My Boiler Broke and I Don’t Have Heating – 7 Ways I’m Surviving the Cold at Home Until It’s Fixed

As I write this, I am wearing the thickest pants I own, wool slippers, a thermal vest, and I have a heating pad across my lap.

These are just some of the emergency comforts I am swearing by right now, as we await a heating engineer to come and fix our broken boiler. It broke down over the weekend, on one of the coldest days of the year in my region.

That means no hot water or working radiators in my house. But I am not alone, as January is the peak month for boiler breakdowns due to the frigid temperatures and heightened system usage.

But there are still ways to stay warm at home all day, and in a pinch, it’ll carry you and your household through shiver-inducing conditions until your boiler is back working.

Why Do Boilers and HVAC Systems Break In January?

The extra usage of our boilers and HVAC systems over the colder months wears components faster, and can cause some to contract in extreme cold. This puts extra strain on an already-busy system, leading to faults and breakages and leaving homeowners with an emergency heating repair issue to fix.

This winter breakdown risk increases with the age of your boiler, according the the Orange County Chamber of Commerce.

Tom Orr, CEO at Northwest Exteriors, a home maintenance company, explains, 'January tests heating systems to their core, day and night, in the coldest part of the year. Continual operation exposes weak points, such as worn igniters and leaking blowers.'

Since technician demand is always highest during the coldest months, there may also be a significant delay in how quickly an engineer can come to you and fix the problem.

Tom adds, 'Calls for service are heightened during cold snaps, as marginal systems buckle around-the-clock use and demand spikes during cold waves.

'Crews respond to no-heat calls, frozen pipes, and emergency repairs. Appointment schedules are more difficult to get, and response times are higher due to the high number of urgent calls. It’s not that January is not "bad" by itself; it’s simply when the stress test becomes unavoidable.'

I have indeed found this to be true with my boiler breakdown, as we have been running it constantly since November. We had found that there is a four-day delay until a suitable technician can come out to us. As I am disabled and have chronic health conditions that are adversely impacted by the cold, and a sick child at home, we have been prioritized; otherwise, it would have been a five-day wait at best.

So if you are finding yourself in a similar situation, here’s what you can do to keep your house warm during the day without heating, and at night, so you can sleep well until your technician is on hand to fix what is likely a common heating problem.

1. Layer Up Your Clothing and Bedding

Putting one layer of clothing or bedding on top of another traps air in between. This will create a natural insulation space from your body heat and help you feel warmer and more comfortable.

I am currently wearing four layers of clothing on my upper body and a long hooded blanket hoody, available for fast delivery from Amazon, which is incredibly warm and comfortable without making you sweat.

Mark Carter, home maintenance expert with Homevisary, adds, 'This is the right instinct, and most people underdo it. The key is layers, not bulk. Multiple thin layers trap air between them, and that's what actually insulates you.

'Wool and fleece are better than cotton because they retain warmth even when damp from body moisture. For bedding, add blankets underneath you, not just on top. You lose a lot of heat to the mattress. And here's one people forget – cover your head. You lose significant heat through your head, and while a wool cap indoors may feel silly, it works.'

Adding a bubble faux fur throw from Wayfair, or an electric blanket and fleece bedding set (both available from Amazon Prime with fast delivery), will really help increase your comfort overnight.

2. Use Electric Heaters to Raise Ambient Temperature

An energy-saving portable electric heater, such as the Dreo Ceramic Compact Heater from Lowe's, will use electricity to pump warm air into a room. It’s not a whole-house fix, but it’s very good for raising the temperature of the area immediately around you, and won't cost too much to run. This particular one also has eight layers of safety features built in to help curb the risks of use that can arise.

Mark explains, 'Electric heaters work, but you need to be careful. Space heaters are involved in about 1,600 house fires a year, according to Consumer Product Safety Commission data.

