Oh I'm keeping warm - I'm not that daft .

If temps are below freezing tonight I'll even leave a fan heater on in my bedroom overnight .

The old convector can stay in the downstairs bathroom [ 2 external walls ] But I'll make sure I'm warm.

I certainly will consider talking out a service contract once the new boiler is in.

I'm just frightened at the dosh I've spent this year

Well - we have discussed this - and as it's had 2 repairs already the decision is made - new boiler .

The firm I deal with [ a very old established company ] no longer recommend repairs to boilers of this type/age , they found they were constantly having to keep fixing them . I do trust them and they have given me fantastic service in the past. They are NOT cheap , but in cases like this I feel you get what you pay for.

The old boiler was just a combi - not a condensing combi . I've no doubt it was not the best that WorcesterBosch made as it was fitted in 2004 under the Scottish Government scheme [ but believe you me I was sooooooooo thankful to have it put in then for me ]

My nice heating/plumbing folk have organised getting it in and if they have any folk who want to work over the weekend and the new boiler is in their hands by lunchtime tomorrow [ as they anticipate ] it will be fitted on either Saturday or Sunday !!

I reckon I'll only be without heat [ and hot water] tomorrow but at the worst I should have it by Monday evening .

I mentioned the well known problem of the condensate and was assured that they have got fed up with that freezing problem and they have worked out a system that permits them to route the condenser pipe to an internal method of draining .

@greynolds - how are the squaddies getting on in your streets ? I spotted a BIG red tractor cruising along the street at my front this morning , orange lights blinking, and as it came back realised that it had a blade on the front The street at the side is now just nasty and slushy having also been ploughed and sanded.

Engineer says boiler no go .

He can't find fault - pressure is OK , reset had not popped up

Boiler was installed in 2004 - recommendation is renew so he's away to get the office to quote me for a new one

Not likely , if I go for a new one , to have one in before next week at the very earliest .

oh well - at least I can cook , but I'll have no hot water till I get a new boiler . Good job the dishwasher and washing machine operate off cold .

I dunno - since Raymond died I have had to do so much paying out for things which had to be done - this is just another thing I've had to deal with. I've had a very steep learning curve .

Mayday - shoosh , where else does one get good sensible advice - but here - the anything goes thread.

I want to survive .

Water pressure now up to 1 - don't think it's ever been higher than that

Barrie - which of the two do I turn on first - the right hand one or the left hand one ?

I know I've done that before but can't remember which one had to be fully open.

How high should the water pressure be - at the moment the indicator is about 1/4 [ it shows 1 at roughly 9 o'clock and is half way between the zero and half marker ] and my red marker is set at roughly 1.5

Nope - don't like fiddling when I don't know what I'm doing

Flu is NOT blocked - I can see it from my front porch - it's quite high up.

BUT - a good sign - we are getting above freezing - the icicles are starting to thaw - there's a constant drip from them

You guys are making sense - but this is getting technical now .

Snow should not be blocking the flu as we have had none since Monday and it was working fine then . The Flu is at the front of the house and I don't think I can actually get there .

have remembered where the bleed key is - so about to head round the house and try the radiators.

Water pressure has dropped a bit - but there are 2 pipes with wee taps on them and I can't remember which one I turn to get more water in .

Service guys have been told about the problem and I'm on the list - they also know I have no hot water and I've reminded them [ via their Office ] that I don't have a header tank . Here's hoping that they can come quickly - just don't know how many are in the queue ahead of me . I'd better get my cheque book out

I'll have a go at that < scratches head to think of where the bleed key is >

The Boiler is a Worcester 28i RSF - it says it's a Combi boiler on the installation and servicing book instructions . I have no hot water

There are 5 pipes leading to from the boiler [ they are all underneath it and behind my washing machine - one of these is gas [ since that's the one that was tapped to get the gas supply to my cooker.

Strangely enough it did this earlier this year [ the early cold snap ] and the guy that came out from my plumbers could not find the reason for it , but switching things off and on and just generally fiddling and it kicked into action again.

It was serviced in September and Davy told me off when I said I wanted the radiators bled as I felt there was air in the system - he said it wasn't possible and they should not need bleeding - but my bedroom one did

I know our weather here is severe - but I wish they would get back to me .

Flipping heck - it's cold

My central heating seems to have gone on strike - All lights look OK , pressure seems fine , it sounds as if it's working [ boiler that is ] BUT all my radiators are cold

The gas supply is OK as I've used the cooker to make my porridge .

Grrrh - now waiting for the engineers to get back to me