Translating…
If your combi boiler breaks down your will quickly find yourself with no heating or hot water. This can be a bit of a shock to the system as we all take hot water and heating for granted in our homes. Once you find yourself without them you will have to find other ways to keep warm and undertake basic tasks, like bathing, until the plumber arrives to fix the problem. When you have a young family it can be even more worrying once you realize how cold the house has become. Here are some tips and ideas for how to keep warm whilst waiting for a plumber to arrive:
1. Layer up and wear WINTER clothing!
It may sound obvious but layer on your clothing. When you go out in the snow you are more than happy to wear two pairs of socks, two jumpers, a hat and gloves etc. Well, why not do this inside the house? Yes, it might seem a bit weird hanging around the house in a woolly hat but it will be a lot harder to bear if you are sitting there freezing to death instead!
Get the kids to wear their hats and gloves, get cardigans out of the back of the closet and actually wear some winter clothing.
I think the modern convenience of having constant hot water and heating has reduced the amount of winter clothing that people wear. I’ve seen some people hanging around in t-shirts during winter, knowing that they don’t need a jumper because the heating is on full blast.
Dress for winter and you will feel a whole lot warmer.
2. Reduce drafts and combine body heat!
Block the bottom of doors with rolled up towels to prevent any cold drafts coming in. Close all doors and group the whole family together in one room. The room will be a lot warmer with all the family in there, and with the doors closed it will help to keep any heat inside. Close the curtains if you can bear it to help keep heat in. Get out the blankets and throws and snuggle up on the sofa to watch a movie. You will be a lot warmer if you are all huddled together and this will help to keep the little ones in the family warm.
3. Turn up the heat!
What? You have no heat? Yes you do – simply turn on the oven. Get cooking a big roast dinner, or something else that requires the oven or hob to be on. Gather the whole family in the kitchen whilst the cooking is in process to add to the heat a little more. Benefit from the warmth the oven will spread throughout the room, bring in a chair or two and get cozy. And while your at it put the kettle on!
Once the cooking is finished, leave the oven door open to allow any remaining heat to enter the kitchen and keep things warm a little longer. But make sure any little ones are in a safe area first!
4. Layer up your bed ..
If you have to endure a whole day and night with no heating you might be in for a shock. I have experienced this and it was not very pleasant to tell the truth. If you have ever been camping you will have some idea of what it is like to have no heating at home during the winter. It’s cold.
At night the temperature will drop even more, so be sure to layer on blankets, towels and anything else you have on top of the beds. Allow the kids to wear a hat in bed, and you too if you feel the need. Wearing a jumper over PJ’s is a good idea too. Be careful when layering up a baby’s bed though, there are certain rules to follow for infants, and you have to be aware of and prevent over heating.
So there are my simple tips for keeping the family warm, hopefully it won’t be long before you have your heating back on.