'Never use extension cords with them and plug directly into wall outlets. Keep them three feet from anything that can burn, including curtains, bedding, and furniture. Never leave them running when you leave the room or go to sleep. Look for models with tip-over shutoff and overheat protection.'

To further avoid the risk of fires, put yours on a flat surface to avoid it tipping over, and do not leave it running whilst you’re out of the room or house. The National Fire Protection Association says most fires caused by heaters happen when they're left unattended.

The pros are that these appliances are usually lightweight and easy to carry from room to room, as your day and activities at home change, and most will have a thermostat and auto-shut off function, too.

It's better to pick a room or two to keep warm, Mark adds, so don't try to heat your whole house with them.

3. Use Electric Blankets for Zone Heating

Zone heating isn’t just about the room you’re in. You can use electric blankets to heat your body up. As someone in chronic pain, I use mine year-round to soothe my achy joints, but they’re brilliant for lying across your lap or legs, across your lower or upper back when seated, and for warming up chilled bedding before getting in at night.

I have tested many different ones, and my favorite is the Deepsoon heat pad from Amazon, which has six heat settings and can be set to run from 30-120 minutes at a time.

Mark adds a few tips for safe usage. He says, 'Electric blankets are more efficient than space heaters for keeping yourself warm because you're heating your body directly rather than heating air that then escapes.

'They're also great for sleeping, but inspect them before use and check for frayed cords, cracked plugs, or any damage. Don't fold them when they're on because that can cause overheating in the folded areas. And don't pile heavy blankets on top of an electric blanket, as that can trap heat and create a fire risk.'

4. Mind Your Internal Doors

It’s a heating myth that shutting internal doors will help keep the heat in. This was the case decades ago when inferior heating systems were used in US homes, but now, with the majority of heating systems able to work better to control overall house temperature, keeping internal doors open will help you avoid cold spots, even without your system running.

However, when your boiler is out, whether or not you should shut internal doors depends on your strategy. Mark explains, 'If you're trying to heat the whole house with whatever warmth you can generate, yes, keep doors open so air circulates.

'But if you're trying to keep one room warm with a space heater, close that door and keep the heat concentrated. Most people in a heating emergency should pick one or two rooms to live in, close those off from the rest of the house, and focus their heating efforts there.

'Any warmth generated from your body heat, cooking, and space heater will stay better in a smaller space. Think of it like camping in one room of your house.'

5. Keep Windows and Blinds Shut to Conserve Heat

Unless the sun is shining directly into a room, trap the ambient heat inside by drawing curtains and closing shutters.

I know the sensation of feeling claustrophobic if your window treatments are not open in the daytime, so in my small home office, where I am currently working, I have closed the shutters, but turned on all the lights and lamps here.

Mark adds, 'Yes, you should close everything. Windows are major heat loss points. Close your blinds, the curtains, and hang blankets over windows if you have drafty ones, as the cold will radiate right through the glass.'

He agrees on the exception to the rule, adding, 'If you have south-facing windows and it's a sunny day, you can let sunlight in during peak sun hours to get some passive solar heat, then close everything back up before the sun goes down.'

For instance, my primary bedroom is south-facing, giving me direct sunlight there till the early afternoon. You can keep north-facing rooms warm with the same principle, but usually in the late afternoon.

Finding what works for you is as important as fending off the cold when your heating has stopped working, especially if you're waiting a while for a technician. Mark Carter adds, 'If your boiler dies in January, you're competing with everyone else whose boiler also died that week. Wait times stretch out. Emergency call fees go up.

'It's just supply and demand. The technicians who are available are running from job to job all day, and they have to prioritize the most urgent cases, like elderly folks, families with infants, and houses where pipes are at risk. Everyone else waits.'

6. Plug Drafty Doors with Makeshift Blockers

Even if your HVAC repair technician is coming soon, it’s still worth investing in draft stoppers for doors, available at Amazon, and internal doors, as this will decrease your energy bills in the long run by stopping cold drafts from pushing into your home or hot air escaping out.

