My boiler went last night

[breakfastdinnerandtea]

I think I just need a bit of a vent. We went out last night after work and when we got home and I went for a shower we realised the boiler had gone. I'm working today again (and tomorrow and Tuesday) and I need a shower but the water is absolutely freezing. I just cant get in. I suspect we will need to replace it but why now? Why just a week before Christmas?

This is just another in a long line of big bills that have unexpectedly come up this year. We were okay at the start of the year but now our savings are almost all gone and the boiler will definitely wipe us out completely. It wouldn't be too bad if it weren't for the fact that the roof is also leaking and we definitely can't afford to replace it.

I just want a break. I work hard but I feel like I make nothing. I haven't managed any overtime this month so I'll be getting my basic salary. I know people have it a lot worse and I shouldn't moan, but I'm just so fed up. DH and I aren't getting on at the moment either. He's very supportive but I think I'm just so bloody frustrated with the whole thing that I'm probably making things worse. Any advice on how to snap out of it please?

Is the water pressure in the system high enough? Ours sometimes loses pressure over time and when that happens the boiler won’t fire. Can you find the filling loop? It’s like a tap on a piece of copper pipe with a gauge. The gauge should read 1.

The boiler loses pressure regularly. We've had it checked out, no leaks or anything, it just does it. Last night when we got home it said the pressure was low. DH filled it but it's still saying it's low even though it's not. It's done this before but it only lasted an hour or so. This has stayed like this overnight. I was hoping it would have fixed itself by now so I could jump in this morning but no.

Turn it off and on at the plug?

We tried that last night but I'll tell DH to try again this morning.
Thank you for your replies, I really appreciate it

Boil the kettle, mix a bucket with boiling and cold water and have a quick shower that way. Or does your workplace/gym/friend/neighbour have a shower you could use?

You might be lucky and it might just be a simple problem to fix so don't worry yet and get a plumber out.

We had an air leak when this was happening - had to get a part replaced.

We were without our boiler for a month once. We used to boil the kettle up and put it in a bucket, then literally poured jugfuls of water over ourselves. If it's going to be a few days, there's always the option of going for a swim and having a nice long shower afterwards.

Ditto the above - the bit that holding the air inside the boiler - sort of looked like slimline hot water bottle - the plumber filled it up directly there with air - he said constantly re pressurising from the filling loop etc doesn't work

We've got BG Homecare and they service it annually. It's been good, 8 years old and it's died twice, fortunately in the summer. One was the motherboard, which was replaced with an updated version.

I know it's an annual cost, but it's been pretty good for us.

Sorry, best of luck with the damned thing!

Do you have a hot water tank? If yes, does it have a back up immerson heater in it? It's expensive to use, but a hour of heating that should get you a shower.

Gym, swimming pool, work, friend? Anywhere else you an go for a warm shower?

Hopefully it's something quick to fix. But I think I'd be down to argos for a couple of electric heaters to keep one or 2 rooms warm.

Hi.

Sorry to hear this I feel your stress I really do.

Ours went last Winter, I was you all stressed out about money, we had some huge quotes from the big name, because the boiler was 20 years old they'd only replace it.

We found a local one man band who got various reconditioned parts and it's been running like a dream since and cost £200.

Be careful who you choose to fix it and it might not cost as much as you think.

Good luck !

Thanks all, so much. We have BG homecare, DH has tried ringing them today but they're closed so he'll try tomorrow. We have a few family members close by for a shower and plenty of blankets and jumpers! I've calmed down a bit now, I was in a real tizzy this morning!

You can usually book an appointment with BG Homecare online. We do it all the time. You can pick a day and time that suits you. Good luck.

I also make my BG homecare appointments online

Book BG home care online. In our old flat our heating died once when it was really cold. The engineer from BGas came out and fitted a new pump (luckily he had the part in the van). We asked how much it would normally be and he said his rate was £70 an hour plus VAT, then it was a Sunday so there would be extra plus a call pour fee and he wax there for two hours..the part was also £200 plus vat. We were covered under our policy so it was all done with no cost to us (other than the monthly payment).

We had homecare out the last time it broke but then fixed itself. He gave it a good clean and said it should help. DH said he wants to ring because he doesn't want to pay the excess again so hopefully we won't have to! Otherwise that'll be £200 and a potentially still broken boiler.
It hasn't come back on since so I showered at MILs house yesterday evening.