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Years go by, new buildings and skyscrapers are being erected in cities, and the old "Khrushchevs" are gradually "fading into the shadows." Nevertheless, there are still many such houses in Russia; as a rule, pensioners live in them. I spent my childhood in one of these Soviet "Khrushchev" houses, so I remember how small it was.
In the projects of those years, it was said that such houses should last no more than 30 years. However, the Soviet construction system of "free" housing came to an end, people had to face the market economy. As a result, no one began to demolish the Khrushchevs, and they stand to this day. I think that such houses will stand for many, many years.
And now, in a modest apartment with small dimensions, a bulky, heavy cast-iron bathtub appears, the declared service life of which exceeds 50 years. It costs much more than a lightweight and compact enamelled steel bathtub.
Pros and cons of enamelled steel bathtubs
Why did people choose cast iron structures in the Soviet years? Do steel bathtubs have so many disadvantages? This is what I tried to figure out. The advantages of steel products are as follows:
- 1. Light weight, easy to move and transport.
- 2. Steel baths do not need complicated installation.
This is where the list of advantages ends and the list of disadvantages begins, of which there are many more:
- 1. Steel is easily deformed. A bathtub made of this material can change shape even from a slight physical impact. And if someone heavy is regularly bathing in it, then it will quickly become unusable.
- 2. It is absolutely forbidden to drop any solid objects into the bathroom made of steel, as they will damage the enamel.
- 3. The strong pressure of water, striking the steel bath, is very noisy, which also creates discomfort.
Why are cast iron bathtubs good?
Looking at cast iron bathtubs, I was able to find more benefits:
- 1. It's no secret that the weight of a cast-iron bath is very impressive: from 100 to 170 kilograms. The installation process requires a lot of effort. But when it is installed in its rightful place, it will hardly be possible to remove it. If the water pipes in the apartment are also cast iron, then this property is a significant plus.
- 2. One of the properties of cast iron is its high heat capacity. The walls of the cast-iron bath are more than 10 millimeters thick, which means that the water will be warm for a long time. The water pressure, by the way, creates less noise than a steel bathtub.
- 3. Heavy objects can be dropped into the cast iron bath (by accident, of course, not purposefully). This does not deform the structure, and the enamel will remain intact.
It turns out that the Soviet people chose reliable, durable cast-iron bathtubs. Did they do it deliberately, or did the authorities simply leave the citizens no choice at that time?
To figure this out, I called my dad for help - an experienced plumber. He worked at a time when Khrushchev buildings were being actively built in the USSR.
The father said that the steel tubs were delivered with factory defects and chips. In warehouses and construction sites, they were treated carelessly, which led to the appearance of shortcomings. Cast iron baths were lifted into apartments with cranes; it was extremely difficult to break the integrity of the structure.
Among other things, the operational life of cast iron baths is tens of years, which is extremely positive for hostels where people are not too concerned about the safety of property.
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