Korean Job Discussion Forums

[C.M.]

Same deal here. Heat went Saturday; hot water followed shortly thereafter. I am on my way to the local bath-house where I am going to sit for an hour in the sauna...try and get the feeling back in my toes.

[Chow]

My boiler has separate pipes for heat and hot water. I had the same problem yesterday and all it took was a small electric heater aimed at the boiler/hot water pipes for 30 minutes or so and, VOILA!

[Goodgoings]

[captain kirk]

I haven't had the ondol or hot water on yet. Yeah I have a shower with cold water.

If you've got a big electric blanket, which costs 27 bucks for a queen sized one, it's all right. There's a big patio kind of balcony window which lets icy cold in and I put one of those 2,000 won picnic blankets over it with the foil backing. At night. In the day I take it down.

There's enough heat coming from the neighbouring apartments to moderate the temp of mine. It's not cold enough to see one's breath. But it's not warm enough to be sitting around in shorts.

I'm not sick, don't have the cough/flu.

About showering cold I asked middle school students and the boys, half of them, do that, say it's 'refreshing'. All the girls shower hot.

[Zyzyfer]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Goodgoings]

These are all good tips. I learned that my hot water pipe was frozen and the guy came in with a small propane torch and had some fun gliding it up and down the tube until hot water came through. It was a five minute job and he asked me for 30,000 won but I only gave him 20,000 won and a kick in the arse.

[JongnoGuru]

Wow. So many people having similar problems all at once. And you can't all be living in the same building.

Yes, ondol systems -- the pipes and the hoses -- are a sealed circuit and separate from faucets and toilets. This is why Zyzyfer still has heating but no water. (BTW, we really should pimp that pad of yours!) Under normal conditions, the ondol should still work even if the water supply is cut temporarily. Obviously, if the boiler itself is malfunctioning and not properly heating the ondol water, then your floors won't be as warm as they should be. Less obviously, air leaking into the circuit will also degrade the performance of an ondol system. Mind the water level (red needle / yellow needle on the boiler gauge) and make sure it's within the set range. (<-- damn precise & helpful, wasn't that! )

Also yes, don't turn off the ondol heating entirely until winter and any chance of freezing temperatures are over. Like a steel mill, you can turn down the heat but don't you dare put out the furnace.

The trick of training an electric heater directly on the frozen pipes reminds me all too well of a few rugged first winters in the Republic. Every damn morning, 30 minutes... and then Yay!! I can now wash my face and brush my teeth.

The "got heating but no water" or the "got heating & cold water but no hot water" problems... Jeeeez. Could be something small and manageable, could be so horrendous you have to move out while they smash through concrete walls & floors to replace burst frozen pipes. The water pipes to and within the home can freeze up, and yes, even if the house/apartment itself feels warm. I've seen that happen. Reading this online, there's just no way and no point to speculate what the reasons might be or how to fix it.

I'd say get in touch with the landlord right away, and not just for your own immediate comfort. You don't want to be in a position where your landlord blames you (or your employer who in turn blames you) for something that might cost you millions. Oh, think that can't happen?
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=48823

[schwa]

I know of individuals who took off to Thailand & came back to burst pipes & were on the hook for damages. Public school teachers.

Its important to know how your boiler is meant to work.

[captain kirk]

Yu Bum Suk, welcome to the ranks of the pot shot taking donkeys on Dave's. I don't know you, but how does my not wanting to heat an ineffeciently designed for winter Korean building at exorbitant gas prices associate me with your pet freak. I don't know, nor do I want to know, you or your pet freak.

Winter is short here. The buildings aren't designed to take the cold. Oil is expensive to heat them. Why cooperate?

If you like your long, hot showers and cozy ondol heated floor and enjoy paying through the nose then enjoy it. Plan your posts so as not to make enemies and keep it polite.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[captain kirk]

Ok, I'll bonk the android. You convinced me.

[schwa]

Yay, I think my boiler's fixed!

2 guys came to look at it & it started up faithfully & they said it was fine. No, I said, it will stop! Which it did, right on schedule. Hmm, they said, & scratched their heads over it for an hour. They finally gave up, said try someone else.

Next guy I tried said train an electric heater on it. No, I said, its not frozen.

2 more guys from a 3rd A/S company then came & finally got the problem. They cussed & argued between themselves & spent a full 3 hours on it, finally replacing the fan motor & the control panel.

Seems to be working like a charm now. Even too well! I've got everything turned to minimum & my place is almost too toasty. But I can live with that.

[huck]

I think that my bill is evenly spread out between all of the apartments in our villa. During the summer, when I decided to stop rationing and began using the A/C 24 hours/day, my bill jumped from 30,000 to 35,000 a month.....It's the same thing with my gas bill. My bill for November was 33,000, and I keep it warm in here......but even when I turn the heat off during the day, the temperature never drops below 25 degrees celsius...

just lucky, i guess.

[Zyzyfer]