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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want the bloody central heating boiler to break down today...

9 replies

minionmadness · 26/12/2014 11:40

Woke up to a cold house this morning... we have an oil fired boiler and we've tried all the usual tricks I've learnt from our boiler repair man (who has now retired)... Still not working! It's a combi and we have hot water but no central heating... it couldn't be the other way round could it.

I won't get anyone today and the forecast says we are in for a very cold snap and we have no alternative heating source, and to top it all off I woke up yesterday with a rotten sore throat that is fast developing into flu.

I know no one can say anything and we'll survive but FFS.

OP posts:
IAmAShitHotLawyer · 26/12/2014 11:42

Could you buy a small electric heater, lots of shops are open today

Rabbitcar · 26/12/2014 11:50

Have posted on another thread, our boiler broke last night, no hot water or heating, heating engineer coming tomorrow, it's going to cost a fortune to repair and spoils our plans for tomorrow. Xmas Sad. Never mind, these things happen I guess. We have oil fired radiators and fan heaters running up a huge electricity bill. Good luck OP.

Hatespiders · 26/12/2014 11:59

We're on oil too. Our pump is rather noisy lately and I'm scared it's going to go on the blink. These things cost the earth to sort out don't they?

Hope you can get it repaired ASAP and meanwhile use a fan heater from the sales as suggested by ShitHotLawyer, they're only about £15, and put your oven on to make the kitchen warm at least. If you go out shopping today you can get warm in the shops for a bit!

Original poster
minionmadness · 26/12/2014 12:31

I've managed to borrow some electric heaters from family/friends, going to cost a fortune in electricity, but what else can we do, dts1 has asthma and the cold damp air brings on his cough, we live rurally and the house is well over 100 years old and gets very cold without any heating on.

And if we do manage to find someone to come out tomorrow, we too have to change plans and it's going to cost a fortune.

Good luck to you too Rabbitcar

OP posts:
offtoseethewizard64 · 26/12/2014 12:45

I feel for you OP. Our central heating boiler has been playing up for the last few days (keeps locking out between 08.30 and 09.00 every day Hmm ) but fortunately it has always restarted. I have a severely disabled DD who is not mobile and feels the cold and my 86 year old mother staying for Christmas - so if it packs up it will be a disaster. In addition, we have a lift which gets DD upstairs to her bedroom and bathroom and is the reason DM is staying with us for Christmas (ours is the only house where she can get upstairs). It developed and intermittent fault on 22nd causing all the electric to trip. It did it again on 23rd. The LA have a contract to get it repaired - they were closed when I rang on 24th (and I thought Christmas Eve was a normal working day - the irony of it was we had a LA roadsweeper come up our road on Christmas Eve and we live in an insignificant residential street Hmm ) Fortunately, I managed to get through to the emergency team - eventually and get an engineer out to the lift. He replaced a part - but being an intermittent fault, there was no way of knowing if it was the right part. I have lived in fear of the lift getting stuck over the Christmas period with DM in it, who would go into full blown panic.
Why do these things always go wrong when everything is closed ?

Original poster
minionmadness · 26/12/2014 15:25

offtosee I hope everything keeps moving for you...

OP posts:
Kyyria · 26/12/2014 17:31

Ours broke yesterday morning. We were leaving to visit relatives for Christmas meal mid morning (250 miles away) so unable to sort it until we are home again Sunday night. Borrowing oil filled radiator off my m&d. Going to try and contact someone tomorrow to come out Monday. Sunday night will have to be triple layers, hot water bottles and extra bedding. Hope we can get it sorted quickly as have a 2 year old

Hatespiders · 26/12/2014 17:37

I have a theory that boilers know exactly when is the most inconvenient and disastrous time to go on the blink. They do it deliberately.

Threeplus1 · 26/12/2014 17:45

I'm in Canada in an apartment building and we woke up Christmas morning to no water or heat (which works off the water system). Took over 4 hours to resolve so breakfast/showers/food prep was late. At first I was v p'd off but then I realised how lucky we are to be able to count on turning on taps and having water and turning on heat when we are cold. I hope it all worked out for you though, it sure puts a damper on festivities

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