the same chain restaurants, and this is not just a visiting Brit observation of the lack character if you read one of Ohio’s famous sons Bill Bryson books he says the same. Petrol pumps well we don’t have that kind of freezing weather where you would really need that and the canopy protects you from the rain. All of the retail things well I am not A big shopper, but I have always felt that the downside to that is those people have to work those unsociable hours away from their families on minimum wage (less in the states) just so you can stroll around a mall until midnight. The things are bigger is definitely true but we are a country of 67M versus 330M so it is not really surprising! I love GB as a proud Brit and I hope everyone including Mac and the family enjoys celebrating the unique occasion of Her Majesty the Queens Platinum Jubilee over the extended Bank Holiday next weekend.
I hope Mrs Duck is successful and you get to see her chicks as she takes them down to your pond! My parents have fed a succession of duck and pheasant families over the years, and have often been rewarded with a visit by the chicks later in the year.
The petrol lever was removed some thirty years ago. This was in part due to the move from attendant service to self service. There were a number of incidents where the public misused the lever causing spillages.
And there's always the slight risk of forgetting the nozzle and driving off while it's still in the fuel filler. You Tube informs us this does occasionally happen in the US.
@1:12 I think that has to be the same thing for anyone living somewhere different to where they’re used to. We all grew up on the food that we know and love and food let’s face it, is a huge part of our lives!
There are always pros and cons, but if fairness yours seem small....nice to see you adapting so well....your kids will grow up well rounded and open minded to other cultures, especially when you also take them to trips to other countries too.....go to Berlin and find a little bit of the Berlin wall and try to explain to them what happened to have such a barrier between two sides of the same country that became so different.
Understand you missing things from home. Have lived in France for 30 years and still miss England. Mainly the pubs, countryside and the people . Glad you're still enjoying yourselves x Happy Easter weekend 🐣🐤🐥
Petrol pumps used to have locking latches virtually everywhere in the UK but it became apparent that they are dangerous so most local authorities insist they be disabled. The result is the UK has hardly any static electricity spark fires per year at petrol stations (less than 5) and the US has thousands. It is just a safety thing.
Based on the information I found 1000s a year is quite overblown. From what I could find it was less than 50 a year. Anyway, I may have missed something, do you know of any study reporting this high number? Also, I know this is an older comment, so I hope my question is not a bother.
love watching your experiences you don't have to miss out with your taps, as a plumber, I can tell you its very common to have a mixer tap instead of 2 single taps, either get a plumber in or do it yourself no need to change any of the pipes just change the tap to a single spout lever tap, stop by at any plumbing merchants and they will help you out.
I totally get it, when I travel to your home country I am often bug eyed at how much bigger things are in the US. Can I just dispel one thing. We do have mixer taps here in many homes so you could make that change in your home in one afternoon if you hit your limit in winter.
@@chrisbodum3621 majority of boilers are set to around 60C mainly for washing up in the kitchen, there are thermostatic valves for taps to set the temperature to normally max of45c but these are not common in a standard home. Mixer taps with 1 hole sinks/basins are getting more popular these days, the main reason 2hole sinks and taps have hung around was they were the cheaper option for builders/property developers to use, looking on screw fix, the cheapest pair of taps is £16.99 the cheapest mixer is £37.99.
@@1commentking I made a pleasant comment. I have no idea where you are from though you have lived in either the USA or Britain. Obviously Scotland is small compared to a vast continent. That does not take away from its wild beauty. Clearly size matters more to you than it does me.
@@TheOwlsarewatching606 Fwiw though obviously wilderness is more pronounced the larger it is. Being 100 mlies fron the nearest town is a just a more profound experience than being 10 miles away.
Oh, now come on! Re: the separate taps, just put the plug in! It is anyway only older houses in the UK that have this (there's a specific, good reason to do with old plumbing and water supply, no doubt someone in comments will have explained it). My house is only 35 years old and has mixer taps. I very much hope no-one will do the 'well, if you don't like it etc..' thing, if they do, just ignore/delete. You are very welcome and I love hearing your 'compare and contrast' musings. You've never been anything other than thoughtful and respectful. Keep the vids coming!
