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General discussionRespectful questions to foreign GOGers(661 posts)(661 posts)
(661 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted August 22, 2019
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StationaryNomad: When I was first told about using coin-operated hot water I thought I was being joked with.
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teceem: Sounds like a money-grabbing land lord to me.
Nope, read the other posts in this thread. Apparently, coin-operated natural gas meters are a real thing.
Posted August 22, 2019
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StationaryNomad: OK, got it. Sounds interesting. Only buy exactly what you need, very practical. The natural gas service here is such that even if you don't use a single unit of gas in a month, you still get charged a "maintenance fee" and they send someone to you house to make sure you haven't tampered with the meter and are stealing gas.
Ok, I can understand that. But our boiler also heats water for general use (tap water, shower).
Posted August 22, 2019
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StationaryNomad:
It is for all gas coming into the house.
Posted August 22, 2019
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StationaryNomad: It would appear from the replies that hot water radiators are popular in Europe. I personally haven't encountered them, only steam radiators. I was under the impression that all radiator-type heating was steam, because that's all I've ever personally seen. Looks like I learned something new today.
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SirPrimalform: Me too!

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StationaryNomad: From in-laws that live in and have lived in the UK, I have heard of having to go to the basement of a house and put coins into the hot water heater in order to have hot water to use. That is as foreign a concept to me as forced-air heating must be for you folks. Differences...seems like the more we're different, the more we're all the same. :)
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SirPrimalform: You're half right, they'd be putting coins in the gas meter.
If you weren't too well off then you might buy your gas on a "pay as you go" basis by putting coins in the meter. It was a good way of avoiding using more gas than you could afford, as opposed to running up a bill and going into debt.
If money was less of a concern then you'd just have a meter that recorded how much gas you used, the gas man would come round every so often and read the meter and then you'd be billed for what you'd used.
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StationaryNomad: Check this out: https://www.thespruce.com/hot-water-vs-steam-radiators-1821916
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SirPrimalform: Cheers!
The takeaway from these posts is this: whether you prefer forced-air or hot water heating, Steam is bad. LOL
Posted August 22, 2019
nvm
Post edited August 22, 2019 by Themken
Posted August 22, 2019
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StationaryNomad: The takeaway from these posts is this: whether you prefer forced-air or hot water heating, Steam is bad. LOL
Not to mention the ORIGINal EPIC heating. :-P
Posted August 22, 2019
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StationaryNomad: The takeaway from these posts is this: whether you prefer forced-air or hot water heating, Steam is bad. LOL
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teceem: Not to mention the ORIGINal EPIC heating. :-P
:D
Posted August 22, 2019
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StationaryNomad: The natural gas service here is such that even if you don't use a single unit of gas in a month, you still get charged a "maintenance fee" and they send someone to your house to make sure you haven't tampered with the meter and are stealing gas.
theyll probably do that here if youre on a regular metre. though theyll also give you a call first and ask for a reading to see if it matches what they have. a good few people in this area are actually "self assessed" in such a manner anyway - especially as there was a scheme to install solar panelling for free (but unlike paying for it yourself you gain no profit or offset from national grid sales).

Also, with fracking im really not sure how much of our gas use is "natural" in the Uk anymore tbh.
Posted August 23, 2019
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StationaryNomad: The natural gas service here is such that even if you don't use a single unit of gas in a month, you still get charged a "maintenance fee" and they send someone to your house to make sure you haven't tampered with the meter and are stealing gas.
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Sachys: theyll probably do that here if youre on a regular metre. though theyll also give you a call first and ask for a reading to see if it matches what they have. a good few people in this area are actually "self assessed" in such a manner anyway - especially as there was a scheme to install solar panelling for free (but unlike paying for it yourself you gain no profit or offset from national grid sales).

Also, with fracking im really not sure how much of our gas use is "natural" in the Uk anymore tbh.
Apparently, there's more to this heating/gas conversation than was obvious at first. Thanks for the additional info.

