Check Heating Method, Meter, and Manufacturer for Each Boiler
Use Timer Function for Flow Meter and Low Temperature for Calorimeter
On the morning of Sunday the 17th, the lowest temperature dropped to the coldest level of this winter, bringing a severe cold wave. The temperature will drop further on the morning of Monday the 18th, leading to cold wave warnings issued nationwide except for the East Coast, Jeonnam, Gyeongnam mountain areas, and Jeju.
With electricity and gas prices having risen, heating bills have become a burden that anyone can face. Broadcaster Park Narae shared her difficulties, saying that after purchasing a detached house with a land area of 166 pyeong in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, she faced heating bills in the range of 1 million won per month during her first winter there. She said on last month's MBC entertainment show 'I Live Alone,' "At my peak, I only turned on the boiler in the kitchen and master bedroom, but the bill still came out to 1 million won, which made me angry."
What are the ways to save on heating bills during winter when using boilers? According to the lifestyle application 'Today's House,' in Korea, the most commonly used heating systems are 'individual heating,' where each house has its own boiler, and 'district heating,' which uses leftover heat from regional power plants. Both methods use the ondol system, where warm water circulates under the floor to heat the room.
Among these, for individual heating boilers, if the house is well insulated and warmth is maintained by running the boiler only a few hours a day, it is advantageous to set the boiler to room temperature mode so that it automatically turns on and off.
The ondol mode, often used together with room temperature mode, is suitable for houses where indoor temperature fluctuates or where a specific temperature must be maintained at night. In this case, it is better to set the temperature about 15 degrees lower than the maximum temperature.
The away mode varies depending on the boiler manufacturer, so it is necessary to check the manufacturer of your home boiler and confirm the appropriate usage. Most away modes aim to provide minimal heating, but if the indoor temperature is low and the boiler runs to raise the temperature, it can result in higher costs, so caution is needed. Unless you are going out for a long time, it is better to set it to at least 17 degrees.
In the case of district heating, typically, medium-temperature water above 120 degrees Celsius is used, produced at heat generation facilities such as combined heat and power plants and waste incineration plants. The medium-temperature water is supplied to each house through double-insulated pipes buried under roads and rivers, and then hot water and heating water are supplied to each home.
When using district heating, you need to check whether your home's heating meter is a 'flow meter' or a 'heat meter.' A flow meter measures the total amount of heating water, while a heat meter measures how much water was used and at what temperature. Usually, if the measurement unit is ㎥ or ton, it is likely a flow meter; if it is ㎿h or M㎈, it is likely a heat meter.
If it is a flow meter type, setting the heating water inflow time using a timer function can reduce the total usage amount and save heating costs. If it is a heat meter, it is better to keep the power always on and set the indoor temperature to a low temperature of about 18 degrees even when going out.
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