I have had great success stopping the cold drafts at my front door with a stick-on foam draft stopper from Amazon.

Until it arrives, you can use a makeshift draft-blocker by tucking items you already have in the gap. Mark suggests, 'Roll up towels, stuff them along the bottom of exterior doors. If you have gaps around door frames, tape over them with painter's tape or even newspaper and tape. The goal is to stop cold air infiltration. Every bit of cold air that sneaks in is heat you're losing.'

You can also use coats, throws, and blankets.

'Check around windows too, as old windows especially leak air around the frames,' Mark adds, 'Plastic sheeting taped over windows works if you have it. Some people use a shrink-wrap window insulation kit, but if you don't have one, garbage bags and tape will do in a pinch.'

We have several expert guides on draft-proofing that you may find helpful in the short and long term, which will help improve the energy efficiency of your house:

• Draft-proofing doors without ugly strips.
• Draft-proofing a living room.
• Draft-proofing a garage.
• Draft-proofing a kitchen.
• Draft-proofing a basement.
• Draft-proofing a bathroom.
• Draft-proofing a sunroom in winter.
• Draft-proofing an entryway.
• Weather-proofing windows.
• Places sneaky drafts hide in homes.

7. Use Your Oven to Cook Meals

Ovens produce a lot of heat, but don’t keep it all inside the appliance. A lot of it moves out into the surrounding space, so you can enjoy a higher ambient temperature in your kitchen, or if you have an open plan space, multiple living areas at once.

Plus, eating well will keep your energy levels up in the cold; we burn more calories and run out of ‘fuel’ quicker. You can also cook multiple tray bakes in one go, so you make the most of the electricity used to heat the oven.

Energy expert of MD Energy Advisors, Christine Ciavardini, says, 'Make the most of dinner time if your boiler is broken. After you’ve cooked and turned off your oven, leave the door open and enjoy the residual heat. It’s a great way to take the chill out of the house.'

There is an important rule there: To only open up the oven door and enjoy that extra heat once your oven is off.

Mark explains, 'Never leave the oven door open with it running. Gas ovens, especially, can build up carbon monoxide, which can kill you. What you can do safely is cook a meal, and after you're done, and the oven is off, crack the oven door open a little to let the remaining heat escape into the room.'

Always make sure you have a carbon monoxide monitor to detect spikes in the odorless and dangerous gas. The Kidde one from Amazon has a low battery indicator as well for double safety.

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Meet the Experts

Tom Orr

Tom Orr is the founder and CEO of Northwest Exteriors, having led the company since its inception in 1995. Tom has over 30 years of experience in the home improvement and energy efficiency industry.

Mark Carter

Mark has over 30 years of experience in home maintenance, having worked in construction, plumbing, and other key areas. He learned many of his skills from his father, who was also excellent at home maintenance, fixing everything from leaky faucets to sticky doors. Mark is a regular contributor in the media, providing expert home maintenance insight to Homevisory.

Christine Ciavardini

Energy industry veteran Christine has extensive experience in commodity markets and is a Certified Energy Procurement Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Frostburg State University and a Master's in Business Administration from Frederick Taylor University, and has previously worked with Penn Fuel Gas and Direct Energy Business.

You can also quickly put your windows into winter mode and insulate your outlets to stop cold air from sneaking in. Apart from the discomfort of a cold house, there are other risks to keep in mind till your system is fixed.

Tom Orr, home maintenance pro, adds, 'Frozen, burst pipes are the biggest risk, especially in exterior walls or unheated areas. Colder temperatures for longer can further harm finishes, floors, and other long-term materials from material shrinkage as well as moisture in the air.'

If the temperature in your house remains low after the boiler fix as per the outdated heating standard, to keep energy costs low, bear in mind that the heat escaping from your property can cause moisture and condensation, which increases the risk of mold.