Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

This causes you're pipes to freeze. I didn't know I was supposed to let my hot water run 24/7 to avoid hot water freezing up.

My hot water froze, but the cold water still works. WTF? Is that odd or what?

Pipes to the hot water heater located in a freezing sub 0 cold place are burst with a small frozen pond around it. It's KO'd. I better not be receiving a huge repair bill for this one. That would be bullshit since the Koreans set this up in the most stupid illogical way.

Why not put a hot water heater in the house on a floor with ondol or heated inside area? My ondol is totally electric and was set on 20 C and not dependent on the boiler should the boiler fail. Tonight, it's on the maximum 55 C setting as I'm freezing my arse off! It's cold! And still it's a chilly 15 C in here after turning it up 3 hours ago. brrrrrrr...

This would not only prevent pipe freeze ups, but would also conserve energy and give you better hot water out the energy you assign to it on it's control setting.

Do I need to teach someone a basic thing about common sense physics and home heating? Does someone need to learn how to cook and live? Darn I say. The English is a problem when it comes to conversations involving technical science type information unless it's computers and hi tech electronics.

"A kid and his fancy toys doesn't know the basics about living, but knows how to be comfortable with said toys."

[Juregen]

Everyone knows that pipes can freeze over no?

The assumption is that no matter what, you still have to generate at least enough heat to kill the frost, so it doesn't matter whether you put them in a warm place or cold.

People prefer putting the boiler out of sight.

[sojourner1]

[sineface]

So...I'm supposed to keep the hot water on all the time? Won't that make my bill huge?

[eamo]

The boiler and the washing machine must go on an unheated balcony! There can't be any other way. It's Korean-style! You don't understand Korean culture.........


........I agree. It's babo. But Koreans just accept without thinking that part of the Winter experience is the possibility of frozen pipes.

An extension of this which I don't really get is the whole design reason for unheated balconies.

Why not dispense with the traditional design of outer windows, then balcony, then inner windows. Every Korean apt I've lived in has had that system. Why not just take away the inner windows, make the outer windows double-glazed, and extend the ondol pipes right up to the outer windows. Then the boiler pipes won't freeze and people won't freeze when they go to use the washing machine. i.e. Get rid of balconies!!! Just have a heated utilities room!!

Actually, my sister-in-law has bought a brand-new apt and the builders have given her that option. Which she is going to take. I think they're finally catching on that unheated balconies aren't actually a good idea.

[sineface]

My apartment was brand new last November, but it's still this ridiculous freezing room so the pipes to the washing machine have frozen. STUPIDEST thing about it is that they have this random separate heated utility room just for a second refrigerator. What the *beep*, seriously? Why didn't someone just think to plumb the washing machine in, and sit it right there?

And, am I supposed to keep the hot water on, then? All the time? The boiler's in this stupid cold part too

[Lukychrm42]

I used to live in Rome, and my apartment was right on the Tiber-aka the windiest place in the city. My balcony faced the water, and it always drove me crazy that the boiler was out on the balcony with enough holes in the cover that the wind blew out the flame most days. Talk about ridiculous! Not many warm showers in those days.

[sojourner1]

EDIT* I was told yesterday by my school accountant that it was fixed by the school handyman and for me to try my hot water when I got home from Winter camp last night, but I arrived home last night to find it still busted with frozen water in the floor of the freezing back porch area. Today, I was told it was not ever fixed, but the hot water boiler was turned up from 60C to 90C and that I'd have a huge repair bill when it is to be repaired due to the landlord refusing to do anything even though it's his responsibility being he placed it in the coldest part of the house and didn't build a closet around it like he should had. She even had to use my cell phone for a whole hour and accomplished nothing. They think that the boiler is supposed to keep water pipes from freezing even though they freeze when you don't run the hot water for a whole day or longer. This is true if you're home every day to use the hot water. To have prevented this, you'd have to run the hot water all the time, but I didn't know as it didn't freeze up when I left 4 days for Christmas. It was freezing, but not deep freezing like now.

I explained to my school accountant that because I'm not running the water due to being gone for Winter camp and then I'm leaving this week for vacation, the hot water pipe sat still and froze even though I trickled my cold taps. I told her not to repair it until I get back from vacation as it'll be busted once again when I return and she agreed. I explained I need the water cut off to the boiler, the boiler drained, and turned off. (I can't even power down this huge beast!) I explained that the boiler should be located in the apartment where it's not freezing and pipes exposed to the cold need electric heat taping. I explained that this is what Canada, America, and Europe has to do so it's high time Korea starts doing this as you can't expect it not to freeze up being outside in the cold. I explained it's not my fault nor am I paying, because it's not negligence on my part, it's Korean negligence of being so daft about common sense things like this. I explained it would also save significant amounts of energy if the boiler is inside. The Korean land lord is responsible for this and it should had been inside or at least equipped with heat taping to weather the cold. She understood and agreed on all these facts, but feels she is in a position where she can't set things right.

What would you do?