Having lived in Florida for 20 years there are a few things I also miss Mac, #1 I miss the afternoon thunderstorms, #2 the wide roads and parking lots, #3 the attitude on the people imo is better (not so stuck up) I think Americans are more friendly. #3 The entrepreneur (can do) attitude, #4 The size of the houses and yards are bigger, #5 better talk show radio shows. Now I was born in the UK, my father is British. But these are the things I have noticed since being back in the Uk for the last 10 years. I will say that the Goods things about the U.S. dont outweigh the bad things about the U.S. I still perfer to live in the UK overall.
We're not stuck up! I'd say most of us are very comfortable admitting to be rough and ready. The thing is, we don't want to encroach on people's privacy, so we keep back, until invited in. We'll say hello or smile, but any more than that feels a bit "too familiar" when met with a complete stranger. Get us talking....and we'll be so friendly you'll wonder how you got chatting at a bus stop at 3pm, and are now staggering out the pub at midnight! 🥴🥃 I can't speak for every single Brit, obviously, and there are those who like to live their lives as though they're some type of celebrity,...but even they're not stuck up! The correct term is arsehole! 🤣 Lavish lifestyle according to their Instagram...when in truth it's someone who was bullied in school, now snaps themselves near naked and thinks they are a model, who are up to the eyeballs in debt because their possessions are still technically 99% owned by Visa! Sad! Don't judge the rest of us through those types! We're reserved, but rarely mean or unfriendly. It's a politeness thing, that's all. 😁
@@blackvulcan100 you have my deepest sympathy. Must be hard on you constantly meeting her demands. I never understand why men put up with it personally. She's no better than anyone else and I guarantee she'd be a thousand per cent happier if she just let go and embraced her real self. It must be exhausting constantly trying to project a certain image to others. Sod that! IDGAF what anyone thinks, that's their issue not mine. Life's too short to worry about how people view us. 😘
@@tamielizabethallaway2413 Ahaha yes but I have never known any thing else. I met her when I was 16 and she was 15. She was and still is even at 74 years old a beautiful woman, totally loyal and we have had many good times. Off to Spain and France for two months in our caravan ( trailer ) I have learnt over time to say yes dear of course and then do more or less what I wanted. Being posh is no bad thing, better that than some of the common tats I see and hear around. Planning to visit the US later in the year.
British bathroom sinks come equipped with a Plug. P L U G ! This plugs the drain hole preventing water from escaping. You then add hot and cold water until you arrive at the temperature you prefer. No need to either scold or freeze your face. It's quite simple really.
Also, I love going to the Mall or Supermarket in the US. The selections are off the chain!!! Its like, I fancy a Mountain Dew. And there's around 10 different choices! It's crazy
As a Brit that loves to visit the US (and even worked there a short while) I miss barbecue too. Nobody does barbecue like the Americans. However, there's one place that you will LOVE. Check out Red's True Barbecue in Manchester. It's the nearest thing you will get to US BBQ and honestly, it's seriously good.
Thank you for your insights. Totally understand why you miss the food/restaurants you particularly loved. About the taps I hear quite a lot of Americans comment about the UK not having mixer taps in bathroom sinks. In point of fact they do exist. We have one attached to our bathroom sink. So do a lot of my friends. You probably know this already by now. You can buy mixer bathroom sinks/taps in UK. So a trip to a bathroom showroom can fix any issues people have with sinks that have two taps. However, just pointing this out, if you have two separate taps and you want to wash your hands and face safely, well you can just do what millions of Brits do and put the plug in the plughole and run the water into the basin (both the hot and the cold) and when it's deep enough and the right temperature then you can wash your hands/face.
There’s a couple of reasons why the petrol stations in the U.K. don’t have the feature to pump fuel without you holding the handle. 1) the cost of fuel in U.S is considerably cheaper and most Americans fill the car up till the pump shuts off ..this is not the case in the U.K. because fuel is so expensive and most people do not fill up ..we put in a desired amount we can afford eg: £20’s worth. 2) in America the majority of fuel station explosions are caused not by using your phone at the pump but caused by static electricity from the driver who sets the pump to fill up and walks away from the pump, then they get into the car or reach into the car which can cause static electricity to generate by rubbing your hand or clothing against a bare metal part or the cloth seats then as they return to the pump the static electricity jumps from the hand to the petrol vapours which are still present around the filler cap. Then it’s BOOM. That’s the reason we don’t have that option at our pumps.
