The man from British Gas came this morning to see our boiler. After he got over his shock at the sheer age of the boiler he got down to seeing what was wrong with it. He turned it on and off a bit and it made alarming noises. Faulty pump. Probably going to need replacing he told us. He went to have a look at the hot water tank. Ancient valve he told us. Probably going to need replacing. Might get away with a few months still. Then he went outside to have a look at the flue. He held up his little meter to it and it started beeping madly. Oh dear. He went back inside to the boiler. Ah. The boiler had gone out, maybe that is why the reading was so high? It does that sometimes, we told him. He lit the boiler (again) and went back outside to check the reading again. Nope. Still beeping. Have to turn off the boiler, he told us. Have to disconnect the boiler, he told us. The boiler is condemned. Turns out the reason that the pilot light kept going out wasn't the wind but an enormous great hole in the heat exchange. The boiler can't be repaired on account of being thirty years old and not being able to get parts. So. Only solution, new boiler.
So, no boiler, no heat, no hot water. Bathing is either a cold shower or by filling the bath with a kettle. Living the old fashioned way!
So, no boiler, no heat, no hot water. Bathing is either a cold shower or by filling the bath with a kettle. Living the old fashioned way!