● Nvidia Rocket Rally, 18 Month Tariff Truce, Chip Minerals Hostage Swap, Power Crunch Supercycle, Sovereign Physical AI Surge
NVIDIA’s surge has a separate “real signal”: the hidden meaning of the 18-month semiconductor tariff deferral, a U.S.–China “chips-for-minerals” swap, and the next cycle (power, sovereign AI, physical AI) explained in one go
Today’s post includes the following.
1) Why it’s specifically an “18-month deferral of semiconductor tariffs,” and what kind of deal may have happened behind the scenes.
2) Why China’s key minerals card—gallium and germanium, for example—is so damaging to the U.S. (especially defense).
3) Why exporting NVIDIA H200 to China may be not just revenue, but an “ecosystem lock-in” strategy.
4) Where hyperscaler AI CAPEX, including AWS, ultimately concentrates (chips, power, infrastructure).
5) How a “K-shaped economy,” where GDP is strong but consumer sentiment wobbles, is shaping the market.
1) News briefing: “18-month deferral of additional semiconductor tariffs” — why you should doubt the number (18 months) first
Key takeaway news
As a signal of easing U.S.–China tensions, a vibe like “an 18-month deferral of additional semiconductor tariffs” circulated in the market, and AI semiconductors like NVIDIA reacted strongly immediately.
Why 18 months specifically?
18 months is less of a “political gesture” and closer to a practical window in which supply chains can actually catch their breath (inventory, securing alternative suppliers, renegotiating contracts, capacity expansion/line conversion).
In other words, it may be a compromise that reflects the reality that “if you hit now, you get hit too.”
Why semiconductors specifically?
Semiconductors are not just an industry; they tie into everything from AI data center investment and cloud revenue to defense/space/communications.
Tariffs may look politically easy, but economically they can simultaneously hit U.S. companies and stoke inflation.
2) The U.S.–China “hostage negotiation” frame: a possible swap of “U.S. chips ↔ China minerals”
The most logically grounded inference from the text
If China tightens export controls on minerals that matter for semiconductors/defense—such as gallium and germanium—U.S. defense and advanced manufacturing come under immediate pressure.
As much as the U.S. blocks China’s access to advanced chips, China responds with “then we’ll block your materials,” creating a mirrored structure.
What matters to the market
This may not be a “full reconciliation,” but rather a ceasefire that comes after both sides identified each other’s pressure points and concluded “the damage is too big for both of us right now, so let’s pause.”
So the tariff deferral is positive, but it also creates a setup where the conflict can reignite at any time via the next negotiation levers (minerals, equipment, cloud, model regulation).
3) Exporting NVIDIA H200 to China: it may be an “ecosystem war,” not just revenue
The story on the surface
If tens of thousands of H200 units can be shipped to China, it’s a plus for NVIDIA in terms of revenue and utilization (capacity).
The core point: “CUDA lock-in”
Jensen Huang’s desire to keep selling to China becomes clearer when viewed through the ecosystem lens.
If China fully moves to a Huawei-centered stack—its own chips plus its own software stack—what the U.S. fears is not “chip sales declining” as much as “losing the standard.”
If developers and enterprises leave CUDA, NVIDIA’s moat erodes.
The regulation paradox (the more you ban, the more you strengthen self-reliance)
As in the text, if Huawei can twist processes and deliver results even without EUV, and its ecosystem grows faster, you get a situation where “blocking ends up growing a competitor.”
That’s why a scenario holds where, even with down-binned products, keeping supply open so users keep using it like a “digital drug” (lock-in) can be more advantageous in the long run.
4) The “most important content” that other YouTube/news often misses: bigger than tariff deferrals is the “power and infrastructure bottleneck”
Most people only watch “Can NVIDIA go higher?”
But the truly big bottleneck is not the chip itself, but the power, substations, cooling, data center land, and networks needed to run those chips.
Why this is the core point
Even if hyperscalers increase AI CAPEX, if power infrastructure can’t support it, “money gets spent but revenue conversion is delayed.”
Conversely, if power/infrastructure constraints loosen, GPU orders could grow again by “stepping up a layer” in upgrades.
Investment implications
Do not view AI semiconductor demand in isolation; watch it together with the data center power and CAPEX cycle.