Hi love your Vlogs I have had Tex Mex here in the UK, having lived abroad myself it's ok to list the things about your own country you miss. your positively and enthusiasm for this little island of ours shines through.
Thanks to the EU cut-off switches on fuel pumps were removed for safety reasons about 20 years ago. Apparently folk in Germany were driving off without removing them. Holding the pump is a pain in the backside if you are a lorry driver !
It wasn't the EU that stopped them being used in the UK. They started being disabled in the UK as most local fire certification authorities began refusing certificates for petrol stations unless they were disabled. The huge drop in fires at UK petrol stations that resulted led to similar rules being adopted in other European countries. Most fires weren't caused by drive offs or overspill but by vapour expansion and release from filling a near empty tank being ignited by static electricity sparks arising from opening car doors while pumps were engaged. The US has thousands of such fires per year and the UK averages less than 5.
@@peterd788 Thank you for your very detailed, expert opinion. I was just going on what someone told me years ago. You wouldn't happen to have the "before and after" figures for Germany would you, just for comparison purposes ?
@@clivedunning4317 Thank you. I don't but I could probably find out as I speak German. The drop in fires from disabling nozzle locking is so substantial that it's miraculous anyone allows lock-open nozzles at all. The only reason there is resistance to it in the US in the face of overwhelming evidence is the historically larger size of fuel tanks and the attendant boredom of having to supervise the filling of the tank which is actually a distraction exercise to avoid the customer engaging in spark creating activity.
@@peterd788 That would be interesting , if you could find the details on the German figures. I'm a long retired HGV driver and knew many guys who carried with them a long, 4" , thin nail to hold the fuel lever down when refuelling, others would use a half-litre plastic pop bottle !
I live in the UK and am from the US and been here for 16 years. I used to miss Taco Bell, Wendy's and other American restaurants but they're all here now. I also missed Frank's Red Hot sauce but they have it here. You can change your taps to single taps for cold and hot. My kitchen has the single tap.
Cholera was the causation for two faucets (taps) Victorian engineers put a system together that ensured no contaminated water could feed back into the main cold supply of purified water.The hot water and cold water only ever mixed in the sink. Hot water was isolated by air gaps from feed from the mains via a feed tank and a float valve. Any disease was isolated.
I found your channel yesterday and I’m loving your videos! Glad you’re loving it over here 😁 This video is so lovely and calming… the auto petrol pumps sound great lol (though I’ve got a tiny little car so it would probably be done by the time I’d got back in the car! 🤣) Your place in the countryside is gorgeous.
I chose your video this morning to watch while I take my blood pressure lol, out of many, because I always know it'll bring a happy smile to my face unlike some other content which might just raise the old BP! Joking aside of course you will miss some home things, they're part of who you are! In Australia we have the single taps, but we don't have the self-measuring pumps, I wish we had! I can understand your enthusiasm for Bass Pro Shop, you can make a day out of it. It's a good advertisement for UK people to visit the US! Your kids are lucky having all that beautiful green space! And trees are so patient, Lol! Thank you for the great video!
I'm a truck driver in the UK most of our truck fuel pumps stay open with that little lever as we take a lot of fuel if not we use a tennis ball to hold it open 🙂
"if you hear that in the background that's Matthew attacking a tree" Matthew is my spirit animal 😂😂 it's what I'd be doing except I'm 36 and have to be grown up.
Nice one Mac! There will always be things that you miss, that remind you of time past, where you grew up. The freedom of choice is always prominent for US citizens, and is a habit difficult to break. Another good and well balanced comparison of different cultures!
I love your videos!! As a fellow American living in the UK in the past year and half...I agree with you on most things....our family really enjoying our time in the UK here....and wow......8 foot pizzas....!!! US does everything big!!!
Thank you so much for not destroying the water trough! They are all over England, used to be used by cows but also horses when travelling the country. We like keeping stuff over here lol Sorry you miss your homelands but we are really glad you are here with us ❤.... Yeah, our taps are rubbish. I think we keep the hot and cold just to annoy the rest of the world 😂
Gas: We do have them but they're only on diesel pumps to fill trucks. buses and farm tractors. The nozzle is also extra wide so no good for filling cars. Another thing is, I think fuel tanks on American cars/trucks are a lot bigger. Probably to cover the, exceptional to us Brits, exceptional mileages between American towns and Cities. Speaking of gas spillages only had one bad one. I was a bus driver and we had to fill our buses after our shift on the way back to our depot/garage. The bus/coach I had this day was fairly new and had a nylon type tank. Just as it reached capacity the auto switched off I noticed a river of fuel running down the forecourt and into the road. The tank had split!!! Police and Fire Brigade had to be called aswell as council environment officers. over £200 of fuel gone and a massive cleanup bill. Plus the gas station was shut for hours. It was a design fault luckily for me. So the bus builders had to pay.
