Old Soviet apartments were marvels of engineering. Easy to build, cheap and easy to maintain, and really cleverly planned and engineered. For example central air based heating would be prohibitively expensive, so instead the apartments were heated with hot water based system. Which had the double effect of recycling heated water from local power plants, while also giving 24/7 heating that costs pennies a month. (Plus with the way the piping system was efficiently designed, most apartments had the added benefit of heated floors).
In all, the heating system was rated to last 30-45 years at peak efficiency, while modern HVAC systems can barely crack 8-15 without extensive repairs or replacement.
deleted by creator
Old Soviet apartments were marvels of engineering. Easy to build, cheap and easy to maintain, and really cleverly planned and engineered. For example central air based heating would be prohibitively expensive, so instead the apartments were heated with hot water based system. Which had the double effect of recycling heated water from local power plants, while also giving 24/7 heating that costs pennies a month. (Plus with the way the piping system was efficiently designed, most apartments had the added benefit of heated floors).
In all, the heating system was rated to last 30-45 years at peak efficiency, while modern HVAC systems can barely crack 8-15 without extensive repairs or replacement.
deleted by creator