This is a better checkpoint for judging the durability of the tech rally the market talks about these days.
5) AWS growth re-accelerates + hyperscaler AI CAPEX increases: “the destination of the money is ultimately chips and power”
What the text is saying
Worries about AWS revenue growth slowing (into the teens) → a rebound back into the 20% range helped partially suppress the concern that “cloud demand might be rolling over.”
Interpretation (one level deeper)
If cloud revenue holds up, hyperscalers can more easily treat AI CAPEX not as a “one-off event” but as a “medium-to-long-term investment.”
Then the first winners in the value chain are GPUs/accelerators, and next are power and infrastructure.
Macro keywords that naturally follow
In this process, inflation pressure (power, construction, equipment) can emerge to some extent, and coupled with the rate-cut path, market volatility could increase.
However, for growth stocks, “rate cuts” themselves tend to be a supportive backdrop.
6) Sovereign AI (state-led AI infrastructure): after the private sector, the next hitter is “government orders”
Core point from the text
There was the mention that about 11% of NVIDIA revenue comes from sovereign AI.
It is not big yet, but after private investment, government investment is likely to become a major pillar.
Why sovereign AI grows
Because AI is starting to be treated as a “strategic weapon,” beyond being an industrial tool.
Like the U.S. Department of Energy project (in the “Genesis mission” context mentioned in the text), building national-scale AI infrastructure involves large budgets and long timelines, creating stable demand for the supply chain.
7) Expanding into physical AI (robots, autonomous driving): why NVIDIA’s “next growth engine” matters
Key takeaway
Data center AI alone is huge, but physical AI changes the scale again because it is “automation of the real world.”
If NVIDIA lays down robotics/autonomous driving platforms, it can move beyond simple chip sales toward a platform revenue structure.
Competitive landscape (reflecting the text’s view)
Physical AI feels like it compresses into Tesla vs. NVIDIA, and in a market where capital concentrates into “number-one stocks,” this dynamic can strengthen.
8) Valuation check: the trap and the opportunity in the logic of “it has risen a lot, yet the PER is low”
Claim in the text
If NVIDIA’s forward PER is around 26x, an interpretation is possible that it is not expensive relative to its growth rate.
Checkpoints investors should watch here
Periods when PER looks low usually occur when the market doubts “sustainability.”
So the key is whether “H200/next lineup demand remains intact 2–3 years out” and whether “power/data center bottlenecks do not block CAPEX.”
9) U.S. macro: GDP is strong, but consumer sentiment wobbles (the rearview mirror is clear, the windshield is foggy)
Summary of the text
GDP at 4.3% was strong as historical data, and consumption growth was also solid.
However, the consumer confidence index (December) fell to 89.1, raising concerns that “the probability of wallets opening going forward” could decline.
The K-shaped economy matters more
If real disposable income growth slows and the savings rate drops, consumption becomes increasingly “upper-income-led.”
As a result, the market is more likely to move toward “a market where only top companies/top assets are strong” rather than “a market where everything improves.”
This also aligns with the backdrop sustaining the recent tech-led rally centered on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.
10) Year-end flows (window dressing): why more money piles into number-one stocks
Phenomenon
Days when the Nasdaq holds up but the Russell 2000 is weak are largely driven by year-end institutional portfolio cleanup.
Logic
The greater the uncertainty, the stronger the psychology to keep only “stocks that look certain” (NVIDIA, TSMC, Broadcom).
Meanwhile, second- and third-place names (AMD, Intel, etc.) or theme plays are more likely to be sold for performance reporting.
11) What to watch next (checklist)
1) U.S.–China negotiations: whether the tariff deferral is “one-off,” and whether the front shifts to minerals/equipment/cloud.
2) The intensity of China’s mineral export controls: whether it spreads into cost pressure for defense/advanced manufacturing.
3) The quality of hyperscaler AI CAPEX: how much it expands from “GPU purchases” to “power/land/cooling.”
4) NVIDIA’s ecosystem lock-in: whether the CUDA-centered standards battle shakes (whether China’s independent stack spreads).
5) Rate-cut expectations and real-economy slowdown: whether cooling employment helps tame inflation without crushing consumption too much.
