hot water - what to do?

spigrimace says on Feb 24, 2006, 06:51:

Electric shower It scares me to use it, I feel like it could have the same result as peeing on the 3rd rail on the train tracks.

miamimike says on Feb 24, 2006, 07:20:

Demand Type Waters are very Safe if they installed to/with ground. Unfortunately those jerry-rigged setups often seen in Col are not the correct way and you risk life and limb in using one for more then 1 second. Thats all it takes for 110 Volts of alternating houshold current to irreveribly damage your heart. I have a friend who has 3 hooked up in his Pa. home, correctly I may add, and no problems in years of use.
More here:
http://www.toolbase.org/tertiaryT.asp?DocumentID=3206&CategoryID=950

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.,

poco says on Feb 24, 2006, 07:21:

Do it yourself - amaze onlookers There should be very little problem with electrocution. The tropical zones in Colombia allow the use of “plastic� water pipes. My guess is that colder climates (subject to freezing) use metal pipes. I have never seen metal water pipes in Valle Cauca (Cali). The exception to this would be “older� construction ie� “before� plastic was available.

The electric head works much better than would have been expected. You can reduce/increase the water flow to adjust the temperature. The shower head costs around $20 U.S. dollars, maybe higher now.



clickable picture will give more detail.

"Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent" - Isaac Asimov

miamimike says on Feb 24, 2006, 07:25:

Poco that wiring hookup doesn't look Cool, safety wise Where is the Ground wire or the waterproof juntion box? This is unfortunately what I have seen in the past with these set-ups. Scary

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.,

poco says on Feb 24, 2006, 07:41:

I spent the money I saved Where is the Ground wire or the waterproof juntion box? This is unfortunately what I have seen in the past with these set-ups. Scary

Yep,, it is kind of scary Isn't it?

Anyway, I had enough money left over to purchase one of those plastic shower mats,, you know,, the "first class" type with all those the little rubber suction feet covering the bottom? Not only does it provide a non-slip surface but also doubles as a knee protector. This seems (to me) that it might also lead to heart problems, but that is the risk you take in Colombia.

Safety is important.

PS: FIND OUT if the room you are renting HAS HOT WATER. No hot water is depressing and not worth saving a few pesos.

"Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent" - Isaac Asimov

Lionheart says on Feb 24, 2006, 07:43:

I use them too My bar has one to provide hot water in the bar sink, that way we saved about laying 100 feet of pipe from the kitchen, since cold water was already available.

Since I installed it myself I had a good look at its guts. It has several security circuits to cut off power immediately if something goes wrong. It will not even work without ground.I couldn't tell in that pic if it uses a ground wire or not.

This is the manufacturer's website, in case somebody wants to donate one to their Colombian novia/novio.

Eemax Tankless Electric Hot Water Heaters

Peter Miami says on Feb 24, 2006, 08:16:

You definitely need to get hot water in Colombia because that tab water is cold.


Peter Miami

Colombian Services says on Feb 24, 2006, 08:31:

I like to call them suicide showers: I like to call them suicide showers. They do look a lot safer when they are hard wired through the ceiling without the wires just twisted together at the shower head.

You think that is scary, I'm building a house that will have a regular hot water system, in the shower they put an electrical outlet directly above the shower just in case I wanted to install a suicide shower or for whatever reason only known to the contractor!!

After I got over the fear of being electrocuted I thought it was so funny I placed it on a web page at: http://bogotacolombialodging.com/finca-8.htm

Poco, yours is one of the best installations I've seen.

Best Wishes,
Bob

*********************
Miami Phone: 1-305-433-2299
Colombian Services Group:
www.Colombian-Services.com
www.FlowersToColombia.com
www.BogotaColombiaLodging.com

Bob - www.BogotaColombiaLodging.com - www.FlowersToColombia.com - www.Colombian-Services.com

vladimiro says on Feb 24, 2006, 09:55:

If you're too spoilt... to get used to cold showers, you can buy one of those plastic baby bathtubs. Then with a big pot you can heat up water on the stove, fill up the bathtub, and you'll have hot water to pour over yourself :)

ronaldo says on Feb 24, 2006, 10:50:

Hot Water Showers To Anyone Who Is Interested:

Cold showers are not for me.
I built a house for myself in Colombia and installed electric
shower heads in all 3 bathrooms, all with grounds. Don't consider using these shower heads without a ground unless you have a death wish.

Ronaldo.

Ronaldo

Colombian Services says on Feb 24, 2006, 10:52:

Cold Shower BURRRR! I think Poco will side with me on this one, I had hot water in the U.S. (even in AZ :-), I'm gonna' have it here, I didn't move to Colombia to lower my standard of living.

