The Story of Our Shower

[gemfyre]

Turn on hot water before stepping into shower. Water pressure is initially good but drops significantly once the hot water actually comes through (why is this? I've noticed it with many taps).
Turn on cold water. Water pressure increases. Temperature decreases slightly to a temperature that is great in Winter, but almost too hot to stand in Summer.
Turning the cold tap on more increases the water pressure, but the temperature doesn't change.
Turning the hot tap OFF slightly makes the water HOTTER.
Eventually turn the hot tap all the way off and cold water comes through again.
Turn hot tap slightly. Water reaches perfect temperature for Summer showers.
This lasts... maybe a minute? Then the water goes freezing again.
Turning on the hot tap more doesn't make a difference.
Turn cold tap all the way off and hot eventually comes back through.

Repeat this procedure while trying to actually wash onself.

We got a water saving shower head at some time but discovered that we have some archaic water heater that doesn't work with one. Here we are, trying to do the right thing to be thwarted by a stupidly designed water heater which we can't replace because it's a rental.

*sigh*

At least showers in Winter are good.

Comments

[jet-ski.livejournal.com]

yeah, instantaneous has problems with a low flow rate... we have an instantaneous gas HWS and a low flow shower head and the responsiveness is far less than satisfactory. Solar hot water is on the list of things to spend money on but because the large part of the govt rebate is if you trade in an electric HWS, it's going to cost us a few grand out of our own pockets. I was hoping that some better rebates would come through with the ETS legislation but as that has been killed, we are going to have to bite the bullet at some point.