Boiler emergency!

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 23 Dec 2005, 17:31

Ok, this could only happen on a Friday of a winter holiday weekend, but my boiler has suddenly shut down and I have no hot water or heating. Boiler repair men are fully booked and the earliest they can come is Wednesday.

Can anyone advise re local miracle workers please!

Morag

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 23 Dec 2005, 19:35

Wish I could Rapunzell

You don't have emergency homecover through your home insurance or even your bank account do you? I was unaware until after I had paid a plumber to investigate a blocked drain that I was covered for this for free through my RBoS account. No other suggestions I'm afraid.

Do you have no other form of heating?

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 23 Dec 2005, 20:00

Thanks! I am currently using the good old fashioned hat and duvet method of heating : )

Managed to find a workman for tomorrow afternoon so fingers crossed that its an easily fixed little problem and not a 'that part will take three weeks to arrive' kind of thing..

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 23 Dec 2005, 20:34

Have you tried Santa? There might be a slim chance he has a spare on the sleigh.....

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 23 Dec 2005, 20:53

Rapunzell hope you get the boiler fixed, these things always happen at Christmas time

.

One year our car broke down but luckily it was the day before Christmas Eve and we got it fixed (but then it finally broke down on the motorway outside Dunfermline coming back from a friend's wedding and we got rid of it).

Fingers crossed it all goes well.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 23 Dec 2005, 20:54

Twice our telly's broken down on Xmas eve.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 23 Dec 2005, 20:56

Epykat wrote:Twice our telly's broken down on Xmas eve.

You are kidding? Nightmare!

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 23 Dec 2005, 21:21

It was! First time we managed to borrow a portable from my Aunty, but the second time I think we got the torch out and made nice Santa and Reindeer shapes on the wall to entertain the kids

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 23 Dec 2005, 21:31

Epykat wrote:It was! First time we managed to borrow a portable from my Aunty, but the second time I think we got the torch out and made nice Santa and Reindeer shapes on the wall to entertain the kids

Ah, shadow puppets, there's another reason I miss having a roaring fire in a nice big fireplace : )

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 23 Dec 2005, 21:51

I remember when, on Xmas eve, our downstairs neighbour's plumbing blocked, meaning that our kitchen sink, bath and washing machine would not drain.

We had a filthy holiday I can tell you. I remember my flatmate finally having to go for a shower in a bath with god knows what draining up into it - he was wearing a couple of bin bags on his legs.

The bog was fine though - it was a different pipe.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 23 Dec 2005, 22:14

Our son managed to block the toilet on Christmas Day a few years ago. Can you imagine how difficult it is and what it costs to get an emergency plumber out on Christmas Day? Or how inconvenient it is to not to have a toilet?

Still, forgive and forget. The little bastard!

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 23 Dec 2005, 22:16

Bob Jefferson wrote: The little ***!

Couldn't have been that little or it wouldn't have blocked the toilet....

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 23 Dec 2005, 22:17

Bob Jefferson wrote:Our son managed to block the toilet on Christmas Day a few years ago.

Probably due to the lack of saturated fats, mass produced cakes and chocolate in his diet.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 23 Dec 2005, 22:30

I fear that further elaboration is required here. He flushed a toilet freshener, or rather he didn't. But I've completely forgotten about it.

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 24 Dec 2005, 16:38

Well, the engineer turned up on time, was very helpful and has shown me more about combi boiler innards than I knew before. I believe the boiler, as we with the technical knowhow would say, is a bit buggered.

The good news is that a painstaking temporary fix and prayer should hold it for a couple of days until the company can come out to replace its bits. Hot water and heating for at least a day! Weyhey! I have a sudden urge to wash dishes.

Thanks to all for the cheery support : )

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 24 Dec 2005, 16:41

OOh, I was bleeped!

Sorry for trying to say that my boiler was a bit bug**r*d on a family forum : )

GRANTY · Post by **GRANTY** » 24 Dec 2005, 19:20

glad it's fixed. pretty cold out there tonight.

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 24 Dec 2005, 19:55

Thanks! The poor thing is starting to creak and groan again so I think I may still need my thermals yet..

Looking forward to seeing you once the chaos is under control : ) Have a good day tomorrow!

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 24 Dec 2005, 22:12

Hope it lasts till after the holiday Rapunzell... fingers crossed for you

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 28 Dec 2005, 18:23

How's it going, Rapunzell?? Hope it's fixed now it sooooooooo cold.

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 28 Dec 2005, 20:09

Poppy wrote:How's it going, Rapunzell?? Hope it's fixed now it sooooooooo cold.