Best Wishes,
Bob

*********************
Miami Phone: 1-305-433-2299
Colombian Services Group:
www.Colombian-Services.com
www.FlowersToColombia.com
www.BogotaColombiaLodging.com

Bob - www.BogotaColombiaLodging.com - www.FlowersToColombia.com - www.Colombian-Services.com

Crazy4Cali says on Feb 24, 2006, 13:28:

I thought... I thought the outlet was there so you could run the blow dryer while you were taking a shower. It's a quick way to get that full-blown afro look.

(i.e. don't try this at home and if you do, well, too bad for you)

Colombian Services says on Feb 24, 2006, 14:17:

Crazy4Cali That was most peoples first guess of a reasonable excuse, the second was: electric razor.

Best Wishes,
Bob

*********************
Miami Phone: 1-305-433-2299
Colombian Services Group:
www.Colombian-Services.com
www.FlowersToColombia.com
www.BogotaColombiaLodging.com

Bob - www.BogotaColombiaLodging.com - www.FlowersToColombia.com - www.Colombian-Services.com

kat1 (Moderator) says on Feb 24, 2006, 14:19:

cold water is for machos ;)

engage brain before opening mouth

Cerealkiller says on Feb 24, 2006, 14:23:

Just get a water heater, gas or electric...

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives -John Stuart Mill

poco says on Feb 24, 2006, 14:31:

Yes, live better, not worse but stay alive doing it GIB is right,, actually you can be killed by less and it all depends on the conductive path through your body. Having a ground wire is better but don’t think you can’t be killed.

The safest method is to use separate Ground Fault Interrupter Circuit Breakers with the ground. This is also why these devices or GFI plugs are a code requirement in the United States for all receptacles near earth or grounds like plumbing,, ie: water that can produce a path to ground.

GFI’s DO NOT eliminate the requirement for safe wiring practices. I did check the resistance path to ground in the shower, including the knobs and drain. There is NOT a path, zero, zip, none.

The danger would be having the pipe “break� allowing the shower head to fall and somehow (like you grabbed the wires) and cause a shocking experience.

If you look closely at the large photo on the webpage you can see the iron pipe is held to the ceiling with wire attached to an adjustable clevis. All the water pipe in the house is PVC plastic, except for this one piece added to form a rigid installation.

The photo does not show the “new and improved� wiring to accommodate a 30 AMP circuit breaker.

Suggest adopting the Colombia electrical credo: Just because you don’t know what you are doing doesn't mean you won’t live long enough to inspire others to attain the same level of expertise.

Colombian remodel, replacing the ceiling. PS: If someone here is putting a new roof on their Colombian house,, try not to look at this picture.



GFI installation

"Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent" - Isaac Asimov

Pete E says on Feb 24, 2006, 14:48:

Hot water I have seen those shower head heater devices.I used one once ,it didn't work very well.But I guess they can work OK.I have heard of people being shocked but not killed.The problem is even if you have plastic pipes you have electricity right there in the shower head.
On demand water heaster work OK.The problem is you need seperate hot water pipes to use one.You might be able to rig one up right in your bathroom,limiting the extra piping need.The one I have is gas,you would need gas plumbed in or a gas bottle.Maybe the have electric ones,but mine has a direct flame that heats the water,electricity might not work the same.
In home center the on demand systems cost as much as water heaters with tanks.And gas is cheap here,I only pay 20,000 pesos a month.So if I were buying one it would be the tank.
But,if no hot water I heat it up on the stove.Anything beats a cold shower.

Pete

utopiacowboy says on Feb 24, 2006, 21:31:

I hob nob with the hot water elite of Colombia. I've never had to have cold water spraying my delicate body. Maybe some day I'll learn to be a Macho Man. Macho, macho man, I wanna be a macho man!

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

MedellinViking says on Feb 25, 2006, 07:31:

Hot water evolution The first Shower head heater I came across was in a Isla San Andre hotel.Adjustable and all but still pretty damn hot due to lack of water volume. As an added bonus every time you stepped on the drain you received a noticable all over body shock. Next came the 3 bdrm house in Medellin. Tested the sinks and especially the nice large tub shower (which is unheard of in most of these row homes) and sure as promised, hot water. Signed the papers and the first morning there I learned the tank was just 5 gal! 2 days later this was replaced by a 14liter propane on demand unit that worked like a champ. Next came the 10,000ft2 warehouse that has been remodeled into my house and club. Originally I got bids to bring Nat Gas in. Price was right up there over $5,000 to bring it in. This led to a 120 gal propane tank on the 2nd floor balcony with 1" copper running everywhere. 5 on-demand heaters supply 2 kitchens, 6 bathrooms, 9 showers and 2 jacuzzis. Easy to install and we use about 85 gal/month of propane so a monthly fill is more than adequate. Just have to remember to change batteries about every 6 months in the pilot igniter!

