Cold water flat
Encyclopedia
A cold water flat is an apartment
that has no running hot water.
In most developed countries, current building code
s make cold water flats illegal, but they used to be common in cities such as Detroit and Chicago
, through the mid-twentieth century.
Typically, cold water flats did not have built-in shower
s installed; tenants
who wished to bathe would heat pots of water by stove and add the heated water to a bathtub
. They also typically had no central heating
. Tenants would keep warm by use of kerosene
, electric space heaters, hot water bottle
s, or electric blanket
s.
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
that has no running hot water.
In most developed countries, current building code
Building code
A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. The main purpose of building codes are to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the...
s make cold water flats illegal, but they used to be common in cities such as Detroit and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, through the mid-twentieth century.
Typically, cold water flats did not have built-in shower
Shower
A shower is an area in which one bathes underneath a spray of water.- History :...
s installed; tenants
Tenement (law)
A tenement , in law, is anything that is held, rather than owned. This usage is a holdover from feudalism, which still forms the basis of all real-estate law in the English-speaking world, in which the monarch alone owned the allodial title to all the land within his kingdom.Under feudalism, land...
who wished to bathe would heat pots of water by stove and add the heated water to a bathtub
Bathtub
A bath , bathtub , or tub is a large container for holding water in which a person may bathe . Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in enamel over steel or cast iron, and occasionally waterproof finished wood...
. They also typically had no central heating
Central heating
A central heating system provides warmth to the whole interior of a building from one point to multiple rooms. When combined with other systems in order to control the building climate, the whole system may be a HVAC system.Central heating differs from local heating in that the heat generation...
. Tenants would keep warm by use of kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
, electric space heaters, hot water bottle
Hot water bottle
A hot water bottle is a container filled with hot water and sealed with a stopper, used to provide warmth, typically whilst in bed, but also for the application of heat to a specific part of the body....
s, or electric blanket
Electric blanket
In the US the electric blanket is a blanket with an integrated electrical heating device usually placed above the top bed sheet. In the UK and Commonwealth, electric blanket commonly refers to an electric mattress pad, which is placed below the bottom bed sheet. Electric blankets usually have a...
s.