How long to fix boiler? No hot water or heating!

otbc.ncfc

Hi all, was hoping someone might be able to help. Our boiler has packed up this morning in our new build home (built last December) with an error about the ignition failing to light - not something I can fix myself!

Anyway - we've phoned the emergency number from the housing association (we have a shared ownership home) and they've said as it's a defect it has to go through the building company, who are now out until Monday, so there's nothing they can do.

Now, we're in a home with no hot water or heating in the winter and I wonder if there's anything we can do at all here aside from paying someone to come out and fix it? We really need hot water and heating back this weekend as it's freezing here and I'm wondering if I could even just get someone out and then bill the housing association - but I feel that won't work.

Any help appreciated, thank you!

Jackmydad

Can't help with the housing association, but can't you use an electric heater until they get around to you?
We've had to a couple of times. We keep an oil filled radiator as a back up.

HampshireH

The HA is highly unlikely to accept any responsibility for an invoice you produce especially as they are following procedure.

Get an elec heater, get the duvet out and boil the kettle.

Most HAs and or associated building companies operate an emergency service only out of hours. I.e. switching something off and isolating it for safety.

theonlywayisup

Without meaning to sound harsh, the recommends of another heat source and duvet are both good. It isn't actually winter yet and most of the country has been basking in the hottest temperatures for November ever recorded....

Do you have an electric shower, can you ask a neighbour to help, do you have sports facilities where you can shower?

southcoastrgi

Lots of info in your post apart from the make, model of the boiler & the fault code ?

Fire_Fox

The homeowner is usually responsible for safe function of appliances supplying the heating and hot water (boiler or immersion). HOWEVER not sure how that would apply to a shared ownership property. Are you sure the Housing Association are liable?

Good advice already to borrow or buy alternatives. Heated underblankets and overblankets/ throws cost pennies to run, and are very effective. Most (?all) have settings for safe overnight use.

Boil kettles to wash up or strip wash smelly or grubby body parts.

Apodemus

You don’t mention whether you are gas or oil...

I’d look up the make and model on google and see if there is a reset process that will get the ignition sequence to try again and I would keep trying that at intervals in the hope that it would fire up.

You may also find a set of fault instructions that would show what, if anything, is recommended for user-management of fault codes.

tacpot12

You need to check your occupancy agreement to see who is liable for repairs to the boiler.

I have a concern that even if the building company come out on Monday, if they need parts they may not be able to get them until Wednesday. So there is a risk that if you leave it to the HA, you might be without hot water until Wednesday, and have the problem of letting them into the house on two occasions.

If the HA are liable for repairs, I think I would write to the HA once this failure is fixed and to say that the lack of an emergency service over the weekend means that you can be without heating for upto six days (think about if Monday was a Bank Holiday) and that this is not acceptable. An emergency service that was available from 9am to 4pm noon on Satuday and Sunday would allow you report problems and get an engineer out to diagnose the issue. If parts are needed, they can be collected and fitted on Monday thereby reducing the period you are without hot water and heating to a much more reasonable period.

southcoastrgi

Your boiler is under warentee phone the boiler manu not the HA

Southend1

These things happen. I would be ringing the boiler manufacturer rather than the housing association for a boiler under warranty. You can manage with an open fire or an electric heater for a few days while it gets sorted. Wear a jumper. Take a hot water bottle to bed.

bris

Are you sure you have gas? No it's not a silly question I have turned up a more than a few which turned out to be exactly that.