Few days ago, i find this one at the house viewing. I‘ve never seen this kind of meter before, so I just wonder if it‘s individual heating system or a central heating system.

by Background-Rise7706

10 comments

  1. Central heating for at least the building, I think it measures how much water has gone through the heater and then at the end when they take the reading of all heaters in all units they can figure out how much everyone used in each heater.

  2. It is to measure how much heating energy every apartment is using. The numbers have no real unit but each apartment has the same devices on their radiators. They are read once a year, then the landlord can use the readings to split heating costs.

  3. I remember something like this from my childhood in the 90s. I think once a year or someone would come and read them or something. Don’t even know what they were for (how much heat you used presumably), but I don’t think they are really used anymore, although that might be completely wrong.

    [https://www.lichtblick.de/wissen/zuhause/heizung-ablesen/](https://www.lichtblick.de/wissen/zuhause/heizung-ablesen/)

  4. Yes, this is an old style of meter. Over time the fluid in the tubes evaporates ~~at different rates~~ depending on the temperature, and by comparing them they can figure out what your share of the heating costs should be. ~~There are two tubes showing different rates, which allows them to discount the ambient temperature (that is, you shouldn’t have to pay for heating if your apartment was warmed by the sun coming in through the windows).~~

    This is of course a central heating system for the whole house, which is why these meters are necessary.

    EDIT: I’m dumb at this time of the morning.

  5. yes, seen it.

    make sure you´re home when they´ll be coming for you. once per year it needs to be exchanged by hand. they will give you paper you sign it and not talk about it. Abrechnung comes from your landlord once per year; monthly installment is already in your Miete.

  6. That is measuring heating usage by evaporation. This is indicative of shared/central heating.

    This thing looks very old. I would be surprised if it us still in active use, as normally you replace them regularly as refilling them is not intended. Having them regularly replaced forces modernization. Even digital display units are now legacy as modern ones have wireless read out.

    Are you looking at houses or apartments? If I buy a whole house for my family, I would ignore those meters. If I buy an appertment, this legacy Meter system is a red flag. Wireless read out is more comfortable in the long run.

    Now short and simple: ask the seller.

  7. It’s to measure how much you heated. There is a liquid inside that evaporates with heat. Once a year someone comes to your home and changes these devices on all heaters. They put new ones on with full fluid. Depending how much fluid is left in the old ones: you have to pay. (I’m not sure but I think you only have this system with Fernwärme).

    Fun fact: They changed these thingies to electronic measuring devices: no fluid, no need to change once a year. In my first year with these I got 400 Euros back. I did not heat more or less than the years before. The old ones are shitty.

  8. These ones are a massive scam as they overestimate your consumption if you heat a lot less than the other parties in the house. They’ll become illegal overall in 2027 and already are in newer buildings. 

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