Every winter, “heating” will definitely become the topics of discussion among people across the country. After this round of strong cooling, the topic was discussed again. The cold wave is coming across the country, and the most comfortable thing is probably to stay in a heated home. “You rely on heaters to keep warm in the north, and I keep myself warm by shaking in the south.” “People in the south are frozen to death. People in the north with heaters cannot feel this sadness.” “Eating ice cream indoors in the north is the greatest respect for heaters.” So, how do other countries heat their homes? The most popular heating methods rely on natural gas and electricity. Japan and South Korea rely on culturally distinctive kotatsu and heated ondol; Sweden and Austria use secondary energy for heating; the most special one is Hungary, which recycles worn banknotes every year and uses them as fuel. That is, “burning money to keep warm”. This heating method sounds a bit “painful”. No matter which way you choose, in winter it’s snowing outside and you’re drinking tea and reading a book in the warmth of your house. This kind of comfort is all thanks to the heating!
- Russia: Heating represents the arrival of winter:
Russia, known as the “Land of Ice and Snow”, is one of the coldest countries in the world. In the eyes of Russians, snow is a very common thing, and only when the heating starts, it means the arrival of winter.
Today, Russia has the largest district heating system in the world, with 81% of households using central heating facilities and approximately two million workers responsible for building, maintaining, and managing heating facilities. Starting from October 1st every year, when the temperature in Russia falls below 8°C for five consecutive days, relevant agencies start to activate the heating system. The first heating targets are kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and medical units, and then within half a month, and gradually realize all heating.
Ivanosna, a house manager who lives in Moscow, said: “Winter is not difficult. The indoor temperature is above 25 degrees Celsius. There are heaters in the room. Wearing a single coat is enough.” Russia There are differences in heating times across the country. Russia’s heating time, which spans eleven time zones, can be long or short, usually more than six months. The length of time depends on the latitude of the region. For example, the heating time in St. Petersburg will last seven months. Of course, if the temperature is still very low in May, heating will be extended accordingly.
2. Japan: The kotatsu frequently appears in Japanese dramas
If you are familiar with Japanese dramas, you will find that the kotatsu appears frequently in Japanese dramas: the family will eat dinner and chat around the kotatsu after get off work. The Japanese kotatsu, also known as a kotatsu, is a quilt spread on a double-layered low table. There is an electric heater under the table. You can put your legs in to keep warm and resist the cold. So, why the kotatsu? Due to Japan’s frequent earthquakes, houses have to be built lighter. However, such a structure is not conducive to heating projects and heat preservation. In addition, Japan is resource-poor and consumes too much heating energy, making it unsuitable for central heating.
The formal kotatsu is a small square table. The wooden frame of the table is covered with a floor-length quilt that can cover the entire table to prevent heat loss. There is a stove box at the bottom of the kang, with coals or briquettes placed in the stove box, and a wooden floor is laid on the stove box. When heating, people put their feet on the warm wooden floor covered by a quilt and feel warm instantly. With the advancement of science and technology, the kotatsu has been continuously transformed, the small low table has become a rectangular shape, the legs have been heightened, and some are even equipped with stools to facilitate people to eat, study or work at the same table; stove box It has also become an electric heater, eliminating the trouble of people having to constantly add coals or briquettes to the stove box.
The new kotatsu can be placed at will. When people decorate their houses, they no longer fix the position of the kotatsu. Instead, they lay a layer of mats on the ground, place the kotatsu with an electric heater directly on the mat, and people put their legs into it. Inside the quilt, you can feel the warmth and comfort of winter.
3. South Korea: Ondol continues the living culture
The older generation of Koreans are accustomed to using Ondol. The way it works is to generate heat by burning firewood in the kitchen or the stove pit outside the house, and then heat the room through the pipes under the house. It is similar to Chinese floor heating, except that Korean Ondol is fully paved and covers the house. nook and cranny. How big can such a fully paved heated ondol be? A family living in Gyeongsangnam-do has a five-bedroom Ondol room with an area of 174.9 square meters. For this reason, the Korean Record Research Institute issued the certificate of “the largest greenhouse with a single Ondol” to this family in 2013.
In daily life, Korean Ondol is combined with wooden boards in the hall, which is closely related to the climate of Korea. South Korea’s main climate is continental and oceanic, with obvious four-season changes, with hot summers and cold winters. Therefore, in order to enjoy the coolness, Koreans will choose good wooden boards in the hall when decorating; in order to keep warm, the floor of the house is higher than the ground level, and the Ondol room is not large, making it easy to maintain a warm temperature. The combination of wooden boards in the living room and Ondol heating has become a major feature of Korean houses.
The Ondol provides a suitable temperature for the house in winter, allowing Koreans to continue their “sitting and lying” living habits, especially families with children. In winter, parents don’t have to worry about children crawling around on the ground. Will catch a cold and get sick.
4. United States: Fireplaces are mainly used to create atmosphere
There are approximately 117 million households in the United States. According to statistics from the Census Bureau, 50% of households use natural gas for heating, 39% use electricity for heating, and the remaining households use heating oil, propane, wood and other methods for heating. Because it is located in the northern hemisphere, most buildings have double-layer glass or triple-layer glass, and most of the doors are double-layer doors, which are beneficial to maintaining indoor temperature.
In big cities in the United States, people mostly live in apartments, which are heated by electricity. Every household has a boiler and a water heater. The water heater and the boiler are placed in a separate compartment to ensure 24-hour hot water supply. Apartments in New York are heated by central air conditioning. The “Tenant Rights Guide” stipulates the heating supply time and temperature of rental housing. From October of each year to May of the following year, landlords must provide heating to tenants, and at that time When the outdoor temperature is below 12℃, the indoor temperature must reach 20℃. If the landlord does not provide heating, the tenant can complain to the local government at any time.
In small towns in the United States, people mostly live in villas. Since villas are separate buildings, heating oil is used for heating. There is a boiler in the basement of every house, which is responsible for heating and boiling water. Typically, a small house requires more than 800 gallons of heating oil throughout the year, and a large house requires more than 2,000 gallons, with each gallon fluctuating around four dollars. Generally speaking, gas prices are cheaper in summer than in winter. In addition to conventional equipment, a fireplace is a plus point for a house. Fireplaces are generally placed in the living room. Most Americans do not use fireplaces for heating in winter. They only use fireplaces for important holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year, when relatives and friends gather together. Together, the fireplace will be used. At this time, the fireplace is the best prop to enhance the atmosphere.
5. Austria: Waste-to-energy heating has become a model of circular economy in the EU
The EU has always advocated a “circular economy”, and the waste trade between Austria and Italy is a successful example. In 2017, EVN, Austria’s second-largest public utility, imported 70,000 tons of garbage from Rome, Italy. The waste is transported to a recycling plant sixty kilometers west of Vienna. The plant has a capacity to process 500,000 tons of waste per year, and these 70,000 tons of waste can generate more than 550,000 megawatt hours of electricity. EVN sells electricity, heat, and gas converted from garbage to meet the heating needs of Austrian residents.
So the above are the main heating methods in Russia, Japan, South Korea, the United States, Austria and other places in winter. In the next article, we will continue to learn about the heating methods in Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Canada, and China.
