Korean Job Discussion Forums

Tiny_Tibbo · Joined: 21 Apr 2005 Location: In My Skin

I think thats what its called...lol

ok last winter i couldn't get the thing to stop comming on

This time i can't get it to stay on long enough to heat up

i would post the hongul i see on my switch to get a translation but i don't have it on my keyboard....

can anyone help me figure this out by giving me common word translations on the switch?

I got a pic of the switch, if anyone has it can they tell me how it works??

I hope this works http://asia.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jennifertibbo/detail?.dir=/99b1&.dnm=bf3d.jpg&.src=ph

BigBlackEquus · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 5:27 am Post subject:

This reminds me so much of my first year in Korea.

Hey, can you take a photo that is not blurry and post that instead?

The dial will be the heat level. The left/right switch is likely going to turn on the heat for just water, or both water and floor. But that's just a guess until I can actually read it. Maybe the push button does that, though, or it may be the power.

Tiny_Tibbo · Joined: 21 Apr 2005 Location: In My Skin

ok well i don't know how to get a non blurry one with my cam....my main concern is this up and down switch....and the black switch on the side.....
this one is better

http://asia.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jennifertibbo/detail?.dir=/99b1&.dnm=9d83.jpg&.src=ph

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

canuck in Ansan · Joined: 27 Jul 2005

I have a different kind of control thingy, but on mine the timer is for when I want the heat to turn on. for exaple, if I'm going shopping, and know i'll be back in 3 hours, and want the apt to be warm when I come back, then i should turn the timer to like, 2.5 hours.
Otherwise, the only writting your panel has in common with mine is the one on the bottom right corner, and for me that is setting the timer at 0. Mine is always set at that, and my heat works.

I would translate the words. go on a computer at work where the keyboard types hangul, and go to altavista's babelfish translator =] That has helped me many times.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

I got one of my Korean coworkers to show me how mine works. Why don't you try that?

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

fidel · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: North Shore NZ

HAHA
Reminds me of a story of a mate who had a hell of a hot winter one year.
In his apartment there was no obvious control panel or switches for the ondol. He obviously did something though (in an alcholic frenzy no doubt) and his floor went from icy cold to boiling hot. I mean it was so hot that he had to wear slippers inside to save his feet from getting burnt. Plastic left on the ground would melt, food would swiftly spoil and if you dropped an egg the whites would cook! For four months throughout winter he kept all his windows open to release the stifling heat. Then one day it stopped Shocked

He moved shortly after so didn't have to deal with again!

Crazy stuff!

Return Jones · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 9:42 pm Post subject:

mysteriousdeltarays · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 8:29 am Post subject:

You need no stinking heat. Cold will toughen you up. You don't need no (one can see how I have adapted to the 21st century argot) heat. It be good for you.
Sorry
I'm being fascitous. I hate when people do that.

I just had a hard time turning my ductile heating on, western style hot air blows out etc. The korean's were at a loss for it.
Box, green lights will go on and off. I'm guessing third button down on the right, hit it, Green light should show. This is probably ondul, Theone left toit will be hot water,it will default to that hit enter again,that will be at the bottom right side of the box. Depending on where you live you'll probably hear a humming sound. Set temperature on a mnual dail to the 90% of max, the dial to the right of it will set times. Set it all the way the way to right.
You do not to be cooked.There will be two other timmers. One on the bottom right, and possibly one next to the green Leds (lights) Maybe you aren'thome in the day etc, you can setit soonly runs say six hours a day. oOf course then again it takes for ever too crank up again and then at midnight you are roasting. Turn these both to 24 hrs then, start turning down the heat, probably middle at the bottom. It will be in centegrade, don't botch this with the water heater unless you like liuke warm showers.

At second thought push the buttons at randomsee what happens. Or else relyon gossip and rumour.

lbellamy · Joined: 12 May 2003 Location: Incheon

In case the other's guy's great explanations didn't help: Here are some other possibilities....

If you have hot water, then it's not the heater......

Ask your apartment security guard to help or take a pic of your boiler and armed with both photos drop into your nearest friendly Rinnai dealer. Even if it's not their brand some friendly expert might help you or at least help you book a visit from an engineer.

If you look around your apartment 'skirting boards' you might find a little trap door in each room. Open that and you'll see taps that control water flow into the ondol. Or out on the balcony in your laundry area. Maybe it will be obvious if they are turned off...... which might diagnose your problem. I've moved into 2 apartments where these had been switched off for summer.

Another possibility: Your water heating unit might have a bunch of instructions on the front explaining how to bleed the boiler. Mine has a diagram too. Apparently I'm meant to do this about once a month when a red light comes on..... Maybe your unit needs this?

Then there's the actual thermostat: If you have loose wires running into that maybe it's just a connection.....

I just got a new system yesterday. I think it was only the thermostat that was broken but my boss couldn't get it to behave and we tried every combination of the 2 dials and 1 switch (not fancy like yours). It would give me about 10 secs of hot water before switching to cold, and the floor wouldn't heat at all. I'm just happy to have a hot shower and warm apartment after a week of sponge baths, hot water bottles and boiling the kettle so I could brush my teeth.

Another apartment I was in (country area): the heating ran on oil not mains gas. If your oil runs out..... you need to call a truck to refill your tank. My unit flashed red in this case. I got the oil OK but the guy put it in the neighbors tank, not mine so I had a bitterly cold week (!!!) before the heating guy figured out the problem.... Meanwhile the neighbor was away and his apartment was frying like the guy's above.

anyway, happy heating..