Thank you, Petraites, for that information!

I'm afraid I have a similar sort of problem and cannot come up with a source for what I am now claiming. As Petraites stated, there were no water pipes to the upper floors and the residents, due to the heat, had to spend a lot of time outside their apartment. I think baths and such were places for the average Roman to spend their time off when their homes were sauna-ish.

Now as far as I can recall, there was a certain commerce downstairs of insulae: the business of selling heated water. Fresh, cold water was available to anyone, but I think I've read it was also sold in some places (especially in cities other than Rome?). The problem is that going through my very modest bookshelf, I cannot find the word for this "hot water shop" (thermopylium??? LOL) anywhere. Could you, Petraites, or someone else please help me?

In addition, cooking without fire was very simple for the apartment-dwellers. They bought a piece of meat or chicken and maybe added garlic and vegetables - or is it just what I would like to do now? - and put them into a certain kind of basket and into hot water. After some hours, they had stewed themselves a meal!

I think we could maybe discuss the luxuries of the domi after this, but I'd really like to hear what they "downstair services" were called and what exactly they are :-)