< Summary >
The 18-month semiconductor tariff deferral is likely not “reconciliation,” but a practical ceasefire after the U.S. and China confirmed each other’s pressure points (U.S. = chips, China = minerals).
NVIDIA exports to China matter more at the “CUDA ecosystem lock-in” level than for revenue, and they help prevent China’s independent ecosystem from growing via the regulation paradox.
The destination of hyperscaler AI CAPEX is GPUs and data center power infrastructure, and the bigger bottleneck than tariffs is power/cooling/land.
The U.S. has strong GDP, but consumer sentiment/disposable income/savings are wobbling as the K-shaped economy deepens, so capital can concentrate even more into number-one tech stocks.
[Related posts…]
- The three things the market is really watching after NVIDIA earnings (demand, margins, CAPEX)
- How tariff risk reshapes global supply chains: semiconductors, batteries, and rare earths
*Source: [ 월텍남 – 월스트리트 테크남 ]
– 엔비디아 급등신호..ㄷㄷ 이제 반도체 관세 없이 날아가나?
● Stablecoin Shockwave – Instant Cashflow, Banking Disrupted, Currency Sovereignty at Risk, AI Money Unleashed
When Stablecoins Enter Commercial Use: Everything Changes From Small Business Owners’ “Cash Flow” to the “Business Models” of Banks, Cards, and Insurance
In today’s piece, I made sure to clearly include exactly these four things.
1) From a small business owner’s perspective, the structural reason why “1,000,000 won in sales becomes 990,000 won in sales”
2) The process by which products that banks, card companies, insurance, and securities firms sold “separately” get bundled into “one financial OS”
3) The gaps in “monetary sovereignty” and payment data that arise when there is no KRW stablecoin
4) Why, in the AI agent era, stablecoins become “money used by machines”
1) Today’s core point news summary: Stablecoins are not “payment speed,” but a “replacement of the financial operating system (OS)”
Point 1. A stablecoin is closer to digital e-money than an “investment coin”; it is a payment and settlement rail.
Point 2. When settlement becomes near-instant, payment fees, intermediary processes, and settlement delays all decrease at the same time.
Point 3. For finance to become truly digital, “splitting and combining” must be possible—and stablecoins make that possible.
Point 4. This change is not a simple payment innovation; it is a structural shift that moves the fragmented legacy of banks, cards, insurance, and securities onto shared rails.
2) The first change small business owners will feel: “Cash flow,” not “sales,” changes
2-1. D+1–2 settlement → near real-time settlement
Right now, even if you make 1,000,000 won in card sales, it often takes 1–2 days before it actually turns into cash.
Once stablecoin payments are integrated, settlement happens immediately, like “the customer takes money out of their wallet and puts it directly into the owner’s hand.”
For small business owners, this is not just convenience—it is a cash-flow revolution that reduces working-capital pressure (inventory, payroll, rent).
2-2. Why the “net amount received” from 1,000,000 won in sales increases (fee and middle-layer reduction)
As the original text said, the claim that “a structure that used to leave about 950,000 won could leave 980,000–990,000 won” is based on a scenario where intermediary agency, settlement, and processing layers in the middle are reduced.
In other words, if a thick, overlapping structure of payment networks, settlement networks, and intermediary networks becomes thinner, there is room for fees to fall.
From a small business owner’s perspective, this leads directly to cost reduction + margin improvement.
2-3. A “new set of options” for small business owners: automatic allocation and automatic settlement
Stablecoins have programmable characteristics, meaning conditions can be executed by code.
So at the moment of payment, things like
– Automatically set aside 10% into a rent account
– Automatically send 30% to ingredient suppliers
– Automatically separate 5% into a tax reserve
become possible as “settlement automation.”
If this is implemented properly, running a small business could start to resemble a small-scale automated financial system.
3) For individual consumers it looks like “one button,” but for financial firms “the whole game changes”
3-1. Consumer experience: it feels like just adding one “stablecoin payment” button on the payment screen
Realistically, at the beginning, users may not feel a big change.
Because the app only needs the payment button to change.
Instead, the real change explodes in the invisible back end—settlement, data, and product structure.
3-2. Financial firms’ experience: moving from “separate systems” to “apps on a common rail”
The analogy in the original text is very accurate.
