If there’s a time you wouldn’t want to have a boiler-related issue, it’s deep in winter. One of the reasons for this is that local boiler technicians are hard to come by at this time. The technicians are either fully booked or will take time before they can come to fix it. While regular servicing and maintenance can help prevent a boiler breakdown or emergency, you still should have a backup plan should the worst happen. Boiler cover is always advisable, take a look at www.corgihomeplan.co.uk. Here are a few tips on how to cope with a boiler breakdown in the thick of winter.
1. Consider electric heaters.
Electric heaters provide the perfect alternative for heating your home or office. These heaters come in different sizes and designs, from small and portable fan heaters, convector heaters, and oil-filled models, to name but a few.
Fan heaters are considerably small and portable and are designed to heat a small space. They use a fan to push hot air around, hence can be noisy in specific settings.
Convector heaters are larger and taller than fan heaters but still are light and slim, making it possible to move them from one room to another. Most people prefer to have convector heaters mounted onto the wall to save space and avoid knocking them over. However, these types of heaters are more expensive than the smaller fan heaters.
As the name suggests, Oil-filled heaters use oil to warm up the space. While energy-efficient and cheap to run, the oil can take quite a bit of time to heat up. These heaters are quite heavy, making it hard to move them around unless fitted with casters. If all you are looking for is a heater you can use to keep the house and everyone warm while the boiler is being mended, then the 3 electric heaters mentioned above would come in handy. You only need to choose the right one or your specific needs and budget.
Investing in an additional electric heater would also be a wise idea, especially if you tend to spend time in one room at a time. You could thus use the electric heater whenever everyone is in one room, say the living room, instead of having the central heating system ON all the time, wasting energy. The beauty of portable electric heaters is that they can be moved around even when hot – you only need to unplug them first before proceeding.
2. Use An Immersion Water Heater
Some boilers have an immersion water heater installed for backup. Although some manufacturers may call it by a different name (e.g., megaflow boiler), it’s worth checking to confirm. If yes, you can then use the immersion water heater to heat the water. Immersion water heaters use electricity to heat water, hence can be used as a backup until the boiler is fixed.
3. Use Facilities at Leisure Centers or The Gym
The thought of having a cold shower in winter can be nerve-wracking. You, however, don’t have to put up with the cold water, especially if you have a gym membership or access to leisure centers. Use showers there whenever you can to avoid the cold water at home. Another remedy would be to boil bathing water in an electric kettle. This option could turn to be expensive if more than 2 people have to use the kettle.
4. Use Hot water Bottles
A hot water bottle can be an excellent source of heat, especially when in bed or on the sofa. Simply boil some water in a kettle/range, then put it in. It should help keep you warm for a few hours.
5. Use Towels and Old Blankets to Keep Warm
Spare blankets, duvets, and towels can come in handy at this time. In addition to sliding under the blankets for warmth, consider lining up old towels and blankets under door frames to keep drafts out.
6. Layer Up
Layering up is an excellent way to keep warm in the cold weather. Vests, long-sleeve t-shirts, jumpers, joggers, rights, and jeans will do the trick. Remember to pop on a hat for extra warmth on your head.
7. Boiler cover
A boiler cover might come in handy if you wish to have the boiler fixed cheaply and quickly. It’s, however, worth noting that this could turn out expensive in the long run, as you’d be required to pay premiums for the same.
You might thus want to consider having the boiler maintained and serviced regularly to reduce the risk of running into problems in the future. Scheduling annual boiler servicing with a local technician would be an excellent move here.
