How to Heat a House with a Broken Boiler

It’s early December in Brisbane, and the temperature dropped to 8°C last night. You woke up to a cold house, turned on the thermostat, and heard nothing but silence. The boiler’s dead. No hot water. No heat. And it’s not coming back anytime soon-repair won’t happen until next week. Now what?

You don’t need a new boiler right now. You need heat. Right now. And there are real, safe, practical ways to keep your home warm while you wait for a repair-or even if you decide to replace it later.

Stop wasting energy on a dead system

Some people think, "If the boiler’s broken, I’ll just crank up the electric heaters and hope for the best." That’s expensive and dangerous. Electric space heaters use up to 1,500 watts each. Run three of them for eight hours a day? That’s $15-$20 a day in electricity alone. And if your wiring is old, you risk tripping breakers or worse.

First, shut off the boiler completely. Even if it’s not working, a faulty boiler can leak gas, overheat, or cause pressure buildup. Turn the power off at the wall switch and the gas valve. Don’t just leave it on standby. You’re not fixing it-you’re surviving until help arrives.

Seal the heat in your home

Heat escapes fast through gaps. In older homes, up to 30% of heat is lost through windows, doors, and cracks. You don’t need to re-insulate the whole house. Just focus on the big leaks.

• Roll up old towels or use draft stoppers along the bottom of exterior doors.
• Stick weather stripping tape around window frames. It costs less than $10 and lasts months.
• Cover single-pane windows with plastic shrink film. Buy a kit from any hardware store, use a hairdryer to tighten it, and you’ll cut heat loss by nearly half.
• Close off unused rooms. Shut the doors and block vents. Heat doesn’t need to fill the whole house-just the rooms you’re in.

One family in Redcliffe did this last winter. They kept just the living room and bedroom warm. Their electricity bill stayed under $30 for the week-even with two space heaters running.

Use portable heaters safely and smartly

Not all heaters are equal. Oil-filled radiators are slow to warm up but hold heat longer. Ceramic heaters heat up fast but cool down quickly. For emergency use, go with oil-filled. They don’t get red-hot, don’t dry out the air, and have tip-over shutoffs.

Here’s how to use them without burning a hole in your wallet:

1. Place the heater on a hard, flat surface-never on carpet or near curtains.
2. Plug it directly into the wall. No extension cords. They overheat.
3. Set it to medium, not max. You don’t need 25°C. 18-20°C is warm enough.
4. Turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep.

Use a timer plug. Set it to turn on 30 minutes before you wake up and turn off when you leave for work. That’s all you need.

Heat the people, not the space

Heating a whole house is hard. Heating your body? Easy.

• Wear layers. Thermal underwear, wool socks, a fleece vest, and a hoodie work better than any space heater.
• Use electric blankets or heated throws. They use less than 100 watts-15 times less than a space heater.
• Drink warm fluids. Hot tea, soup, or even warm water helps your body hold heat.
• Put a hot water bottle in bed. Fill it with boiling water, wrap it in a towel, and tuck it under the sheets. It stays warm for 6-8 hours.

One mother in Ipswich kept her three kids warm all winter this way. No heaters. Just thermal pajamas, layered blankets, and hot water bottles. She said it was quieter, safer, and cheaper.

Use your existing appliances wisely

Your oven isn’t meant to heat your house. But if you’re baking something anyway, leave the door slightly open after it’s done. The residual heat can warm the kitchen for an hour.

Same with the dryer. Run a load of towels on high heat, then leave the door open while you’re in the laundry room. The warm air will rise and help heat nearby rooms.

Don’t run the oven just for heat. That’s a fire risk and a huge waste of energy. But if you’re cooking? Use it as a bonus heat source.

What about gas heaters?

If you have a standalone gas heater-like a portable flued or unflued gas heater-you can use it. But only if it’s in good condition and properly ventilated.

Unflued gas heaters release moisture and carbon monoxide. Never use them in bedrooms or small enclosed rooms. Always open a window slightly. Install a carbon monoxide detector if you don’t have one. They cost under $40 and can save your life.

Flued gas heaters are safer-they vent fumes outside. But even those need regular servicing. If yours hasn’t been checked in two years, don’t turn it on until it’s inspected.

Don’t try these dangerous fixes

Some people get desperate. They try things that sound smart but are deadly.

• Don’t use a barbecue or camping stove indoors. Even one hour can build up lethal carbon monoxide.
• Don’t light candles for heat. They give off almost no warmth and are a fire hazard.
• Don’t tape plastic over radiators. If your boiler’s broken, the radiator’s cold anyway. Covering it traps dust and doesn’t help.
• Don’t ignore the smell of gas. If you smell rotten eggs, leave the house immediately. Call your gas provider. No exceptions.

When to call a professional

You’re not expected to fix a boiler yourself. But you should know when to call someone.

Call a licensed plumber or HVAC technician if:

• The boiler shows an error code you don’t recognize.
• You hear banging, gurgling, or hissing from the pipes.
• There’s water pooling around the unit.
• The pressure gauge reads below 1 bar or above 2.5 bar.

Most boiler repairs in Brisbane take 1-3 days. If it’s been over a week and no one’s come, follow up. Some companies offer emergency callouts for $150-$250. It’s worth it if you’ve got kids, elderly people, or pets at home.

What to do after the repair

Once the boiler’s fixed, don’t just turn it back on and forget it.

• Check the pressure. It should be between 1 and 1.5 bar.
• Listen for unusual noises. A healthy boiler runs quietly.
• Ask the technician for a maintenance schedule. Most boilers need a yearly check.
• Consider a smart thermostat. It learns your habits and cuts energy use by up to 20%.

And if you’re thinking about replacing it? Look for a heat pump. They’re more efficient than gas boilers, work in cold weather, and qualify for government rebates in Queensland. A good heat pump can cut your heating bills in half.

Final tip: Stay calm

A broken boiler feels like a crisis. But it’s not. Thousands of people in Brisbane deal with this every winter. The key isn’t having a perfect system-it’s knowing how to stay warm without one.

Seal the leaks. Warm your body. Use heaters safely. Call a pro when you need to. And remember-you’ve got this.