HOW TO STAY WARM IN CHINA?
Adam McWhirter, GMS-T
Managing Director at Maxxelli
Moving to China, one of the major differences you’ll notice between here and the West is the presence of central heating – or lack of in the south of the country. The issue around which parts of the country get central heating and which don’t dates back to the 1950s, where limited resources determined that only those in the north of the country – or above the Qinling Mountains and Huaihe River, or what came to be known as the ‘Qin-Huai’ line – were given the privilege of indoor heating. This means that everywhere below this line, including the whole of the Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces plus others, must rely on other means to keep warm.
It may seem counterintuitive to use an AC system during the winter, but this is the heating system many Chinese use to keep their homes warm. When it comes to actually using your AC system, however, you may have some difficulties if you cannot read Chinese. Check out our list of handy translations to help you out.
Air conditioner | 空调 | kōng tiáo
Remote control | 遥控器 | yáo kòng qì
Automatic | 自动 | zì dòng
Cool | 制冷 | zhì lěng
Dehumidifier | 抽湿 | chōu shī
Heat | 制热 | zhì rè
Fan Wind | 送风 | sòng fēng
High Wind Speed | 高风 | gāo fēng
Mid Wind Speed | 中风 | zhōng fēng
Low Wind Speed | 低风 | dī fēng
Set | 调整 | tiáo zhěng
Mode | 模式 | mó shì
On / Off | 开／关 | kāi/guān
Wind Speed | 风速 | fēng sù
Wind up/down | 上下风 | shàng xià fēng
Economy | 经济 | jīng jì
Time Set | 定时 | dìng shí
Blowing Direction | 风向 | fēng xiàng
Sweeping Wind | 扫风 | săo fēng
Cleaning | 清新 | qīng xīn
Display | 数显 | shù xiăn
Strength | 强劲 | qiáng jìn
Sleep | 睡眠 | shuì miăn
Lighting | 灯光 | dēng guāng
Cancel | 取消 | qŭ xiāo
Power Source | 电源 | diàn yuán
When using your AC, it’s also important to remember not to keep it on 24 hours a day, as tempting as that may be. Running your AC constantly can lead to condensation, as the water is being removed from the air as it’s conditioned, which is then drained via a pipe. If there’s too much condensation, your system can get clogged and will require maintenance – prevent this by simply leaving your AC off while out of the house, or turning it off for a few hours at a time.
In some cities, one of the preferred options of heating is to install underfloor heating; this can be preferable to using an AC unit, as it doesn’t dry the air out, and can provide more even heating across the apartment. This involves installing a hydronic or electric system of heating pipes under the floorboards if your apartment does not already have one, which is then typically operated via a thermostat on the wall. Again, you may need to use the tanslations above in order to operate your heating system.
One of the easiest ways to keep warm at home is to wrap up in cosy blankets and duvets – the thicker the better! These can be purchased in a number of ways. If looking in a shop or market, ask for a duvet down – “I would like to buy a Duvet down (我想买一件羽绒服)” – or if searching online simply enter “羽绒服”and you will find plenty of options.
Or, for a totally free way to keep warm, snuggle up to someone you love! Whether its your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife, son or daughter, or even a cat or dog, snuggling up is one of the best ways of staying cosy.
Managing Director at Maxxelli
Joined Maxxelli in 2008, I am currently the Managing Partner. If you have any queries about our services, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly a.mcwhirter@maxxelli-consulting.com
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