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Original poster

Advice for living without hot water

33 replies

HunterofStars · 05/04/2017 13:15

I moved house a month ago and the boiler has never worked properly since I moved in. I now have to wait a week for my LL to send someone to look at my boiler and even then there's no guarantee I'll have hot water again by next week. So I'm looking for ways to cope with no hot water. All suggestions would be greatly appreciated. TIA.

OP posts:
NonsensicalNonsense · 05/04/2017 13:16

Er....no. you need to get onto your landlord that is unacceptable. Do you have a letting agent? At least 1 week wait for hot water is ridiculous!

puddingpen · 05/04/2017 13:25

See here.

Your problem should be sorted 'within a few days'. This is a requirement under the Landlord and Tennant Act 1985.

That said... practical suggestions whilst your fighting with LL: do you have showers at work/ friends who will let you shower there? Friends you can stay with for a week? Do you have children? Can they shower at a friend's? Do you have gym memberships? Can you go to the local swimming pool for a shower. Do you have a dishwasher? If not you will have to boil the kettle for washing up. You can boil the kettle and fill the bathroom sink/ a bucket with water for washing, although hair is trickier.

Stripeymug · 05/04/2017 13:26

Your landlord is taking the piss, British gas or Homeserve would have been out to you in a day, you should be asking why its taking so long because there really isn't an acceptable reason.

Ask for a rent reduction or offer to get boiler fixed yourself and deduct from the next months rent?

CherieBabySpliffUp · 05/04/2017 13:30

I agree with everyone else wrt the length of time to wait.
While you do though I would say your kettle is your friend. Boil it to wash up and fill the bath (if you have one.) Also lots of pans on the stove

BeachyKeen · 05/04/2017 13:36

As someone who has lived off grid with no running water, it is doable but not fun.
Water can be heater over fire/on stoves/over a bbq or if you have hydro , in a microwave
Run buckets of cold water and let them stand in the room during the day to raise the temperature of the water naturally.
Then you don't have to use so much energy to bring them to a boil if you need to. Turkey roasting pans hold a lot of water, and two brought to a boil is usually enough to do dishes.
Washing hair at the sink, make sure to pre- mix your hot from the stove water with the cool so you don't have to fuss with it during washing.
Those are the basics. Like I said, not fun but doable

Original poster
HunterofStars · 05/04/2017 13:39

It's a Housing Association property and because I have heating and the boiler is electric, they said it wasn't an emergency. I have a kettle but I'll probably get a second one to use upstairs. I am planning to use the spa at my leisure centre either tomorrow or Friday so I can use the showers there. I have no children but do have ASD and anxiety.

OP posts:
plasticcheese · 05/04/2017 13:46

Council run sports centres/swimming pools will allow you to use their showers for free, provided you don't use any of the other facilities.

NonsensicalNonsense · 05/04/2017 13:46

So if you have anxiety phone your HA and explain it is an emergency as it will effect your mental health if you have to shower elsewhere etc etc also because of germs (i.e.no hot hand washing, unable to wash up in hot water) which effects your anxiety. You need to make a bigger deal OP.

Original poster
HunterofStars · 05/04/2017 13:59

My brother is coming to visit later on so I will ask him if I can use his shower this weekend. I have just left another message for Housing Association saying that it is effecting my mental health and made a complaint to them. I have also informed my GP and will tell them again tomorrow when I go to pick up my anxiety meds.

OP posts:
Sprungout · 05/04/2017 14:20

I lived in a very cold country with "district heating " where, every Spring, hot water was shut down for repairs from winter damage and, occasionally, water was off entirely.
While I have a few tips about the order in which you can safely use and reuse hot water; using kettles and pans to heat water, ....

we don't live in that country and you shouldn't have to put up with it for a week.

HelenaDove · 05/04/2017 14:30

Thats bloody ridiculous OP Unfortunately not unheard of with HAs.

I just got the letter off mine for the annual heating check It wasnt even signed.