When I fill my car up with petrol I certainly wouldn't have time to go and sit inside it let alone clean it. It takes a couple of minutes. Do you drive a car with a tank as large as a jumbo jet's?
Regarding the shop opening hours, these have been arrived at by concensus. Shop staff generally earn the legal minimum wage, or just above. This is sufficient to get by and so shop workers will generally choose to work contactual hours (8/day) and no more. Shoppers recognise this and have done all through my lifetime (50+ years). Thus we do not expect shops to be open after 8pm. In fact, many smaller, privately owned shops close at 6:00pm or 6:30pm. Off-licences (liqor stores) and convenience stores, often owned by British-Asian families, frequently open as late as 10:30pm, especially in major cities.
Loving the duck nesting in your garden. I had a mallard do the same. You’re doing the right thing keeping your distance. They desert if disturbed too much.
About that gas pump thing - According to the American Petroleum Institute "Most important, motorists should not get back into their vehicles during refueling. It may be a temptation to get back in the car for any number of reasons. But the average fill-up takes only two minutes, and staying outside the vehicle will greatly minimize the likelihood of any build-up of static electricity that could be discharged at the nozzle. A build-up of static electricity can be caused by re-entering a vehicle during fueling, particularly in cool or cold and dry weather. If the motorist then returns to the vehicle fill pipe during refueling, the static may discharge at the fill point, causing a flash fire or small sustained fire with gasoline refueling vapors." That's why we don't have those lock thingies in the UK
The reason I heard for the separate taps is that originally the cold water came from the town supply, and was rated potable. Most houses had their water heater in the attic, and the old ones could get contaminated. So the cold water was guaranteed drinking water, the hot was not considered drinking water. Modern houses using modern water heaters it's obviously not a thing anymore, but that's what historically caused the strange tap system
Have been to several Bass Pro shops in the US and yep they are something else, you can quite easily spend a whole day in one just looking round. What I liked especially were the roads, just put your radio on and drive for hundreds of miles in one day.
I watched this with interest as their are things that I miss from the USA (as a frequent visitor), but to go through the 5 items that you miss:- Restaurants- I agree completely. We don't often go to fast food outlets, but restaurants like Cracker Barrel, Bob Evans, etc could give you a good meal. Speciality restaurants were superb, but we have had some lovely food in Mom and Pop places too. I also miss Tex-Mex since our local restaurant closed a few years ago. Gas pumps- The UK pumps are simpler than the US pumps with their 6 or more grades of gas and UK pumps do not need a Zip Code to use a credit card. I don't find UK shopping hours too bad, but it has been useful in the States to get something later in the evening. I like the 7 Eleven stores for convenience. Mixer taps (faucets)- We have them in our home, but I installed them myself. A plumber could change the bathroom sink for one with a mixer if you wanted. Shop size- I personally prefer smaller stores. I've had to use Target in Kissimmee several times and I find it too large as is our local Sainsbury's supermarket and that is only about a quarter of the size of Target but it is a matter of choice. One other thing that I miss- the roads with their better signage and turn on a red! Just changing the subject, have you thought about drilling a hole in the bottom of your water trough and fitting a water but tap? Nice place you have. Regards.
Interesting that one of the things Mac commented on in another video was how much he enjoyed NOT turning on red. If it's red - you stop. Some UK stop lights have a filter with a green arrow showing you can turn on red but generally if it's red you wait.
@@kumasenlac5504 With the turn on red, you still have to come to a stand and check that the road is clear before proceeding. There are so many junctions with unnecessary delays turning when there is no safety involved.
If you do not like separate taps then just change them - every DIY shop sells mixer taps or get a plumber. Meanwhile - put the plug in and mix the hot and cold in the sink.
