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Original poster

How long, in this weather, could you manage without a boiler?

68 replies

NewNameFor2024 · 21/01/2024 11:06

Boiler has decided it wants to leak. Lost 2 litres of water yesterday, around a litre overnight. This started last week as a small, drip, then a mug and so on.

I am prepared to keep catching water if I know the boiler is safe to use, however there is clearly a problem. A mixture of a few things going wrong recently means we have wiped out most savings and ideally I would like to not touch what’s left.

Chances are I will have lost the will to live and caved by the end of the week, but it had me thinking… How long could you actually manage without heating and hot water?

OP posts:
trevthecat · 21/01/2024 12:02

We've been without a boiler 3 times, for up to 3 weeks in winter in the last 5 years (boiler broke down, got working again, then completely broke, then had to have the new one moved and it was complicated!) 3 kids at home, dh works away. Fortunately we have an electric shower and bought plug in heaters. It wasn't nice at all but we snuggled in my bed and watched TV in the evening and made the best of it

JonsDragonQueen · 21/01/2024 12:03

My boiler (water tank) was leaking a bit like yours just before Christmas it was dripping through the "trundle" and a join in the pipe. But we still had hot water and heating so I ignored it, catching it in a cup, big mistake, just after Christmas water started dripping through the ceiling below.
We got a plumber out through the insurance and they fixed the leak but managed to screw up our heating and hot water for a further week! So the answer is, one week, it wasn't fun.
Thankfully, it was an easy fix and all is now fine.
My tip is to turn your water tap off when you leave the house or don't actively need water until you get it fixed.

BaronessEllarawrosaurus · 21/01/2024 12:04

The issue is dependent on the leak the water supply might need turning off too which was the issue we had. It might be an easy fix but if water is running in the inside of the boiler it could damage the controls too and what started as an easy fix ends up uneconomic repair and a replacement boiler which will take even longer

WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 21/01/2024 12:09

We have a back up hot water tank, so would be fine for hot water if we had an issue with the boiler, but in the winter I wouldn't want to go more than a couple of days without heating. I wouldn't want use a boiler that was faulty either.

Mairzydotes · 21/01/2024 12:11

A house could probably be livable for a while during winter, providing the electric is working to heat water via shower or kettle. Plug in heaters could be used for warmth. Lots of houses have log burners . There are ways around not freezing. Although it's not an ideal situation.

It is likely OK to switch the boiler off until it can be fixed. But an engineer may not be available to come out immediately or may have to wait for delivery of parts , so that needs to be considered too

WhatTheHeckyPeck · 21/01/2024 12:14

Several years ago my boiler packed up in November. It was 3 weeks until the new one was put in. I was given a teenytiny electric fan heater by the LL. Never felt so cold and miserable in my whole life as I did then.

Ginmonkeyagain · 21/01/2024 12:18

Book them in now as it may be a week or so to get labour and parts.

Our boiler packed up a couple of years ago in early March and it turned out to need a new fan. It took three days for a new one to arrive and another two days for the company to fitt us in for the work.

Seeing as we rely on our boiler for all heat and hot water it was a survivable, but very miserable week.

mindutopia · 21/01/2024 12:21

In the current weather, quite awhile. We have two wood burners and a gas ‘stove’ (like the ornamental looks like a wood burner sort) and our water is solar heated (though can switch on electric immersion). We don’t use the actual heating much except when it’s really cold and it’s mostly to heat the hall for the bloody dog. 😂

But I would just get it sorted while we’re having this nice warm spell.

Soontobe60 · 21/01/2024 12:21

I had my mums boiler serviced a few weeks ago. It had worked perfectly the last time it was used - about 6 months earlier - with a slight drip. The gas engineer had to condemn it as the drip had corroded parts inside so it was no longer safe. He told me if I had got it looked at when the drip started it would have been a few £s rather than the cost of a new boiler.

Comedycook · 21/01/2024 12:23

I can cope without heating for a while...I'd wrap up in my oodie and dressing gown. No hot water is an absolute nightmare though

SD1978 · 21/01/2024 12:32

My parents have just done 2.5 weeks with no boiler or hot water. We were extremely worried for them, both elderly. Managed to persuade them to go to my sisters for a week, but we honestly thought they would end up in hospital or worse. Still not fully fixed, but partially working. They are stubborn. I don't think I would last a day. Nor would I want to

MuchTooTired · 21/01/2024 12:38

We’re all electric so assuming we have an electricity supply, indefinitely 😉

No electric though, we’re screwed. DH and I were talking about this just this morning, and were muttering about how we really need to buy a generator because we live in an area where power cuts are common place this time of year. We’ve a gas hob from our camping days so that’ll come in handy, but it’s lack of heating that’s the real problem!