I posted a thread about it and was asked if i had anxiety. Even if i had most of tenants anxiety is caused by the bloody landlords.

zukiecat · 05/04/2017 14:54

I only have hot running water very occasionally, maybe once or twice a year for a few days

The reason is I can't afford it, I am on a pre-pay meter but I have debt on it so even if I was to stick a tenner on, it'll take £9 for the debt, and not even enough to cover the emergency

I manage by boiling kettles to wash in, and do the dishes and things

Luckily my shower is electric, but I long for a bath!

Hope you get it sorted ASAP OP

HelenaDove · 05/04/2017 14:59

Zukie thats shit im sorry to hear that Thanks

purpleprincess24 · 05/04/2017 15:18

I'm a LL and that is completely unacceptable

I would do my absolute best to get it sorted within 24 hours if it were one of our properties.

It's no wonder LL get a bad name and makes it harder for those of us who do take our tenants wellbeing seriously.

alpacawhacker · 05/04/2017 15:33

OP, do you have a NIBE boiler and heat pump by any chance?

JungleInTheRumble · 05/04/2017 16:09

I used to live in a houseshare where the boiler was in one of the tenants rooms and he would sometimes turn the hot water off (no idea why). I washed my hair bent over the bath using the handheld shower, wrapped my hair in a towel and then very quickly washed. Standing under the cold water would have been too unpleasant.

Millipedewithherfeetup · 05/04/2017 16:33

If you have easy access to showers at local spa then just go there every day, boil kettles for washing up etc, its a bit inconvenient but not un doable for a week or so.

lucyandpoppy123 · 05/04/2017 16:34

boil water in kettle/saucepans for all activities you need hot water for (bath, washing up) that's it

theothercatpurred · 05/04/2017 16:42

We had no not water for a few months last summer as the boiler broke and we couldn't afford to fix it. That was with a family of 4. It was a pain but doable.

If it's only a week you'll get by with showers with family / the spa no bother. We did heating pans for a bath but it's a faff and I always worried about tripping on the stairs so I wouldn't recommend it in the short term.

Washing up you can do with a kettle.

Maybe get some of the nicer wet wipes in case you feel you want to freshen up and would usually use hot water on your face / wherever.

It'll be fine, honestly.

Original poster
HunterofStars · 05/04/2017 17:22

Zukie, that's awful. Flowers. Helena, I can believe that about the gas safety checks. When I lived in my last HA property, the gas company would just turn up unannounced, despite the fact they have to give 24 hours to allow access.

The HA have been in touch with me and said there has been a cancellation and they have an appointment for tomorrow afternoon to look at the boiler.

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions.

OP posts:
NonsensicalNonsense · 05/04/2017 17:44

Haha a "cancellation" got to love them blagging you up! Glad you're getting it sorted sooner.

Asmoto · 05/04/2017 17:52

Nothing to add to pps advice, but don't make the mistake I did when my boiler was broken - I thought I'd fill the bath with warm water using the kettle so I could have a sort of sit-down wash in shallow water - it was only after about my sixth trip up and down the stairs with the kettle that it occurred to me I could have plugged the kettle in upstairs!

ExpatTrailingSpouse · 05/04/2017 17:53

i rented a basement once and the boiler (for the whole house) sprung a leak in the middle of the night in winter in Canada ... the landlady then decided she was going to take her time shopping for a new boiler and it wasn't ready for over a week. She gave me two passes to a gym - except it wasn't close by and i had no car anyway.

i ended up taking a huge stockpot and heating water in it and having a bath with a ladle, old school. so that's my suggestion if they don't get it fixed fast.

podrig · 05/04/2017 18:06

This is unacceptable and you should withhold rent.

Use the withheld rent To get a short term gym membership and shower there.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 05/04/2017 18:10

I have no hot water - I need a new boiler but can't afford it. I have an electric shower so just boil a massive stock pot of water for washing up etc. It's inconvenient but doable.

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