Oh! the stores staying open! BUT, the consumer mentality is different here in the UK than it is in the US. For instance, I still think its amazing that Saturday shopping is such an event. Everybody goes, they spend the day, drink coffee in the cafes with friends, get what's needed from many small shops instead of the big stores and wander through the markets, if they are lucky enough to have them. It's colourful, fun and more like it used to be. I am friends with my green grocer, with the butcher and I get fresh, just made bread from the baker. I guess I'm nearly a convert. I'll trade longer hours for that experience. Besides, I think it's a better work/life balance and we're much less consumed with consuming here in the UK and that's valuable. I really like your videos! I love the energy, the peacefulness you exude and your family (including your lovely wife!) are beautiful!
I'm in the UK. Of course everything in the US is bigger, you have more space. Some US states are bigger than the whole of the UK, Wyoming for example, plus many others. You might enjoy this YT vid 'How America Makes Britain Look Like a Tiny Village'
a basin has a plug for a reason. it is just laziness to wash under running water, not forgetting that you will also waste much more water. the other reason for separate taps is contamination. a mixer tap will breed germs in the spout. so the fresh drinking water in the cold tap is separate so it is safe for brushing your teeth. if you are short of ideas for a video. how about one on safety? as in crime, security differences and your children's safety in public.
In the UK we used to have these fuel pumps which with the latch on them. I remember using them in the seventies. I don't know why they were discontinued.
I have been to the Mall of America in Minneapolis a couple of times. Now that was big! 4 Department stores. 1 in each corner. Then multiple corridors on several floors with many shops and restaurants along each one. And unbelievably a theme park in the center all under cover. It was massive! 😉😬👀
Its OK to get a little home sick , Im sure everyone does ... just dont get too home sick that u go back :p I just love your channel and always look forward to them .BTW I love tex mex flavours too . much love and blessings from Liverpool. Happy Easter
I think separate hot and cold tap handles (e.g., a kitchen tap with one spout and two handles) are better than a mixer handle when the hot water comes from a hot water tank, otherwise there is a chance of mixing some water from the tank into your drinking water, which is not healthy due to contamination from micro-organisms and dissolved metal salts (especially from copper hot water tanks). It's not a problem when the hot water is flash-heated straight from the cold water supply.
At UK petrol pumps you will see that the filler has a small lever and there are two small holes in the guard. To get automatic shut off there is a U shaped pin that is inserted into the holes that the lever locks onto. The reason for the removal of this auto feature is the danger of spillages that did occur in the past when the auto cut off failed to work. You will see some instances when people do not watch their filling and the auto shut off does not work for some reason, discharging fuel over the hardstanding. The petrol pump units are the same in US and Europe so there must be similar occurences in US that are not reported.. In UK we take our safety very importantly and would not risk a defective auto shut off. Separate taps for hot and cold was a traditional installation that was in part due to the Water Council's Regulations to prevent contamination of the drinking water. Modern homes often have single pillar mixer taps that complied with EU Regs that took over from Water Council Rules. Today's Building Regulations demand that for new installations that where single taps are installed then the hot water is blended with the cold so that the temperature does not exceed 40degC. Single taps are favoured because a pair are about 1/5th the cost of a single mixer. The comments about single taps are outdated and inaccurate - you need to get out more! Bigger is not always better, having speciality shops where the staff are focused on the product can result in the best choice for the cheapest price. The reason that the big 5 supermarkets can't compete with the German discounters is purely down to size and variety. If you don't have to stock 57 varieties of beans then you don't need the distribution infrastructure and neither do you need the hyperstores that cost a fortune to build and run.
I love this video. Especially life just carrying on behind you. For taps I recommend sticking your hand in the cold first then under the hot haha There’s a restaurant called Hickories in the North West that does American style smokehouse food. I’d love to know if you thought it was authentic
Oh yer the fuel pump. In the UK they remove 3 pins from the pump, I've no idea why, but if you keep a rivet, small nail or small hex key in your car you can slide it into the top hole on the pump handle (take a look for three holes on the side of the handle), press the lever and there is a little catch that clips onto your improvised pin. Boom, you don't have to stand there like a mug, just remember to take your pin with you haha, I've left 3 behind now. I'm British but have traveled the US, and another thing I miss, is being able to turn right on a red light, too many twits in the UK to implement this here 😂. Love you guys, I hope you stay!
Aah, the hold on lever, we always used to have those they were taken off for all the reasons you mentioned, perceived danger that’s why they were removed.
