City heating system, any ideas on how it works?

Quick question regarding the heating in my flat, Its on the city heating system with a blue pipe and a red pipe coming into the building as opposed to a boiler, I havent had the heat on for a few months and now I can't get any heat to come from the radiators?

Any ideas how this system works?

You have to insert a coin...

Heating season is over.

Buy an electric radiator, have a hot shower and a hot cup of tee.


I have never heard about for heating? electricity ok but not heating.

Do they turn it off in spring and summer then?

Yes.

People think it is great but I don't, as your predicament shows.
And in winter it will get too hot, so you'll have to open up the windows.
Although I should not really say that, it does depend on what year your apartment was built?
Do you have thermostats on each radiator and do you have a clock showing how much heating you use for just your apartment?. If you do it should be near where you can see the pipes coming in.

I have thermostats on each radiator and some strange digital box bolted to the middle of it. My apartment was built in 2000, In winter it was ok as i just set the radiators on low but i've been trying to dry washing which seems nearly impossible without radiators that work.

I have one set of pipes in the bathroom behind a tile and also another set in the utility room.

I don't know what that is.
Unless you have floor heating? in the bathroom for example, that could be electric and it heats and dries clothes very well.
But if it is city heating as you say, it is off.
Take a hot shower and have a nice hot cup of tea, it's your best bet tonight and in the morning buy an electric heater and a hot water bottle.

The state will provide you with what you need not with what you want.

These are probably the meters, be careful with them because they usually have some kind of a seal, as a precaution against people tampering with those meters, I have the same thing. And yes, they turn off radiators usually sometime in the Spring.

A common thing, people use drying racks, or put their wet clothes out on the balcony if it's warm outside ; ) I use a tumble drier....

In this case It's not as stupid as It seems to be. One would have to pay twice as much If the heat was available all year long.

even when not used? that makes 0 sense.

Get over it. It's summer. :-)

The opposite does apply, as you say, it is fully on when we don't want it on, to that degree.
The first thing is to change the windows to double glazed, then insulate the apartment block.
I had double glazes windows put into flats a few years ago and there were no thermostats, i.e. you could not regulate the temperature.

So in the midst of winter, about minus 15, I would have to open the windows because it was too hot!, the mind boggles.
The almighty administration has since put regulating thermostats on each rad, this is now common practice and should have been done with this gentleman's apartment, built in 2000.

There is a field covered in snow outside the front of my block, where you could clearly see where the hot water was coming from because it was not well insulated and melted the snow in a line.

It is wise to have a back up heating system, solar or a fire place.
Electric heating is obviously quite expensive, so solar can pay off in the long run.
Or a gas combi-boiler, if you have gas.

The meters for my electricity appear to be underneath the toilet ...

Does it say anything about my experiences here that I just accepted that as being entirely "well of course"?

The main pipes for the hot water run through the bathroom itself which is tiny and gets some residual benefit at least. However, I am wishing I had brought an oil filled radiator I had in my old place in the UK and I might get a small fan heater maybe for autumn.

Since 2003 more and more apartments are equiped with central heating system available all year long. There is possibility to turn of all radiators except this one in bathroom.

The administration of your osiedle decides if the heating is available in the summer. The elektrociepłownia produces heat all year. It's amazing for me that one facility produces hot water for whole big city. In the same time it produces electricity. It's saves some 30% of energy if it would be produced separately.