Before the Windows OS, each program stored things separately and wasn’t compatible; once an OS existed, copy-and-paste became possible.
If a common rail based on stablecoins emerges, finance similarly becomes a place where “information and settlement move” more easily.
What this means is that financial products can be combined and launched much faster.
3-3. The ripple effect created by unified settlement cycles: easier financial product “packaging”
Currently, settlement cycles differ—stocks (T+2, etc.), deposits, insurance, card points—so even if you “sell 1,000,000 won,” it doesn’t land in your hands at the same time.
If settlement standards converge on a common rail, then
– investing
– depositing (deposit-like)
– insurance (ultra-short-term / micro-insurance)
– payment rewards
could be designed with “one click” inside a single wallet.
In this process, the digital transformation of traditional finance moves beyond UI improvements and into redesigning the product structure itself.
4) What changes by sector: rebuilding scenarios for banks, cards, insurance, and securities
4-1. Banks: not deposits/remittances, but a battle for “wallet ownership” and “data leadership”
In the stablecoin era, the flow data—“where money is created, where it flows, and where it stays”—becomes core.
Banks have traditionally been account-based, but wallet-based competition could grow going forward.
What matters here is not only “interest rates,” but who holds the touchpoint of payment and settlement.
As this flow grows, monetary policy and the distribution structure of financial products will be recalibrated together.
4-2. Card companies: weaker fee model → transforming into bundled operators of “rewards/credit/insurance/investing”
The strength of cards is “frequency”—people use them multiple times a day.
On stablecoin rails, based on that frequency, features like
– automatically investing a certain percentage of payments
– automatically depositing points
– automatically enrolling in small, short-term insurance
attach far more naturally.
Card companies are likely to evolve toward selling not a “payment button,” but a “bundled everyday finance” offering.
4-3. Insurers: from “an industry you meet once a year” to “micro-insurance attached to everyday spending”
The Singapore example in the original text (taking a portion of payment to sign up for insurance that lasts a day or two) is the core point.
Insurance originally has few customer touchpoints, making CRM difficult, but when it attaches to payment rails, touchpoints increase dramatically.
Ultimately, insurance could shift from
– a structure that sells only long-term products
to
– ultra-short-term coverage embedded in daily life → upselling to long-term when needed
This means insurers’ product planning, risk management, and marketing all change.
4-4. Securities: beyond trading UX improvements to competition for “assets that can be spent instantly”
In securities, a more important criterion than “buy/sell” could shift to “how soon it can be used like cash.”
If settlement speeds up and assets move toward tokenization, stocks/bonds/funds will compete as “wallet liquidity.”
Ultimately, capital markets also become about who controls liquidity and payment rails, potentially reshaping market interest rates and investment accessibility.
5) Why a “KRW stablecoin” matters: monetary sovereignty hinges not on “payment,” but on “store of value”
5-1. If USD stablecoins become the standard, KRW risks becoming “local points”
If the dollar-based system becomes the global standard and there is no won-based option, there is concern that the won’s store-of-value function could weaken.
The core point in the original text is this.
Money’s functions are exchange + storage, and if the storage function collapses, a currency’s presence shrinks rapidly.
5-2. The fee and FX-cost structure for overseas content/services payments could change
Right now, overseas payment → conversion to USD → domestic settlement → conversion to KRW often adds steps, increasing cost and time.
If a KRW stablecoin circulates, there can be a segment where KRW trades directly in digital space, and this can affect payment costs and settlement time.
5-3. The point connected to interest-rate and inflation response capacity
If part of economic activity becomes fixed on a dollar-based digital currency rail, there is a concern that the influence of domestic policy (such as interest-rate adjustments) could diminish.
This is not just a technology issue but a macroeconomic risk perspective.
6) Combined with the AI trend: stablecoins have explosive potential because they are “money AI understands”
6-1. Money for humans vs money for machines
Today’s digital payments are not complete unless a human presses the button.
But for AI agents to judge on their own and complete transactions, money must exist in a form machines can read and execute.
Stablecoins allow conditions to be coded, so they become rails suited to agent-to-agent transactions and machine-to-machine (M2M) transactions.
6-2. The real battlefield is “who gets the data”
There is one point that many pieces of content miss here.
The core point of the stablecoin business is not fees, but “data visibility (observability).”
