Heating broken - help!

FutureGirl

I need some advice on what to do with regards to my situation.

We have a warm air heating system in our flat. On Thursday it was making this awful squeeking noise, that was ongoing for 20+ minutes. We had no option but to switch the heating off at the boiler.

We called Nordec, who our landlord has a policy with, and they said that they would call us the following day to let us know when an engineer can attend. They called Friday and said no one can attend until Saturday, but we'd get a call between 845am and 1030am with the name of the engineer and the time they will attend... it is now 1150am and not heard diddly squat from them.

I have tried calling them - and they are closed today!

I am unsure what to do, we've had no heating since Thursday afternoon. I have a small oil filled heater, but this is just going to cost a fortune to use. I have severe asthma, so need my home heated, I am just unsure what to do.

CashStrapped

How is the warm air system powered? Electric? Gas?

Use the oil heater till they arrive as the cost over such a small period will be negligible and especially so when your main heating system is out of action and not costing you anything.

As it is a small heater, just ensure you use it to heat up a room (close the door) and not try to heat the whole property. Does the heater turn itself off an off? If so it has a thermostat and will keep the room at a certain temperature, so it will not be on permanently.

Consumerist

FutureGirl wrote: »

. . . We have a warm air heating system in our flat. On Thursday it was making this awful squeeking noise, that was ongoing for 20+ minutes. We had no option but to switch the heating off at the boiler.

It seems possible that the fan which distributes the warm air has worn-out bearings and may need replacing.

Unfortunately, there isn't a great deal you can do except turn the heating on again to see if the problem disappears when the fan is cooler. It's not a fix but a workaround to try until help arrives.

FutureGirl

Thank you for your help.

I called British Gas as the landlord has a policy with them but they said they cover the boiler, not the fans. I then called 365 Assured, who said the landlord only had plumbing & electrics with them!

I will have to wait until Monday to discuss with Nordec again. I will try to put the heating on again when I get home, and if the noise continues will just have to spend until Monday on the sofa with the duvet - doesn't help that I'm currently battling a nasty chest infection aswell!

PeppaPig123

Look for a small reset button on the boiler. It probably won't help but it's worth a try.

Your situation is exactly why I recommend people to have 1 or 2 spare oil-filled rads on standby as there's nothing worse than having a cold house during winter.

If you have a dehumidifier you can run that as it 1) will clear the air of trigger particles (somewhat) and 2) throw out a warmer air than it takes in.

Perhaps you should also have an ioniser or air purifier on standby in case of situations such as these?

mrsp1987

Have you got a hot water bottle as well? It's very low tech but it would at least keep your body warm?
I agree with what CashStrapped has said. Use the oil filled radiator to warm up the one room you are in and see if you can work out the thermostat on it so that it switches off when the room reaches the desired temperature, which should be 21C if you have a chest problem.

audigex

Even if you put the oil radiator on full power for 8 hours a day for the next two days, it would only cost you £5.... and unless you live in a castle, it won't need to be on full power for 8 hours a day to keep one room at 21c!

You're probably looking at a cost of £1-2 extra to run that heater: I know it's not ideal, but it's hopefully not going to break the bank