Wow I never imagined you lived on a farm! It definitely looks beautiful and peaceful . Of course you'll miss your American food , especially bbq etc . Unfortunately restaurants and eating out generally has never been as big as in USA 🤔
We tend to not just run taps, we use the plug and fill the sink with water at the temp. we want. Also most places are replacing single taps with a mixer tap.
I’m a Brit and it’s kind of old fashioned to have separate taps now even here in the U.K. Both our sinks and bath are mixer taps. If you still have separate taps just fill the sink up and mix the hot and cold to get the right temperature in the sink and wash your face. That how they used to do it back in the day of cause if you don’t have a plug for the sink then I understand your predicament lol. Some people like the rustic old design of old fashioned sinks with separate taps which was a fad a while ago so I’m thinking that why you have one in your home.
The UK used to have those clips to allow the pump to run on its own while filling up, but no more for some reason and yes they made things easier. They maybe still on the diesel pumps for lorries however.
1. Separate taps are getting to be uncommon now AND that’s what the plug is for to mix the water. It’s a left over from Victorian plumbing constrains. Also, it’s easy to replace with a mixer tap 🤓 2. All the little Tesco and Sainsbury shops round here in sleepy Cheltenham are open from 0600 - 1100… 3. We’ve a Tex / Mex restaurant here. May not be as good a one near the Mexican border of course 😏 4. Seems the removal of the petrol pump lock is being implemented in the US. For safety reasons due to static build up causing fires (in the US). Also, love,your channel and so glad you are enjoying life 😁
Hi Mac, I agree with you about shopping hours. When I was a youngster we could come rolling out of the pub at 23.30 and get fish and chips in newspaper and wobble home, now the chip shops shut about 21.30 or 22.00!!!!! Love your vlogs, stay in our lovely country as long as you want, pal, you are very welcome here.
Have to say, thats a nice home you have, plus all the ground and pond too wow! As to the taps, there are single outlet taps here, you just have to have them changed! Your becoming very British and you don't know it! Keep having a great time here, you seem happy. - good luck and bless your family.
I remember back in the early 70’s our petrol pumps had that self-fill button, not sure when it changed or why As for the water thing……… that’s what the white thing (called a sink) is for, to mix the hot and cold water in
I visited the US a couple of months ago and one thing I miss now that I'm back is all the Iced Tea and good lemonade. The only iced tea we get here is flavoured Liptons and small expensive bottles of Arizona. I went to a target in Seattle and they had huge gallon jugs of Arizona Tea or Arnold Palmer for $2.75!! I wish we had this here.
The reason there are 2 taps is the water temp is set much lower than the US (or at least should be), so you should be able to just use the hot tap to wash yourself (though 50c water is still pretty hot it will not scold you).
Our local Sainsbury’s used to be open 24/7. But nobody used it much after dark. So, they reduced the opening hours - now open from 7 til 11 during the week and much longer in Saturdays. If you’re in a rural area, even the big chains are franchised. We have big shops - they don’t last, especially since covid. Huge department stores that have lasted for centuries have closed down lately. And we don’t have the room or the population quite often for large stores or ones that sell one type of product. We’ve started having Walmart’s. And I think there’s a chick-fil-A opened somewhere recently too. The taps - our hot water comes via tanks and it’s not suitable as drinking water. Hence, the separate taps. It’s health and safety. Even now, if you have mixer taps, that only happens at the last minute. In the meantime, run both hit and cold water in the basin. The taps used to have to be earthed - you’d see yellow and green wires everywhere. Think that stopped now … maybe. Not seen so many …
You used to have the switch on the petrol pumps in the UK. But as more and more stations became completely self-service the latch was disabled. Think the issue is spill especially if the latch fails to disengage. If I remember correctly it is an insurance/contract issue. I live in a 16th century house, all our taps are dual ones. Pretty much a modern bathrooms in the UK since the 80s has mixer taps.
The reason for 2 taps is health, the cold tap is safe to drink brush your teeth ect you have a plug to mix the water in the wash or face. A mixer tap holds bacteria unless you chlorinate it regularly, plus it will have contamination from storage as the cold is safe drinking water, mind you compared to the US where there are guns everywhere bacteria might not be a problem, I am being light heart'ed not a criticism, just thought I would provide you the reason for 2 taps.