Depending on who controls payment and settlement, where transaction data accumulates is decided.
That data connects directly to AI training and personalized financial products.
In the end, the side that captures the “wallet (distribution layer)” inevitably becomes stronger over the long run.
7) The stablecoin value chain: where will companies make money (organized by layer)
7-1. Infrastructure layer (blockchain/network)
This is the technical foundation that records and finalizes transactions.
The more this layer standardizes, the stronger economies of scale become.
7-2. Manufacturing layer (financial product design/issuance/risk management)
This is the layer where traditional financial firms (banks, insurers, securities) can hold an advantage.
However, if products become “splittable and combinable,” the manufacturing method itself changes.
7-3. Distribution layer (wallets, UX, merchant network)
This is the layer where platforms, big tech, and e-commerce are strong.
The side that blends naturally into the app users use every day has a higher probability of winning.
7-4. Edge layer (on-chain ↔ off-chain connection, regulatory/compliance bridge)
This is the layer that connects real-world accounts/card systems with on-chain systems.
This layer must be stable for enterprise and mass adoption to accelerate.
8) Only the “most important core point” that other YouTube/news sources rarely say, summarized separately
1) Even bigger than “fee reduction” is “unification of settlement cycles.”
If settlement cycles are unified, financial products can be combined like LEGO blocks, and this changes the speed of financial innovation.
2) The essence of stablecoin competition is “wallet share,” and next is “data observability rights.”
Because payment data leads to AI training and personalized financial products, the side that captures the distribution layer becomes stronger long-term.
3) A KRW stablecoin is not “payment convenience,” but a defensive line for “store of value (finance).”
If you only look at the exchange function, you can ride the dollar rail, but if the store-of-value function is eroded, monetary sovereignty and policy capacity can weaken.
4) In the AI agent era, “human-pressed payments” become a bottleneck.
For machines to judge and execute, money machines can read is needed, and that touchpoint is stablecoins.
< Summary >
When stablecoins enter commercial use, small business owners benefit from near-instant settlement of sales, reduced fees and settlement delays, and improved cash flow.
Financial firms shift from fragmented legacy systems across banking, cards, insurance, and securities into shared rails, moving competition toward a “financial OS” where products can be split and combined.
Without a KRW stablecoin, the store-of-value function may weaken under dollar-rail dominance, potentially shaking monetary sovereignty and policy capacity.
From an AI trend perspective, stablecoins have major impact because they are “money machines understand” that enables agent-to-agent transactions.
[Related Posts…]
Stablecoin Regulation and Commercialization, What Korea Must Prepare For
KRW Digital Currency and Monetary Sovereignty: Responses in the Era of Dollar Stablecoins
*Source: [ 티타임즈TV ]
– “100만원치 팔아도 더 많이 버는 거죠” (장우경 작가)● Boiler Bills Slashed, Exit Mode Trap Exposed, Floor Heat Hack, Fix Cold Spots Fast, Freeze Proof Tips, Lukewarm Water Culprits
Complete Guide to Boiler Settings That Lower Heating Bills Even If You Run It All Day: From the Away-Mode Trap to Uneven Heating, Air Purging, and Lukewarm Hot Water Issues
In today’s post, I included these 6 items for sure.
1) The structural reason why Away Mode can actually increase your heating bill
2) Criteria for choosing Ondol/Room Temperature mode + recommended settings that “cost less even if you keep it on all day”
3) The first things to check when heating feels weak (air, filter, manifold)
4) Two ways you can immediately improve heating efficiency at home (including how to fix uneven heating)
5) Freeze prevention: the core point you must know before leaving water running
6) A “ridiculous but common” reason hot water won’t come out even though the boiler is fine
1) Today’s Key News Briefing (Heating Bill/Gas Bill Saving Core Points)
One-line summary
Rather than trusting Away Mode and repeatedly turning it off and on, running it steadily with “Ondol mode + low heating-water temperature,” and simply fixing manifold balance/air/filter issues can dramatically improve heating efficiency.
Why it matters even more these days
With energy price volatility, winter city-gas bill 부담, and a cost-of-living inflation environment, heating costs have effectively become a “semi-fixed expense.”
Small setting differences sharply split perceived gas bills in this range, so checking now has a great ROI.
