no heating or hot water

Anthillmob

our boiler has failed. igniting it it fires up and then loses the plot. its a combination boiler.

we are council tenants with two very young children [one of whom is ill] plus me whos disabled [not that that matters] and were promised an engineer 'early evening'

no sign.

a call the the out of hours people shows nothing on their system and we will ge a call in the morning.

:mad:

how am i meant to do the odds and sods of cleaning the kids in the morning? given my disability i cant be going up and down stairs with boiling hot water from the kettle.

spose i can use the kitchen sink but thats besides the point/.

maemaesmummy

Why does it always happen come Autumn.. same thing happened to me last year no heating as boiler wouldnt fire and I had a 3 day old baby in the house..:mad:

Anyway posted on the heating forum and a nice engineer suggested some ways to get boiler firing.. and it worked.

May be worh a go.

bluedog

I hope you've got it sorted now as I've had this happen to me enough times.

I'm with a housing association and like you, have a combi boiler and am also disabled. I can't lift a full kettle of water so I can honestly understand how you are probably feeling.

I've lost count of how many times my boilers have broken down over the 8 years I've lived here and one time, we were without hot water and heating for 6 weeks. Due to their repair criterias, it took 5 working days (a week including the weekend, but they refuse to see it like that ..:rolleyes: ) for them to come out and a further 5 weeks waiting for them to get the parts needed. It was the middle of winter and a nightmare.

About 3 years ago, it packed up in summer for a change and the workman who came was new to the repairs team. He saw my plight and after listening to the problems of the past with it, insisted that the housing association installed an electric shower in my upstairs bathroom to eliminate the need for carrying hot water about and pointed out health and safety aspects ("if this lady scalds herself carrying full kettles of hot water ... grounds for compensation" etc...).

It worked and they also put in a new boiler that is supposed to be more reliable and easier to get parts for. They have also put a note on my records that I'm disabled so fall into the "urgent" category if it packs up again and they will come out within 24 hours. It doesn't guarantee it will be fixed in that time, but at least I shouldn't be left a week before some comes to just look at it!

Obviously, I don't fully know your situation and thought that by sharing this with you, it may be of some help and you may pick out something useful? It doesn't solve the immediate problem and I was so lucky to have someone fight on my behalf, but the shower is a blessing in more ways than 1!

Good luck!

BYALPHAINDIA

You will probably get a new 'combi' in about 3 years then?:mad:

Never see the Council's URGENCY to rush:rolleyes:

Best Of Luck.

Ivrytwr3

I am with EON and under their Central Heating care plan. Last week (Thursday) the boiler would fire then die out. We had an engineer out that day who stated it required a new ignition board.

The following day the engineer came out and fitted the ignition board, we were then told it needed a new air pressure switch, which we were told would be ordered that day; I rang EON and was assured the part had been ordered.

I rang the following day to see if the part had been delivered, to be told the part had only been ordered at 11am that day

We are now on Friday and have been told that the part is in, but they have no engineer able to fit it until Monday.

From the begining they were told we have a 4 and 2 year old. I am ok, as i can shower at my place of work, my wife and children have been having a little kettle water for a week to bathe in.

If it wasn't for the promises made by EON that the boiler would have been repaired within a few days, i would have made alternative arrangement ie travel lodge, stay with friends, anything apart from what we are suffering now!!!

We have dragged a matress downstairs and we all go to sleep under quilts as it is too cold to go upstairs!!

BYALPHAINDIA

I'm sorry to hear of your 'heat Loss'

Recruit a flock of sheep to keep you warm.Lol

Best Of Luck.:beer:

Poppy9

Ivrytwr3 wrote: »

I
We have dragged a matress downstairs and we all go to sleep under quilts as it is too cold to go upstairs!!

Where are you living that it's so cold?

I'm in S Wales and the weather is still quite mild. I'm sitting her in a short sleeve top and bare legs and I'm warm, but not as warm as yesterday which was almost like Summer! I only put my CH for the first time since before the summer on Monday and it's only on between 6-9pm (we haven't had to have it on in the mornings yet).

Anthillmob wrote:

how am i meant to do the odds and sods of cleaning the kids in the morning? given my disability i cant be going up and down stairs with boiling hot water from the kettle.

spose i can use the kitchen sink but thats besides the point

What's wrong with the kitchen sink . When my DD was younger I was lucky if I could get her to wash her face in the morning at any sink!!

You are lucky you are a council tennant that you can just call out the council to get your boiler fixed at no cost. Times have certainly moved on. When I was a child growing up in a council house we didn't have central heating for years and then my parents paid to install gas CH themselves as did most neighbours. As it was self installed maintenance was down to them.

I pay £17 a month to cover my CH with BG and boy have I needed it as the boiler is about 30 year old. Generally I'm sorted within 24-48 hours.

Ivrytwr3

living in Lincolnshire. We are also signed up to EON's central heating plan and this is the first time we have had to use it. However, judging by this performance i don't think i will be re-newing and will probably defect and join BG as i have heard nothing but praise for their plans!

Poppy9

Ivrytwr3 wrote: »

living in Lincolnshire. We are also signed up to EON's central heating plan and this is the first time we have had to use it. However, judging by this performance i don't think i will be re-newing and will probably defect and join BG as i have heard nothing but praise for their plans!

BG are good but watch they don't switch your plan without telling you. They only nearly let me down once in 14 years and I've called them out a good few times.

