Do you have backup heating?

[Diver Fred]

Live in a rural area - have 2/3 forms of heating as a matter of course. (Anyone who doesn't is a Bl**dy idiot!) Most of the long term neighbours have the same. Those who haven't get cold or go to the pub when electric fails or they run out of oil (or tanked gas).

Central heating from NSH.
Fixed gas fire from Propane cylinders.
Those will heat the whole house if & when necessary

Open fire in second room.
Just heats that one room.

 

[noseall]

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

I'm more concerned with extension leads and big amperage pull through them, when doing any temporary works. I'm guessing a boiler isn't pulling much.

We were forced to build a masonry porch in the coldest weather I have ever encountered (-11°C), because I'd promised to build it before the end of the year (long story). Anyhoo, after building a covered shelter around the site, I brought in a small heater - plugged it in. Plugged the radio in. Plugged the mixer in. Checked the extension cable was fully unwound. Kept me eye on the lead and how much the frost was melting close to it. We plugged the kettle into the last remaining socket on the four-plug extension reel and that was the last straw.

The plug at the other end disintegrated into a molten mess!

It was that cold, the wet timber (stored in my makeshift bivouac) was instantly freezing to the saw bench outside. We ended up warming the saw with a blow lamp so that we could build the roof.

 

[durhamplumber]

"Do you have backup heating"
Yes.A blanket.jumper..or all else fails,go to bed.

 

[kingandy2nd]

We’ve been without a boiler all winter due to our building work.

The immersion covers the hot water and we have 3 x 3000w oil filled electric radiators which we have in the living room, landing and bedroom on timers. They were £65 each from
Amazon and are very good.

No looking forward to my electric bill though

 

[kingandy2nd]

I'm more concerned with extension leads and big amperage pull through them, when doing any temporary works. I'm guessing a boiler isn't pulling much.

We were forced to build a masonry porch in the coldest weather I have ever encountered (-11°C), because I'd promised to build it before the end of the year (long story). Anyhoo, after building a covered shelter around the site, I brought in a small heater - plugged it in. Plugged the radio in. Plugged the mixer in. Checked the extension cable was fully unwound. Kept me eye on the lead and how much the frost was melting close to it. We plugged the kettle into the last remaining socket on the four-plug extension reel and that was the last straw.

The plug at the other end disintegrated into a molten mess!

It was that cold, the wet timber (stored in my makeshift bivouac) was instantly freezing to the saw bench outside. We ended up warming the saw with a blow lamp so that we could build the roof.

on this point noseall, we had the same thing with an electric fan heater.

had it running during the days and I could smell a fain smell burning plastic for about 2 days. in the end I clicked what it was and pulled the plug out of the surge protected extension lead to find this

scary thing was the fan was still running and nothing tripped!

 

[Bosswhite]

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?

I have this very problem at the moment ( Oil Boiler ) given up the ghost a week ago , have two electric Radiator heaters (and Electric Shower) New boiler on order , hopefully fitting will commence Monday , dreading the " Beast From the East" which this country will expect on Sunday .
This is a cottage with two open fires but because of a clause in the Home Insurance ( Thatched Roof) I am not allowed to use the fires and taking my recent run of luck into consideration I am not prepared to take the gamble

 

[Tigercubrider]

My Gas boiler packed up about 5 years ago. I live in the SE so it's never really cold, but I have an oil filled radiator that I can use if I think it's getting chilly.
One day I will replace the boiler.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Electric heating is our backup. We don't have piped gas, just the usual small cylinders, and only for the gas rings. 1 X €25 cylinder lasts about three months or more.
Log burner, also heating hot water and radiators, is normal system. Electric heating for the odd cold evening when it's not been worth lighting the log burner. And electric water heating all summer, when the log burner is not going. But electric is cheaper in France.

With solar gain today, it's 21°C downstairs inside the house. Granted the log burner was going yesterday evening, so it was 20° when we got up this morning. No other source of heat so far today, although the bathroom radiator has probably been taking some heat from the hot water cylinder, using it as a heat store.
The ambient temperature will be up to about 22° or 23° by bedtime.

 

[durhamplumber]

live in the SE so it's never really cold,

That might change next week.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That might change next week.

Or even earlier -7 tomorrow.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Spring looks to have arrived here yesterday and today.