2) Away Mode: Why It’s Not a “Use This When You Go Out” Function
How Away Mode actually works
From a field technician’s perspective, Away Mode is generally best understood as a mode that runs minimally “only when the outdoor temperature (or the boiler’s own conditions) drops below a certain threshold.”
The problem is that even if the indoor temperature drops, if it doesn’t fall below that threshold, the boiler essentially doesn’t run.
What you feel at home
This is where you get: “I ran it for hours but the house isn’t warm, yet the gas bill still went up.”
Reheating from a cold state requires more energy in bursts, and efficiency can easily drop during that process.
Alternative: the reservation function (intermittent operation)
Instead of fully OFF or locking into Away Mode, giving it periodic operation via scheduling in 2–4 hour intervals is more stable.
Especially when you’ll be away for a long time, it’s often recommended as an option that addresses both “freeze risk + heating recovery speed after you return.”
3) The Core of Settings That “Cost Less Even If You Run It All Day”: Mode Choice Is 80%
(1) Difference between Room Temperature mode vs Ondol (heating-water) mode
Room Temperature mode: the temperature sensor inside the controller (remote) reads the air temperature and controls the boiler
Ondol mode: instead of the indoor air sensor, it operates based on the temperature of the heating water circulating through the floor
(2) Homes where Room Temperature mode fits well
Homes where air circulates well around the living room, there’s nothing blocking heat near the controller, and drafts are not severe
In those cases, Room Temperature mode is better for “felt comfort.”
(3) Homes where Ondol mode is advantageous (stable-bill type)
If there are drafts, or
if the controller is near a window frame or is affected by cold air, or
if heat doesn’t rise well around the controller due to furniture/devices,
then Room Temperature mode can lead to “it keeps judging it as cold → it keeps running,” causing the gas bill to spike.
(4) Recommended settings (field-style guide)
On days you keep it on all day: leave it in Ondol mode, and start the heating-water temperature at “a level slightly higher than body temperature.”
In the technician’s comment context, 35–36°C was mentioned, and real comfort varies by house structure/insulation.
The important thing is not “overheating settings (locked at 50–60°C),” but a strategy of raising it only as much as needed and maintaining it.
4) First Priority When Heating Doesn’t Work: If Air Gets In, Circulation Dies
Why air is critical
If air gets trapped in the floor piping, it interferes with water circulation itself.
When circulation is blocked, you can burn the same gas but fail to deliver heat, so you end up with “the gas bill goes up but the house doesn’t get warm.”
What to check: the air vent (automatic air release)
If you listen quietly, sometimes you can hear a “pssh-pssh” sound as air is released.
Checking once before the winter season can make a big difference in how it feels.
Extra point: rust water/sludge (older piping)
In older homes with a high proportion of iron/steel pipes, rust-water issues can occur.
Like the analogy “boiling clear water vs boiling cloudy water,” heat-exchange efficiency drops, so you run heating longer for the same warmth.
That’s why people talk about cleaning the pipes every 2–3 years (within what’s feasible).
5) Two Ways to Immediately Improve Heating Efficiency at Home (You Can Start Today)
Method A. Remove “heat blockage” around the controller
If there are devices, furniture, curtains, cabinets, etc. around the controller (temperature sensor), airflow gets blocked.
The sensor may fail to read the actual temperature properly and may judge “it’s still cold.”
As a result, the boiler runs more than necessary.
Method B. Fix uneven heating by balancing the manifold
Nearby rooms have shorter piping, and farther rooms have longer piping.
So under the same conditions, nearby rooms warm up quickly while far rooms heat slowly, creating “uneven heating.”
Practical adjustment method (easy if you remember the principle)
1) Rooms you don’t use: boldly shut them off (reduce heating loss)
2) Far rooms: open more
3) Near rooms: close slightly
The goal is to make “the entire set of lines circulate a full loop at roughly similar levels.”
Caution
If the manifold is old, operating the valves may cause leaks.
If you ignore even a small leak, it can lead to damage to the unit below, so if you see signs of leaking, it’s safer to consider repair/replacement first.
6) Freeze Prevention: Unplugging the Power Cord Is the Most Dangerous Choice
Risks of power OFF/unplugging
If you keep the power on, the boiler may run the pump at low temperatures for freeze prevention.
