Todays the mother of all days

[WookieOne]

Woke up this morning and the car wouldnt start - 5 years of not a single thing going wrong and today the battery gave up the ghost so had to hitch 9 miles to work.
Came home to find the boiler had locked out - turned it to res-set and BANG ! a huge spark flew out the front of it and now it's as dead as a door nail.
So right now looking at temp gauge it's -4 here in Herefordshire and i have no hot water nor central heating, i have no idea how much a new boiler costs and if this is the start of 2009 for me - it sucks !!
If anyone has any cheery news that would be worth trying on my boiler before i freeze to death or am run out of town for stinking as cant shower - now would be a great time to share any thoughts !
I'd go to bed but as the day is running like it is it will probably self ignite trapping me between the duvet and bed sheet........... but at least id be warm for an hour or so.
God im peeeeeed off as its only 6 years old and the plumber went and done a bunk to NZ so i'm told tonight a few years ago.

 

[holty]

sorry to say but its a dilema. car or boiler.if its gone flash bang near the boiler, sounds like a component that will need fitting by a compotent engineer, before your night gets worse though check you dont have a leak near the boiler as this could cause it

 

[Agile]

Car batteries rarely last more than 3-4 years!

You should have bought your car a new battery last september before the winter.

If you have got the car started then you could sleep in the car with the engine running and the heater on? ( Parked outside of course! ).

Presumably you have an electric fan heater?

And an electric kettle to wash yourself with a flannel as people used to do?

Tony

 

[WookieOne]

Cheers guys. Yeah i have a small heater and a kettle so can get by (just praying the pipe work dont freeze up though)

Am going to try to find a heating engineer in my local area. Would someone like British Gas let me buy a boiler if needed on credit? After Christmas im flat broke and i dont get paid until the 15th of this month but i guess local engineers would want the cash the same day they fixed my problem and i cant afford a bill of £200 or what ever until i get paid.
Checked for leaks and found none.

 

[namsag]

Put what boiler and someone may give you some pointers

Or you could call BG before tomorrow and take advantage of there fixed price repair £99 and £2 a month so £123 including the part

 

[2scoops0406]

Join a gym or go swimming, free showers

 

[OilLecky]

Yes, car batteries don't last too long I suggest that you replace it with a "long life" one. Hawker Siddley used to do some good ones. It's always the cold weather that catches them out. Take note if your car engine is slow to turn over in the Autumn. If you then top up the electrolyte and charge the battery and it doesn't improve things...don't wait until winter....change the battery. I know it sounds as though it is easy to say this after the fact but that's how you have to monitor battery performance if you don't have test facilities. Cold weather drops the output voltage and it is always on the coldest, most miserable morning that it happens.
On a brighter note. What boiler is it? For something to fire out a "spark" either there is a water leak or a capacitor has blown up. Take a look for tubular things with wires to them, probably close to a motor. Has onet got a big hole in the side?

 

[WookieOne]

Hi again

Couple of updates. Got the car started no problem last night - turned the key once and woosh up she fired and has done since.
The boiler is a Halstead Ace high and i rang a guy who is due shortly and before he comes out after i described the bang said - that will be £200 + as will need a new PCB board (what ever that is - im guessing a circuit board). Just to cheer me up on the phone hes also predicting the pump would have blown too and that would be extra again.
Well im sat here waiting in a heavy coat for Mr Doom and Gloom to tell me the boilers shagged and its going to cost me the price of both kidneys, a lung and maybe little change out of my right arm on ebay for medical experiments student to buy. When i said it was Halstead i dont think i managed to finish the word before he went into a rant about how awful they are and unreliable. Was quite expecting him to say hes surprised it hadnt killed the fish in the garden pond with the amount of carbon monixide they normally kick out - but he never so i guess thats a bonus.........
So i'll let you guys know the out come and in the mean time im going to take up knitting and make myself a 3ft deep head to toe scarf as it feels like Russia on a particularly "nippy" day in my hovel.
I'm trying to keep myself up beat about it all but im annoyed to say the least with my luck !!