Thanks! The engineers and their spare parts are due tomorrow afternoon, and I am quite looking forward to seeing them : ) Its been a festive season to remember..

See you on the shore for hogmanay!

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 30 Dec 2005, 20:18

Every radiator is now warm, there is hot water on tap, its all wonderful.. : )

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 30 Dec 2005, 20:52

rapunzell wrote:Every radiator is now warm, there is hot water on tap, its all wonderful.. : )

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 30 Dec 2005, 21:08

rapunzell wrote:Every radiator is now warm, there is hot water on tap, its all wonderful.. : )

Glad to hear that - thought about you this morning ........... as I shivered at the bus stop in the cold and rain!!

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 31 Dec 2005, 00:13

Poppy wrote:Glad to hear that - thought about you this morning ........... as I shivered at the bus stop in the cold and rain!!

And Selma and I thought about you Poppy - as we lay, curled up, all cosy in bed

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 31 Dec 2005, 19:13

Epykat wrote:
Poppy wrote:Glad to hear that - thought about you this morning ........... as I shivered at the bus stop in the cold and rain!!
And Selma and I thought about you Poppy - as we lay, curled up, all cosy in bed

Ho! Was that rumbling sound you snoring, then??

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 31 Dec 2005, 20:20

Poppy wrote:
Epykat wrote:
Poppy wrote:Glad to hear that - thought about you this morning ........... as I shivered at the bus stop in the cold and rain!!
And Selma and I thought about you Poppy - as we lay, curled up, all cosy in bed
Ho! Was that rumbling sound you snoring, then??

I really couldn't comment - this is a family forum

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 02 Jan 2006, 16:35

Argh! It's my turn now Rapunzel

My combi-boiler decided to switch itself off today, due to low water pressure. I duely topped up the water as I had been shown by the engineers that installed it (only 2 years ago). All was well until I checked it about 20 mins later; the pressure had continued to climb to an alarming level and a couple of leaks had appeared.

A call to the emergency hotline confirmed my worst fears; no-one is available to sort the problem and as the boiler has not been serviced in the last 12 months (the warranty only expired in November!)I'm not insured anyway.

So I've a child who's still ill, a washing machine cycle stopped half-way through it's load and a boiler that I can only switch on for short bursts while I catch the drips from the leaking central heating pipe in a bowl

Can I go back and start 2006 all over again please?angry9:

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 02 Jan 2006, 18:40

Oh no!! You have my HUGEST sympathy.

If its any help I found that Ace Maintenance could come out on the day and do whatever could be done without spare parts, and that Contract Heating, though taking about a week, usually have spares in the van.

Ace: 0800 037 0563
Contract: 0131 467 7875

Fingers crossed!
xx

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 02 Jan 2006, 19:25

Do you have heating? We have a variety of oil-filled radiators and fan heaters you are welcome to borrow.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 02 Jan 2006, 19:46

Bob Jefferson wrote:Do you have heating? We have a variety of oil-filled radiators and fan heaters you are welcome to borrow.

Thanks for the contacts Rapunzell. Sounds ideal. I'm hoping I can call out a firm once we've got over the holiday period.

Thanks also for your kind offer Bob. I've got a couple of electric radiators and a fan heater, which will hopefully tide us over if necessary. The boiler is working at the moment though the pressure is dropping again bit by bit. The leak is still dripping away, but very slowly. I'm guessing the increased pressure, earlier on, has damaged a seal or something. I'm keeping fingers crossed that we can keep things going for the short term...and that the system isn't leaking somewhere else that I can't see. The boiler may only be 2 years old, but unfortunately, the central heating system is way older than that!

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 02 Jan 2006, 20:15

Big sympathies Marya, sure you'll get it fixed shortly though but total bummer

(can't belive B u m m e r doesn't pass profanity!!!)

teddygirl · Post by **teddygirl** » 04 Jan 2006, 08:58

Oh well it's our turn now!

Has anyone ever tried to do the toilet with a bucket on your head ? That's what we are having to do here, a leak is coming through from upstairs into our toilet and so far no-one is awake up there and we can't get the water turned off. Isn't life wonderful

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 04 Jan 2006, 10:23

teddygirl wrote: Has anyone ever tried to do the toilet with a bucket on your head ?

It's one of life's eternal questions.

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 04 Jan 2006, 14:01

teddygirl wrote: Has anyone ever tried to do the toilet with a bucket on your head ?

Plastic or metal?

How c rap TG

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