But if you unplug it, that safety device itself is disabled.
In the worst case, you may have to work on the floor piping too, and it can grow into a cost in the millions of won.
Leaving water running is not “always”—it’s conditional
If the environment is truly dangerous, such as extreme regions (for example, below -20°C for a long time), you need enough flow rate for it to be effective.
On the other hand, a “tiny trickle” can freeze depending on conditions.
Another core point: in some homes, you can’t leave only hot water running
Because hot-water and cold-water piping lines can be different, if you run only one side, the other line can freeze.
Depending on the situation, it’s important to secure an appropriate flow rate for both cold and hot water to reduce freeze risk.
7) Three “Ridiculous” Causes of No Hot Water Even Though the Boiler Is Fine
Cause 1) The gas line valve is closed
If you partially close the valve to save gas bills, hot water may fail to combust normally.
Basically, “fully open” is the rule.
Cause 2) After switching to a low-flow showerhead/head, the flow rate drops below the threshold
Even if the pressure feels strong, if the actual flow rate is small, the boiler may judge it as “combustion conditions not met” and fail to ignite/run.
“I changed the showerhead and then hot water stopped working” is a fairly common case in the field.
Cause 3) Using too much water for the boiler’s capacity
If you exceed the boiler’s per-minute hot-water capacity, water still comes out but it feels lukewarm.
In winter, the incoming water temperature is low, so this phenomenon becomes worse, and in summer it can be hot enough that you notice the issue later.
8) A Field-Style Self-Check Checklist That Saves Money If You Do It Before Winter
Boiler filter cleaning
If debris builds up in the filter, circulation/flow rate drops and heating performance can sharply decline.
Check the flue/water-leak traces
Water stains around the flue and water stains under the boiler are often signals of leaks that “seem fine at the time.”
It’s best to catch them early to keep damage small.
Check for air (sound can be a clue too)
If air is trapped, circulation is blocked, and if you keep running it in that state, it becomes a structure where only the heating bill leaks away.
Consider recommended lifespan/efficiency decline
On the premise that efficiency can drop as usage time increases, “cost-effective operation (only the temperature you need)” becomes more important.
9) The “Truly Important Core Points” That Other YouTube/News Often Don’t Mention (My Perspective)
1) For heating bills, “circulation quality” comes before “set temperature”
People usually only 고민 about “what temperature should I set,” but if air/filter/manifold balance collapses, any temperature setting just burns money without improving comfort.
In other words, the prerequisite for reducing heating bills is “whether circulation is normal.”
2) Away Mode is not a savings button; it’s closer to a “minimum freeze-safety device”
If you understand Away Mode as a savings button, the probability of failure is high.
Often, scheduled operation or low Ondol settings capture both “comfort + cost.”
3) “Uneven heating” is not an interior problem; it’s a flow-distribution problem
When a room is cold, people think of insulation first, but in reality many homes are solved by a single manifold balance adjustment.
This directly connects to reducing city-gas bill pressure by improving perceived heating efficiency.
4) There is also a paradox where water-saving products can increase energy consumption
If the flow rate is too low, the boiler may fail to ignite, or conversely if you open the water too much and it’s lukewarm, you may shower longer, increasing total energy use.
This feels especially significant in a cost-of-living inflation phase.
< Summary >
Away Mode is not a savings button; it is conditional minimal operation, so heating may not work.
If drafts/controller placement is questionable, Ondol mode can stabilize gas bills more than Room Temperature mode in many cases.
If heating is weak, you must first check air, filter debris, and manifold uneven heating.
If you adjust manifold balance by opening far rooms and reducing near rooms, perceived heating efficiency increases.
For freeze prevention, unplugging is the worst choice, and leaving water running/intermittent heating must match local temperature conditions.
Hot-water problems can be caused by the gas valve, low-flow showerhead flow rate, or excessive use beyond the boiler’s capacity.
[Related Posts…]
Household Budget Check Points to Avoid a Heating-Bill Bomb in Winter
City Gas Rate Variables and Saving Strategies (Home Checklist)
*Source: [ 지식인사이드 ]
– 하루종일 틀어도 난방비 적게 나온다는, 20년차 보일러 기사의 설정법