OK, I'm done here. I don't want to derail or hijack this thread. Thanks for all the responses, everyone. Now back to our regularly scheduled thread.
Posted August 23, 2019
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StationaryNomad: Now back to our regularly scheduled thread.
great, now we have to go back to talking about Benedict Arnold. O___o
Posted August 23, 2019
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dtgreene: I thought of another question:

In the US, there is an interstate highway system, with a bunch of highways being numbered; I believe this numbering goes from 1 to 95. North-south highways are given odd numbers, and east-west highways even ones. Do other countries have similar systems?
In Spain they are named with one or more letters, followed by one or more numbers. It depends on their scope (national/regional) and what type of road they are. For example, A3 is a national highway that connects Madrid with Valencia, while M40 is a regional road that circumvents the city of Madrid.


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dtgreene: Related question: Does the EU have a system of naming or numbering highways that is consistent between the member nations?
Certain roads (the most significant, I guess) are considered part of "European itineraries" and are also known by a second code, beginning with the letter E. But for most people it's just a green blot on road signs that can be easily ignored (perhaps they are more useful for truck drivers who travel through different countries).
Posted August 23, 2019
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dtgreene: I thought of another question:

In the US, there is an interstate highway system, with a bunch of highways being numbered; I believe this numbering goes from 1 to 95. North-south highways are given odd numbers, and east-west highways even ones. Do other countries have similar systems?

Related question: Does the EU have a system of naming or numbering highways that is consistent between the member nations?
Can't tell for the whole EU, but:

The German motorways are numbered according to a clear system. Since the mid-1970s, there is a numbering system for motorways, which approximately specifies which number a new highway receives. Federal motorways with a single-digit number (eg A 1) are of nationwide or even cross-border significance. Highways with two digits as a number (eg A 20) are usually of overriding regional importance. Highways with three digits as a number (eg A 999) are typically of regional or city significance. Often these highways are feeder roads or detours.

For highways with more than one digit, the first digit indicates the approximate location of the motorway:

1 = Greater Berlin, Leipzig-Halle, Dresden,
2 = Greater Hamburg,
3 = Greater Hannover / Bielefeld / Osnabrück,
4 = Greater Ruhr area / Kassel / Rhineland-Palatinate,
5 = Greater Cologne,
6 = Greater Frankfurt am Main,
7 = Greater Schweinfurt / Nuremberg / Erfurt,
8 = Greater Stuttgart,
9 = Greater Munich.
With the exception of southern Germany, the distribution is analogous to the distribution of the first digit of the four-digit postal codes valid in Germany until 1993.

As a rule, motorways with even numbers run predominantly in the west-east direction, those with odd numbers in the north-south direction. Exceptions to this are, for example: the A 14 and the A 15.
Post edited August 23, 2019 by BreOl72
Posted August 23, 2019
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StationaryNomad: That's interesting. Thanks for providing more info on that. When I was first told about using coin-operated hot water I thought I was being joked with. Glad to know it's a real thing. So the coins feed the gas meter...does that also mean you would have to put coins in the meter in order to have heat for warmth or gas for the stove for cooking as well?
That's right, the meter is on the gas supply to the whole house so no gas appliances would run unless the meter was fed. Given that this was the type of meter mostly used by people in some level of poverty I'm sure there were many people caught between deciding whether to starve or freeze.
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Sachys: Edit2: shakes fist at sirprimalform and removes his ham sandwich rights!
I'm keeping the pickle.
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StationaryNomad: The takeaway from these posts is this: whether you prefer forced-air or hot water heating, Steam is bad. LOL
Sounds like it. I don't think I've ever come across it here, and only come across forced air once. Hot water is pretty much ubiquitous here, but I guess it suits our climate.
Post edited August 23, 2019 by SirPrimalform
Posted September 14, 2019
I have a question for fellow American Gogers. I often see these characteristic cars in American movies. They are mostly green and have this typical "wood paneling" on the sides. See the pic below:

https://blog.autotempest.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/CA15_r0266_21.jpg

Now I would like to know, if there is a special term for these cars or for the paneling. Are they always from the same producer or can you buy any car with this wood paneling? How common are these cars? Are they classic cars or can you buy modern cars with this? I never saw other models than station wagons with it.
Posted September 14, 2019
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Oddeus: Now I would like to know, if there is a special term for these cars or for the paneling.
Yeah.

Ugly
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General discussionRespectful questions to foreign GOGers(661 posts)(661 posts)
(661 posts)