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Sharing a Boiler...

 
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murmanjake



Joined: 21 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 6:23 pm    Post subject: Sharing a Boiler... Reply with quote

sucks.

At least if that's the real reason that my heating has been out of control for the last two weeks.

Moved into the apartment, a tiny little rooftop shitbox(5.5 pyong) whose only redeemable feature is that it is brand new, and have been trying to get out since, but this boiler nonsense eliminates that tiny bit of acceptance new technology had given my situation, and I spend my hours hoping against hope that some fool will step up and take the lease.

Anyways, back on track with these heating shenanigans. Started when the first tiny breath of cool weather came. Somehow my floor got nice and toasty, despite the fact that I was perfectly comfortable with the cool breeze trickling in through my tiny window, so i didn't touch my thermostat.

After my room got to a healthy 29 degrees for two nights in a row, I spoke to my boss(who is great about these things), and she talked the landlord, who apparently "fixed" the problem. Well whatever, cause I'm starting to believe, despite his constant smiles, that my landlord is compulsive liar. That weekend I went to seoul, after making SURE that the heating was off(I still hadn't turned it on, but had attempted to turn it "off" by lowering the heat down to 6 degrees, and then turning it back off again), I came back the next day and my heater was set to 40 degrees and my room was a friggin sauna again!

Of course my boss spoke to the landlord, and the landlord "fixed" the problem again by accusing my cat of turning it on when I was gone(and apparently pressing the "up" button 34 times to raise the set temperature from 6 to 40). Whatever, my room was cool again no biggie.

But shit, now its started getting cold and I want my heat, so yesterday morning I turned it on to 30. Came back from seoul this morning and my room was an icebox. 17 degrees and not an ounce of warmth from the floor. Turned it up to 40 with no effect. what the hell.

So I finally find out from having my co-teacher translate for the bus-driver, who's been a very helpful mediator throughout this debacle, that I share a boiler with the one-room next door. She couldnt really expain how I manage to control my own freaking heat. I took pictures of the thermostat and showed them to my co-teacher and apparently I am doing everything right as far as the button pressing goes..

Anyone know more about how this "shared boiler" system works? Do they control my heat in a way, by having the ability to turn the boiler on and off when they want? My co-teacher said I should leave the heat on all the time, and just move the temperature down and up.
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pkang0202



Joined: 09 Mar 2007

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just an idea. Maybe they got the wiring mixed up and you are controlling the other person's thermostat and vice versa.

Makes sense, if the other person was cold, they turn their boiler on, notice no heat coming from their floor so they turn it up higher.

likewise, you turn on the heat because you are cold, but your floor is cold. The other person, noticing that their floor is warm, keeps their thermostat off so making your room icy.
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murmanjake



Joined: 21 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That sounds plausible, and could explain a lot.

Only thing that doesn't fit though, is the sudden jump in the thermostat's set temperature while I was away.

Thanks for reading through it all. On a second read i see it's a bit of a doozy.

To summarize for the less-inclined to read, but possibly still in possession of knowledge pertinent to my case:



I share a boiler with my neighbor, and my heat never works right-- Hot when I wanna be cool, and cold when I wanna be hot, regardless of where the heat is set on the thermostat

Any ideas?

(My landlord is fairly useless. Don't let me get started on my Air Conditioner!)
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nathanrutledge



Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 9:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How do you pay your bills? If you share a boiler, you're sharing bills; is that the case here?
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murmanjake



Joined: 21 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 9:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

landlord gives me a piece of paper with numbers on it, sometimes multiple pieces of paper, and stapled on top are the month's utilities and maintenance fees written in pen.

As I haven't used gas yet, except for hot water, I haven't been too worried about it. I had my co-workers look over the bill my electricity an after some confusion they decided it was legit.

Strange thing is, with all the official bills/photocopies he gives me, nowhere is the exact amount he claims I owe for electricity. But it seems to be about the right amount, considering I have my own electric meter and know how much I use.

So anyone know any fallout of this shared boiler situation? Pretty sure that's what the deal is, just not sure how it is responsible for the fluctuations in my heating, though I like Pkang's theory.
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pkang0202



Joined: 09 Mar 2007

PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 6:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, it could be that the person you shared the boiler with complained to the landlord that THEIR heat wasn't working, and your landlord entered your room while you were gone and turned it on.


If you are complaining about it, I doubt the landlord would blatantly admit, "Yeah, I broke into your room and turned your heat on without your permission."


Easiest way to test the theory is to tell your neighbors. Leave your thermostat off and ask them in a few hours if their floor is warm or cold. Turn it on full blast and go back in a couple hours and ask them if their floor is warm. If it is, then you have just solved the problem of the phantom heating.
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BoholDiver



Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From the sounds of it, the ondol pipes pass under both of your rooms. Your neighbour probably likes it hot, as Koreans are totally heat sluts. When they 'fix' it, they allow you to control the heat.

You go away, the neighbour complains and they 'fix' it, so you get a sauna.

Wait till bill time. Fit is going to hit the shan.
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murmanjake



Joined: 21 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 6:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmmm...that also makes a lot of sense. But doesn't quite explain how the settings on my thermostat changed in my absence.

Last night was tolerable, as the floor was lukewarm and the thermosta-registered temperature was around 18.

Seeing as I had my heat set to 40, though, something is still amiss.

My boss will have her sister(our desk teacher) call him. She can be quite assertive. Last time I saw her in action was a doozy.

The interior decorators who did our school hadn't quite finished the job, so my boss refused to pay him. His visit to settle the dispute ended in a shouting match(in the middle of the school), followed by him fleeing, the desk teacher and others pursuing, and then a stairway scuffle in which I intervened by prying our desk teacher off of him. I have high hopes for this next battle with her on my side!

Good thing is, if it is as Boholdiver says, then it's unfixable so I can put up a big shitfit and be allowed to move.
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murmanjake



Joined: 21 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 6:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pkang, yeah I definitely think he's got into my apartment.

Just gotta stick it to him somehow.

And I can't talk to the neighbors as my Korean skills are severely lacking. Wish I could though cause that would settle this issue pretty quickly.
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