Do you have backup heating?

diy_fun_uk · 4 Feb 2021

It crossed my mind that should my central heating fail, especially in this weather, I'd be freezing my nuts off until the boiler was fixed. I have no other means of heating my house. So I reckon I might buy a cheap electric heater to keep as a kind of backup, at least this would keep my living room warmish even if the rest of the house is cold.

Do you keep a spare heater or heaters in case your main heating breaks and if yes, what?

crystal ball · 4 Feb 2021

Couple of fan heaters, one lives in the camper but would be pressed into service if needed, be a bit stuck if there was lengthy power cut, used to have a calor gas heater in the garage but it fell apart, would have to move into camper and run the gas heating off the battery, food for thought there

Edit just remembered the gas fire

conny · 4 Feb 2021

Heating wise we have 2 coal/log burners and also a couple of fan heaters. Are boiler is fuelled by oil so gas problems are no bother but if it fails we lose hot water as well as heating. Shower is run off the boiler also which means to get hot water it's pans and kettles or ultimately camping stove if electric is off.
Because we live in the countryside we have to be prepared for the worst and have 2 freezers stocked with food which we replenish on a rotating basis. If the snow comes this weekend, as predicted, we would be able to survive for a few weeks if necessary but may have to ration my fags. LOL

noseall · 4 Feb 2021

diy_fun_uk said:
It crossed my mind that should my central heating fail, especially in this weather, I'd be freezing my nuts off until the boiler was fixed. I have no other means of heating my house. So I reckon I might buy a cheap electric heater to keep as a kind of backup, at least this would keep my living room warmish even if the rest of the house is cold.

Do you keep a spare heater or heaters in case your main heating breaks and if yes, what?

My missus has back-up stuff in case the back-up fails. She cunningly calls it camping equipment, which is stored along side the duplicate equipment "just in case". We have all kinds of heaters (gas, electric) stashed somewhere.

Harry Bloomfield · 4 Feb 2021

Yep, we are well taken care of should the gas boiler fail. Our normally gas heated HW cylinder can be heated via the immersion heater. We have an electric shower. Living room has a never used since installed gas fire. As backup to the gas oven we have a combi microwave oven, plus air fryer. In the house we keep a radiant electric heater for emergencies and a spare fan heater in my caravan, in my drive.

If that were not enough, we could move into the caravan itself, which has the choice of gas or electric heating, gas or electric heated hot water system, gas cooking, 12v and 230v lit and all able to operate on its 12v battery.

Did I mention the ancient stock of candles?

[EDIT] I forgot the portable gas heater, with a gas bottle, bought for emergencies. The bottle is full and ready to go, I checked it over last year. Plus a portable camping gas stove with 8x spare gas canisters.

Burnerman · 4 Feb 2021

You'll think I'm strictly OCD if you read this but.....
I live in the sticks where we have had -11c frequently late at night and power cuts certainly don't pass us by.
I have oil central heating so:
I have a spare, functioning oil burner ready to pop in (the boiler is fed with a conventional plug and socket).
We have a propane coal effect gas fire in the lounge fed from 3 47kg bottles.
I have 100 litres of kero stored in jerry cans and a 3500 kVA petrol generator standing by which I can connect in minutes and still have 2250 W left after the boiler. I carry 8 cans of petrol (used for mowers too

)
I have a twin burner gas hob that runs off another smaller size of propane - 18 kg I think.
I have 2 camping gaz lamps with spare mantles.
I keep 2 2kW electric convector fires kicking around and a fan heater somewhere.
OCD? Hell, I must be!
P.S I also have a 4WD car

John

whall3y · 4 Feb 2021

I've got some Ready Brek in the cupboard?

Mottie · 4 Feb 2021

We have an imitation coal fire with a 2kw fan heater built in. If the central heating fails we have an electric immersion and I’ve got a couple of camping cookers - one gaz, one petrol. If the electric goes off, we'd be fooked. Sit in the car with the heater running watching telly if it was that cold or go round my mums, my sisters or our kids, they’ve all got spare rooms.

Trazor · 4 Feb 2021

Gas fire, and lots of warm clothing.

HERTS P&D · 4 Feb 2021

I done a test a few weeks back, we had a power cut. I plugged in our boiler into a generator to see if it would work (Honda 1000w)
The boiler was fine so we had heating and hot water. For extra heating I have a propane gas heater in the garage, fan heater and an oil radiator and a few jumpers.

Andy

Burnerman · 4 Feb 2021

In the year of the Beast from the East - whenever that was - I sold my spare oil to someone in the village who had run out.....at a profit, naturally

The same occasion the oil tanker couldn’t get up the hill into the village but I managed to sort that by fixing his electric diff lock.....hero of the day! (Only a day though

)
John

HERTS P&D · 4 Feb 2021

John, you are hero in all our eyes when you told us how you help you neighbour.

Andy

Burnerman · 4 Feb 2021

‘Er indoors has fixed the blind guy up with a Toad in the Hole that would fell an elephant, and tomorrow is his shopping day! Thankfully the 4x4 is sorted, still got snow on the deck here.
John

EddieM · 4 Feb 2021

Burnerman said:
You'll think I'm strictly OCD if you read this but.....
I live in the sticks where we have had -11c frequently late at night and power cuts certainly don't pass us by.
I have oil central heating so:
I have a spare, functioning oil burner ready to pop in (the boiler is fed with a conventional plug and socket).
We have a propane coal effect gas fire in the lounge fed from 3 47kg bottles.
I have 100 litres of kero stored in jerry cans and a 3500 kVA petrol generator standing by which I can connect in minutes and still have 2250 W left after the boiler. I carry 8 cans of petrol (used for mowers too )
I have a twin burner gas hob that runs off another smaller size of propane - 18 kg I think.
I have 2 camping gaz lamps with spare mantles.
I keep 2 2kW electric convector fires kicking around and a fan heater somewhere.
OCD? Hell, I must be!
P.S I also have a 4WD car
John

Hope you have the correct paperwork for storing all that fuel .

JP_ · 5 Feb 2021

Using an oil filled electric heater now, while waiting for my plumber. And have 2 fan blowers in the loft, in case of emergency. Might test them outside first before trying indoors though, not been used for a very long time!

Do you have backup heating?

EddieM

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