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 21/01/2024 12:40

We have no fireplace, so not for long! I’d have to invest in some oil-filled electric radiators. A dd with an ancient defunct boiler managed with a couple of those - one downstairs, one up - for quite a while until she got around to replacing the boiler. But then she hardly ever feels the cold at all.

BorgQueen · 21/01/2024 12:40

Not rth but is it a combi? The condense trap could be full of crap, DH has seen lots of these recently, it could be that simple or the whole heat exchanger could be knackered or anything in between.
If the condense is clear, a fixed price repair from the manufacturer fir around £309 is usually the best option, DH often recommends it as they can do it cheaper than he can plus they change up to 3 major parts AND give a warranty.

unsync · 21/01/2024 12:45

Can't recommend it, especially when it is really cold. Hot water is OK as we can switch to electric immersion, but trying to keep warm with no central heating is hard if you are in the house all the time. We had a combo of oil filled radiators, blankets, coats, hats etc. It was really unpleasant. Would make electric bill rocket too.

BorgQueen · 21/01/2024 12:51

To answer the question. Our old system boiler had the heat exchanger fail ( this was before DH was qualified in Gas) we had cover with B Gas and they reeeaally didn’t want to repair it so they made us wait 2 weeks in December for a replacement part.
Thankfully we still had a hw cylinder with a separate electric immersion heater so had plenty of hot water and we had an old but still useable gas fire - both are sadly long gone now. We have a couple of electric fires now so would keep warm but at a price.
Now we would only have to wait the time it took for DH to repair the boiler, in fact I think we still have at least a year’s warranty left from Vaillant and as he’s certified by them they might even pay him to do it!

BiddyPop · 21/01/2024 12:52

Have you other ways to heat the house? I presume you can boil water for washing up/getting a flannel wash? Is there a gym or similar you can use for showers?

In our case, we lost the boiler the Friday before builders started on Monday so had no back wall on the house through a cold Sept/Oct period (a few years ago - not last year's balmy autumn) and it was only replaced as part of the plumbing parts of the work in early December.

We had an open fire in the sitting room (now a wood burning stove so a lot more efficient). We basically lived in that room, with blankets to snuggle under. And kept doors closed between warm and cold rooms as much as possible. We brought hot water bottles to bed.

I boiled kettles and large pots of water for washing up and for DD bath (toddler). DH and I managed with flannel washes at home but we could both get a shower at work and I was also in a gym.

Is the leak something that can be patched for a short period to let you find a solution (loan, catching up on savings)?

BiddyPop · 21/01/2024 12:53

Actually, we also had an oil filled rad plugged in for dd's room overnight which definitely helped.

rwalker · 21/01/2024 12:55

If it was just me probably indefinitely
dishwasher and washer use cold water
shower at gym
in my first house no heating quilt over me on sofa or just used to take myself off to bed sat up watching tele hat on loads of pillows and spare quilt round shoulders

rwalker · 21/01/2024 12:57

rwalker · 21/01/2024 12:55

If it was just me probably indefinitely
dishwasher and washer use cold water
shower at gym
in my first house no heating quilt over me on sofa or just used to take myself off to bed sat up watching tele hat on loads of pillows and spare quilt round shoulders

Edited

Had a fan heater but rarely used it

fleurneige · 21/01/2024 13:05

We have solar hot water and a massive wood burner- so could cope for quite a while. We are in an isolated rural situation, so the ability to be independent for a while was a priority when we moved here.

Original poster
NewNameFor2024 · 21/01/2024 13:13

BorgQueen · 21/01/2024 12:40

Not rth but is it a combi? The condense trap could be full of crap, DH has seen lots of these recently, it could be that simple or the whole heat exchanger could be knackered or anything in between.
If the condense is clear, a fixed price repair from the manufacturer fir around £309 is usually the best option, DH often recommends it as they can do it cheaper than he can plus they change up to 3 major parts AND give a warranty.

It is a Combi yes, I mentioned it to DH who has said the engineer reckons it’s the diverter valve? I didn’t know he had already spoken to someone this morning 😂.

OP posts:
Original poster
NewNameFor2024 · 21/01/2024 13:18

The boiler is being sorted so please don’t be worrying that I’m intentionally leaving it unsafe. It was more a case of ‘for fuck sake what now’. DH was already on the case though this morning and also said in response to my hypothetical question I would only last 6 hours whereas he could probably last a couple of weeks.

OP posts:
Decafflatteplease · 21/01/2024 13:23

In the warmer months we would be fine as could use the immersion for hot water (although a new boiler is probably cheaper than running the immersion!)

In winter no boiler would mean no heating so we wouldn't last a day! 1800s house so usually around 11 degrees with no heating on so we couldn't cope with that for long at all

BassoContinuo · 21/01/2024 13:24

I’ve gone for a month before - old boiler stopped working completely and that was how long it took to get a new one. No other form of heating other than a tiny oil-filled radiator, or hot water.

Showered at the gym, so that was OK, and never been so glad I have a dishwasher!