Need advice, heating broken - do we do hotel?

[Bubblebuttress]

Hi. Boiler at zero, think a radiator is leaking. Spoke to insurance, They said they will send someone. Tomorrow I guess. Kids are over 5 so not vulnerable BUT MY ITS Cold.

They said we could have 100 towards accommodation. Does that put the premium up more though next time, are we better to use it or suck it up and pu on electric blankets and use hwb

positing for traffic will decide in next 30 mins, nearest premier in is 30 mins away

we had no heating for two weeks two years ago - it went on Christmas day 🥶and because of public holidays it took as days to get someone out, then the new year holiday made it difficult to get parts.
but we survived - lots of clothes, so leggings under jeans, t shirt, long sleeve tops, jumper then a cardigan - it felt a bit like that episode of Friends where Joey wears all his clothes!
but we also bought and borrowed some oil filled plug in radiators, had old duvets and blankets on the sofa to snuggle under and we survived...
we did at least still have hot water, as it was the pump that took it from the tank to the radiators that broke, so could wash.
got it fixed, then two months later the hot water went 🙄
we're getting a whole new heating system installed first week of december- but the company doing that promise to keep you warm while the work is being done 🤞

I’m baffled why so many people are suggesting she goes and buys heaters, or pays for a hotel and the many other suggestions, rather than just increasing the pressure in 30 seconds like a few of us have suggested!

Yes, unless there's some reason why the pressure can't be topped up, this is absolutely just normal boiler household maintenance 101.

If it's at 0 it's likely that it's maybe been low for a long time if they don't know how to top it up (or that they even had to). Or could be a leak but it would be a hell of a leak if you couldn't get one night out of topping it up!

I've looked it up - all the systems I have used have a header/expansion tank in the loft. They do not have pressure gauges on the boiler. They don't need topping up or adjusting.

When our boiler broke British Gas gave us a couple of fan heaters. Also we asked friends and family if anyone had an oil filled radiator we could borrow. You will survive though, hiuses didn't have cental heating when I was little.

Blimey, you can barely move for the supercilious posts on here. Maybe all those very proud of their many years without central heating could start a Four Yorkshiremen thread specifically to reminisce?

Yes, you are right. I recently changed boilers from conventional to combi. it is only combis that need the pressure topping up.

Their point is one day without heating is hardly cause to move out into a hotel, or even starting an MN thread! It happens to everyone at some point or the other.

We are the same . A new part for the heating isn't arriving until Friday . Dh is worried about the pipes freezing in the loft so we have the hatch open in the garage with a oil filled radiator on underneath it to protect it all a bit out there.
No little ones in the house , but expect to wake up to a chilly house .

Our heating goes off at dinner time too.

I also grew up in a house without central heating and no heating upstairs.

electric blankets and suck it up for sure.

Yes, you are right. I recently changed boilers from conventional to combi. it is only combis that need the pressure topping up.

I had a system with a hot water cylinder and an expansion tank and it had a pressure guage/way of topping pressure up.

Oh, well. I was basing my answer on my 30+ year old conventional boiler. Things have clearly moved on and I stand corrected!

I grew up in a house without heating too. Flipping tough in the tropics in 30 degrees every day.

Back to a q you asked about premiums. IME, Home Emergency cover is separate to your insurance premiums (and is often actually run by a different company) so doesn't affect your main insurance premium.

We had heating issues awhile ago and electric blankets (under sheet or the fleecy ones that you put over you) were fab! Use them instead of heating some days!

Oh, well. I was basing my answer on my 30+ year old conventional boiler. Things have clearly moved on and I stand corrected!

It's okay, I got corrected on a couple of points too, apparently there's all sorts out there in the world of heating systems!

You could all go out early and have breakfast in a cafe before school/work

Home emergency cover (boiler not working emergency accommodation costs) is a bolt on to my home insurance policy, covered by separate underwriter they told me that claims on that don’t need to be declared and won’t effect renewal quote. It’s worth checking if yours is the same. Obviously if leaky radiator has caused damage you may need to claim on home insurance policy.

It might also be worth considering booking a room and skipping along for breakfast / hot showers. I did this when our water supply stopped and needed repairs. I cut a deal with a local hotel. We ( the insurance company) paid full rate for a twin room but we didn’t stay just rocked up to have showers etc but for five people rather than two. It lasted for three eeeks. As we weren’t staying they let us save up all the breakfasts and have them on the weekend.

Have you tried to repressurise? It's a simple process of turning the valve, mine is like a giant white key at home but my work one (new) is a metal lever - goggle the manual to find out how to do yours, it's a 1 minute task, I check mine every month at home and, in fact work did depressurise last Tuesday and I fixed it.

Tbh we turn our heating off around 5/6pm. Kids sleep in thick pj's or onesie with duvet + blanket. In the mornings they just pop a dressing gown on over their clothes. One night without heating wouldn't worry me. Saying that, I hope it is sorted quickly for you as its definitely a stress not needed.

Most of the houses where I grew up had a coal fire in the living room and no heating at all upstairs.

For one night no I wouldn't bother. I'd put a blow heater and and some extra layers my kids are younger than yours it be more hassle going into a hotel than it would be to put extra layers on

Update: water has been pouring through the ceiling in the kitchen so definitely a burst pipe. Had we gone we would have missed it. Really useful boxes everywhere, three stop cocks cocked… electrics off. No number 2s. But yes, a first world problem and compared to Gaza like the pp said this is nothing.

and for those of you who said did you try repressurising the boiler, most certainly did try… didn’t move an ounce. Waterfall later explains why. House is at 12 degrees as it’s probably not worked since we left.

no contact from home emergency… not sure what happens as we need to be at work tomorrow.