To ask you how to stay warm?

[RoseGoldRosie]

Boiler broke last night. Saw a Facebook post about pouring boiling water on the outside pipes, tried that this morning, didn't work. Rang my estate agent - a few hours after he came round to do the exact same thing. Still didn't work (shock). A plumber came round about 6pm, I didn't get home from work until 9. No note or anything, but the radiators and water were lukewarm. Now freezing again. So assume he got it working but it's broken again, though he didn't leave a note or anything so no idea.

DD has double pjs on, double socks, a sleeping bag and 100 blankets. She's warm to the touch. But I'm starting to feel v chilly. I have an electric heater (more for decoration ) but when I tried to turn it on yesterday it didn't work.

Any good tips for keeping warm in this weather? Apart from wine and cheesey chips (which I'm already partaking in). Will DD get really chilly in the night? I never have the heating on at night anyway, but obviously the house hasn't been warmed up through the day, so I'm worried. She's only two and recently been in hospital. Should I put her in with me? Her rooms warmer. But, body heat?

Is there a law which means it has to get fixed properly tomorrow because I have an under 5? Or did I make that up?

We're south east so not in any red areas or anything, but well below freezing.

Any tips welcome! I know tomorrow morning we'll be so cold. Maybe go and take DD to a coffee shop until midday when she starts Nursery and I start work?

Possibly I just need to man up. Pansy southerner? My (Scottish) dad is only just out of his shorts today but worried about DD.

Electric blanket? Our boiler broke too but turns out it's the condensation pipe frozen. There are some ladies here who pour hot not boiling water on the pipe to thaw it and it works. Have you tried it?

Have you got a hot water bottle? Lifesavers when it's cold. If you haven't and can get out, go and buy several tomorrow. One in bed before bedtime/under blankets on sofa etc. I have been known to walk around with one under jumper!

Block draughts under doors. Hot drinks and soup.

I don't know about any rule for heating being fixed. To be honest in these weather conditions I don't think it's unreasonable for a landlord not to be able to arrange a plumber to come out quickly.

But yes put dd in with you for the night if you're worried. And get out to somewhere warm if you can.

Ours is off too. Hot water bottles are the way to go as PP said. I also have tons of blankets and DDs have gone to bed in hoodies and thermals with pyjamas. Socks are a must too. Keep all doors closed to keep heat in. Bake a lot, make a stew in the daytime tomorrow, will warm up the kitchen at least.

I was told the law was for under 1s not under 5 however when I quoted it to npower once they told me there was no such law. Why didn't you buy another electric heater?

layers of blankets
hot water bottle
warm drink
dress in layers, try not to get cold in the first place

hope the boiler gets sorted soon

I have a few of those really synthetic blankets - I only use them outside usually as they are so overly warm. They feel like fake fleece. I’d get some of those and put them on, as well as dressing gowns with hoods. I think I got mine in dunelm.

An oil heater might work too. Put your oven and hob on in the morning.

Pop her in with you tonight, thin layers are better than one chunky layer and make one room your 'base' and keep it warm; close curtains, put the heater in there, hot water bottles and blankets, sleeping bags and lots of warm foods. Don't forget hats and gloves if you're super cold.

Do you have friends or relatives nearby you could ask for help? Our boiler packed in at our old house and our gorgeous neighbour (who was 80-odd but the kindest woman ever) put us up overnight in her lovely, warm house, even allowing us to bring the cat as he was pampered and miserable in the cold!

Hot water bottle.
Baths.
15 tog duvet.

My condenser pipe froze. Tried hot water but pointless as it’s still freezing Here so plumber cut it. It will be the white pipe coming out of your wall where boiler is.
Totally safe to cut through and reset boiler as just condensation coming out. Not safe for animals so bucket underneath. When weather settles get pipe refitted. Mine was horizontal so useless.
In the cold body heat always a plus. Get in bed with dd

We have had weeks of problems with boiler. All our neighbours had spare electric heAters (we don't know neighbours massively well but as soon as they found out we had no heating they turned up with heaters )
Oven on , lots of layers -it's miserable though I know ....friends will offer to ha e you to stay if you put it on feb

FB not feb

Ask on FB if anyone nearby, neighbour or friends have a spare electric heater you could borrow. Ours neighbour's heating broke and they borrowed ours and two others until it was fixed. At least they could warm a few rooms.

Do you have hot water bottles? If not I would sleep in with her tonight, avoid too much washing in the morning, and your plan of going somewhere warm for the morning is good.

If they can't fix it tomorrow, can you stay with someone for a night or two? I'm not one to get hysterical about the weather, but it really is bitter and if she's been sick it's not ideal.

Op I have a good friend who's a plumber who I called yesterday as my boiler packed in.

Ours was a frozen condensate pipe...so we poured boiling water over it a couple of times as he instructed.

BUT he also told us to bleed all the radiators and then top the boiler water up again to just over one bar (as frozen pipes can cause knock on pressure provlems) - and then to turn it all off for a minute to reset it and turn it all on again.

Only after we'd done all that did it work - have you topped it up?

Oil heaters are great, about £60 from Argos. Realise doesn’t help you for tonight.

Cross post with thirtyrock39

Don't have central heating and I have t had to turn the electric fire on these past couple of days - thanks to a really warm dressing gown,blanket around my shoulders and a duvet! Hot water bottle and warm pjs for DD, we don't have heating in our bedrooms either so layers & hot water bottles are the way for us.

Can you ask a neighbour to borrow a heater?

I have storage heaters so my house is always cold. Put your oven and hob on for 10 minutes and it'll make the difference.

I sleep on a duvet and have one over me to. It works a treat.

Is your house rented? If it is I'm sure the landlord has to provide you with portable heaters.

Link to an oil filled heater. They heat up a room brilliantly. www.argos.co.uk/product/4154017

I don't have much money. Will get some hot water bottles tomorrow. Definitely don't want to be cutting through pipes! Have no idea how to bleed a radiator, but my boyfriend might do that tomorrow for me.

Think my mum will let us stay over the weekend if needs be. Will put DD in with me for tonight, with her hundred blankets and duvet and all our downstairs throws.

Thanks all. Please cross your fingers that it'll be fixed tomorrow for us! I used to love the snow!

Will put the oven and hob on, that's a great idea.

We have a wood burner now but prior to that oil filled radiators are brilliant and not too expensive to run. Big thick duvets, fleecy dressing gowns and thick socks

I can't bath as waters freezing cold 😩 hopefully my mum will be around to let us have a bath in the morning.