A Warm Tip: Beijing to Test Central Heating Citywide Nov 7

A brief test of Beijing’s central heating will tease our freezing hides with a single day of warmth on Nov 7, one week before the official "Heating Day" of Nov 15. As per usual, heating is scheduled to continue through winter until March 15.

Beijing Daily reports that the city’s heating systems will require a bit of extra testing prior to the 2019-2020 winter season due to the expansion of the area and buildings that the system will encompass. An estimated 15 million square meters of indoor space has been added to the urban heating system this year.

Another reason for the tests is that a couple of hundred complexes have required serious renovations to their heating pipes, which in some cases have suffered severe corrosion or accumulated excessive amounts of water. This not only causes the heating systems to become ineffective, but it can even pose a safety hazard if the pipes are at risk of bursting.

The heating is on but my apartment's still cold. What's up?

As with previous years, the heating may also start prior to the official Heating Day if the temperature drops below 5 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days. However, current weather forecasts do not predict such, so if your apartment is currently cold, it's best to grab a blanket and bundle up.

Once on, the heating systems are meant to warm up your apartment to a comfortable 18 degrees Celsius. If that’s just not toasty enough for you, consider hitting up Taobao for an affordable space heater.

On the other hand, if you think a problem with your building’s heating is preventing your apartment from reaching that level, the city provides two complaint hotlines to help summon maintenance. Renters, or their landlords, can call either 12345 or 96069.

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Image: Maxim Tajer (via Unsplash)