The let down was when I needed my hot water cylinder changed and the BG man arrived on time to fit said cylinder. After a couple of hours (BG quoted a 180 minute job!) he said he'd saved me from near disaster as there was something wrong with our pipe work in loft. I said it had been fine for the past 6 years and the only thing changed was his cylinider so can he check his work. I then heard him on the phone saying "you delivered the wrong cylinder - either indirect or direct feed I can't remember). I asked him what this meant and he said they would deliver a new cylinder the next day and arrange a new appointment for someone to fit. I said no I wanted it fitted today (it was now 4pm). He said I couldn't so I said fine I'll ring CS and complain etc if he didn't get his boss on the phone for me. Result new cylinder 15 minutes later and he was there till 7pm fitting :T :T

Re changing plan. When I had my annual inspection he didn't inspect my fire but I told him it was covered but his computer said no. He did inspect it as I had the previous year's inspection and the document showing I was covered. Later spoke to BG who said they could no longer get parts for my fire (it's 5 year old Cannon) so it's not covered and they were going to notify of the change in Sept (it was June) to my plan. I gave them hell and threatened to cancel etc. so I got some discount and I'm now on the cheaper plan without the fire.

Other than that very prompt service. If I rang tonight someone would be with me tomorrow and if part needed often fixed that same day if part available.

Re weather. Was on the phone to man in Belfast and he's sitting in work in a padded coat as it's so cold.

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

Poppy9 wrote: »

Where are you living that it's so cold?

I'm in S Wales and the weather is still quite mild. I'm sitting her in a short sleeve top and bare legs and I'm warm, but not as warm as yesterday which was almost like Summer! I only put my CH for the first time since before the summer on Monday and it's only on between 6-9pm (we haven't had to have it on in the mornings yet).


What's wrong with the kitchen sink . When my DD was younger I was lucky if I could get her to wash her face in the morning at any sink!!

You are lucky you are a council tennant that you can just call out the council to get your boiler fixed at no cost. Times have certainly moved on. When I was a child growing up in a council house we didn't have central heating for years and then my parents paid to install gas CH themselves as did most neighbours. As it was self installed maintenance was down to them.

I pay £17 a month to cover my CH with BG and boy have I needed it as the boiler is about 30 year old. Generally I'm sorted within 24-48 hours.

What has being in a councill house got to do with it , this lady i assume pays rent, of course she shouldnt pay for the repair as it is not her property and as such if she has a faulty boiler she calls out her landlord who should as stated in law get it sorted ASAP clearly it was up to your parents if they wish to install CH they didnt have to they could have rented else where.
I rent my old keepers cottage of a local estate and have a 15 year renewable lease i also from last year rent out a small property on a 12 month agreement renwable, i know from the guv regulations if the people who rent from me have a breakdown it is down to me to mend it and pay for the repair after all i take the tennents money every month , and if i need a repair on the property i rent i get it done for nothing as it is not my property .
to the lady with the boiler check your agreament and see what time schedual you have for an emergency repair for this and it is now autumn and you have young children should be 24 hours to take a look and repaired early week ask them for heaters, it seems to me the poster i qoute is one of these types who think council /association ten get there houses for free, i bet there daily mail readers also

Poppy9

THE_LONE_RANGER wrote: »

What has being in a councill house got to do with it , this lady i assume pays rent, of course she shouldnt pay for the repair as it is not her property and as such if she has a faulty boiler she calls out her landlord who should as stated in law get it sorted ASAP clearly it was up to your parents if they wish to install CH they didnt have to they could have rented else where.

Being in a council house has everything to do with her getting boiler repaired. If she was a homeowner then she would have to fork out about about £4 per week for CH cover or else chance getting hold of a Corgi registered plumber in a timely manner and be at the mercy of their charges. My sister rents her house from HA and pays £65 week for a 3 bed semi in a decent area. This isn't bad value for including no house maintenance, one of the reasons she has chosen to rent.

My parents installed CH because when I was a child council houses were basic with no heating just draughty metal windows and 1 coal fire. The private rental market for houses is much more expensive in this area, typically a house now would cost over £100 per week to rent, plus council tax. Therefore the choice was a committment to more rent per week (based on sister's rent in today's money an extra £140 per month) or to pay to install heating themselves. Now councils have to maintain homes to a higher standard.

THE_LONE_RANGER wrote:

I rent my old keepers cottage of a local estate and have a 15 year renewable lease i also from last year rent out a small property on a 12 month agreement renwable, i know from the guv regulations if the people who rent from me have a breakdown it is down to me to mend it and pay for the repair after all i take the tennents money every month , and if i need a repair on the property i rent i get it done for nothing as it is not my property .

yes and the point is

THE_LONE_RANGER wrote:

to the lady with the boiler check your agreament and see what time schedual you have for an emergency repair for this and it is now autumn and you have young children should be 24 hours to take a look and repaired early week ask them for heaters,

and this is what the council are doing. Her gripe was they didn't come out the same evening.

THE_LONE_RANGER wrote:

it seems to me the poster i qoute is one of these types who think council /association ten get there houses for free, i bet there daily mail readers also

I really don't see why you have to be so rude. Would you like it if I said you need to start reading any newspaper judging by your appalling spelling and how I needed to re-read your post a few times to work out what you were trying to say?

As I've declared myself an ex council house tenant I don't see how you've drawn the conclusion that I think people get council houses for free.

My post merely pointed out the benefits of renting and in fact renting from a Govt. body as they are more regulated and you generally get better, more regulated service when it comes to maintenance. Now council tenants do no maintenance whatsoever (council hides behind H&S and tenants don't see why they should pay to maintain someone else's property). When I grew up on a council estate people maintained their own homes, painted their own doors/windows etc.