 

[namsag]

So why dont you just call BG out its next day repair and by sounds of it at least a hundred quid cheaper

 

[tonybhoy]

Halsted ace high boilers are ok,used to fit loads of them and my mate's is still working with no problem after three years anyway your best bet is probably BG's FP repair or jump onto thier homecare plus repair which works out at about £360 per year or £29 a month.

Best of luck.

PS,Kwikfit are cheap for car batteries

 

[WookieOne]

Well im back. Mr doom and Gloom turned out to be a friendly chap after all when he arrived - then after an hour or so told me yes the pump was knackered he tried 2 new ones and with electrical current going in none of them worked so hes decided its both the pump and PCB board. He's estimated price of £150 now he's seen it for both parts but thinks there's maybe a chance just the board has gone as it's not right to have 2 faulty pumps on the van.
As for BG - well i tried them and they said it would be £168 to fix one single problem with my post code as a one off and that would include any single part if required and any further would be charged extra for. So doing my maths (i failed my A level Maths btw) i'm hoping it'll still work out some where near as if it does turn out to be the pump as well thats going to go over the £200 mark easily. As for taking out home care they said i couldn't take it at the same time as ringing in for a repair. I know you'll all say boooooo shoot him! for not taking out homecare earlier but this is the first time its packed up in what 7 years? It's a bit like car insurance in my mind- ive been driving 22 years and never had an accident - never claimed yet they have probably had enough out of my hard earned crust to buy myself an Aston Martin Vantage i nthe sports extra spec outright in premiums for no monetary return in 22 years. See my illogical point of view? I could try and get it through the house insurance (although everyone tells me the insurance will laugh and claim its wear and tear - good night son).
So the guys going to order a board tomorrow morning and give me a call to say how much and when he can get it. Maybe ive made a mistake and BG may have the boards on their vans or could get it same day - i don't know. all i'm intrested in now is finishing this 6ft long scarf getting into bed and hoping a gust of freaky wind doesn't take the roof off from over my head as i lay dreaming of the Caribbean to warm up a bit.
Oh and if anyone thinks im on a wind up here - believe me im not! I'm just finding it semi therapeutic explaining about it some how. thinking about it they have a gorgeous open fire down the White lion - maybe i should turn into an alcoholic for 24 hours to keep warm?
If anyone has any predictions on the lottery numbers this week please email me and after the cost of repair to my heating - you can keep the rest with gratitude!

 

[ollski]

I/m sure your pump will be fine but I suspect a neutral path back out from it on the board will be burnt out.

 

[namsag]

Who ever you spoke to at BG was trying to sell you the dearer fixed price product you should have had a look at there web site £123 which is avialable till tomorrow

 

[WookieOne]

Well its rather confusing cause if you look at adverts on top it says £99 until tomorrow. Yet i rang the number and got told that i have to have the care in place first - not ring up and ask to join with a problem.
I'll try and find the link where i had to enter my postcode on BG and that came up as £168 to get a one off one fix.
I'm seriously worried now as temp gauge is -9 outside my back window looking at i from inside. I have left an upstairs tap dripping quite regularly but what can i do if there is a concern the central heating pipes may freeze? I've drawn all the curtains, the external doors are wrapped in blankets etc as the glass panels are bloody cold and i have a electric fire going full pelt downstairs and a gas portable fire i borrowed off a friend upstairs - but i wont be able to sleep thinking the flame may go out on the gas fire or downstairs fire ignites something?
I'm not spinning a tale here - i am concerned (through ignorance i admit as not been in this situation before) that i may have a frozen pipe issue to deal with next. The radiators do feel cold as i'd expect - but how cold they actually are im not sure as temp gauge is outside and reluctant to bring it in - cause i know ill sit and stare at it all night worrying
Any advice or am i panicking over little?

 

[ollski]

Seriously mate don't go to bed with fires on, especially a gas fire or a burst pipe will be the least of your worries.