h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As you may or may not be aware, my boiler is broken, this means that I have no way of heating my flat, and no way of acquiring hot water, except in kettle sized increments.

It was 10 degrees C outside last night. Okay it could have been a lot colder, but still

The boiler repair man arrived this morning, had another look at things, took some water out of the radiators proclaimed that it was "weird" and then proceded to tell me that the pump on my boiler is broken, it therefore needs a new one. This however could take a couple of days.

Bugger!

mini

This is where you go and acquire a hot waterbottle. And bedsocks. And fingerless gloves.

Hope they fix it soon. Can you get hold of a small electric fire to take the chill off? There are some good cheap infra-red types available now that aren't expensive to run.

On days when the hot water is off, I manage a full wash - nearly as good as a shower as follows:

Requirements: One flannel, one clean coffee cup or measuring jug, 2 clean plastic 10 litre buckets. Boil 2-3 kettles full of water, putting the hot water into one of the buckets. Place both buckets in the bathtub, mix the hot water with enough cold to make two buckets full of fairly hot water. Undress and climb in bath. Go sparingly on the soap and use the flannel with the water from only one bucket for washing- dip head in last to wash hair if you like. Rinse off first with this water, using the cup or the jug, then finally with the water from the clean bucket, tipping it over yourself (so you get your back warm).

Well, it works for me.

My boiler did that a lot last year. I wasn't going through that again so now I have a new one. But the cavity wall & loft insulation I had done last year mean my house retains any warmth from the sun during the day and it never seems to be that cold (at the moment). If it's really chilly I put the heating on at about 17 degrees for half an hour before I go in the shower, then turn it off when I get out. That does the trick.

Hope your boiler's sorted soon.

Deb

Poor cold mouse. Thinking warm thoughts for you. I doubt they're much help at this distance, alas.