Live your fantasies because life is short and from all I've seen death is really, really long....

Live your fantasies because life is short and from all I've seen death is really, really long....

Rubiazo says on Feb 25, 2006, 07:56:

I have used them before AND i have been mildly shocked before by them. I vastly prefer hot showers though. Even if its 40c out I don't feel clean with just cold water.

Gator says on Feb 25, 2006, 08:02:

Visit Homecenter... and take a look at the tankless, on demand water heaters. Installation costs, of course, but it will damn sure do the job. Thge "shower head"type are, IMHO very dangerous.

"Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscripti catapults habebunt."

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

pedro says on Feb 25, 2006, 09:22:

In common use around South America I had one of those showerheads burst into flames right in front of me. Big flash of flame as soon as I switched on the tap. Burnt wiring and smoke.

This was at 5am, arriving at the hotel after a red eye flight. I took it pretty calmly. Told them that their shower just caught fire, and could I change rooms?

Encountered one other electric shower that lightly shocked you every time you touched the tap. I'm guessing the vast majority of them are sensibly installed, though.

que nota!

Diez Y Siete says on Feb 25, 2006, 11:40:

My experience with Cold showers so i had read that some places used these electric shower heads, i was suprised when i got to my boyfriends house the 1st night that he did not have one, he told me to turn the water on and it would get warm, well it was cold then more freezing cold, then it got just back to cold, after about 15 mins i just decided that that was how it ususally was and i was just going to have to deal with it, so i took a freezing cold shower and when i got out he asked me why i was shivering and i told him i wasnt used to cold showers he laughed at me, apparently he had just came back from out of town for a week and his maid had turned some hot water switch off to save electricty, i got picked on the rest of the time i was there!

Lionheart says on Feb 25, 2006, 22:03:

a fruitless discussion I discussed this often with my friend in Cali.

To her a warm or hot shower is a bad thing. Only a cold shower is needed twice a day. She even said that sex under a cold shower is better. She would never install a water heater.

Brrrr ...

Atrevido says on Feb 26, 2006, 03:14:

In Colombia you can buy gas hot water heaters (natural or pipa) that turn on automaticly when you open the hot water faucet and shut off when you close it. Economical and very efficient. It would be interesting to see how they compare for efficiency with a typical US holding tank style heater. Only limitation is it won't work with very low water pressure. I used the electric shower head in Cali for two years ($26.000 at Exito) with no problem but I ran a ground wire accross the roof and down the side to get to a steel pipe sunk in the ground. Those work ok in warm climates like Cali but up in the mountains the water is much colder and the electrics just don't have the heating capacity.

GregYohn says on Feb 26, 2006, 09:06:

Hot Water In the past, I have used hot water from the tea kettle with a big towel. The hot water is mixed with the cold water in a bucket & beats a cold water shower.

If its a sunny day, I have used a 5 gal/19 liter solar shower. After 2 hours in the sun, the water is no longer so cold and its good for 2 showers. The water comes out slowly but sure beats the shiver and shake technique of taking a shower.

http://shopping.msn.com/results/shp/?bCatId=5690,page=3

Greg

Free Calls to Colombia!
http://www.voipstunt.com/en/index.html

12VOIP.com gives free calls to Colombia.Greg

Gomezman5 says on Feb 26, 2006, 09:35:

You now have the technical advise.......try this Here is my adivce.....and of course, it's the safest. Only a little logic is needed here.

First, the fact that the author of this thread asked for a method to obtain hot water in his shower, that in and of itself means he never heard of this hot water attachment. If he never heard of it, it also means he does not know how to install one. And since there is a risk of serious bodily harm or death, I don't think we should be telling him how to install one. I would not even trust someone else doing it. The other party installing the device might electrocute himself while installing it, or the thread's offer might electrocute himself while taking his first shower.

The above said, here is the best advise. MOVE !! Someone above said it all....it's not worth staying some place to save a few pesos so you can take cold showers. If the property is not yours, the owner may not even allow you to do the work necessary to ensure a safe instalation.

Forget the work.....just move to a place that has hot or at least warm water..That is the easiest, safest, and most logical thing to do

poco says on Feb 27, 2006, 07:27:

Courting a woman and courting death G-man: Death by shower head is the least of my worries in Colombia. Plus, the girl I’m with owns the property so moving is not an option. I only make “improvements� which unfortunately have resulted in an estrado elevation and increased taxes. This year I'm a rich estrado 3 dweller and so are my neighbors. So far I do get water at #2 prices, maybe they won't notice. I was told this would happen. Another reason to NEVER make ANYTHING better if it can be seen from the street, frankly it is better to leave it alone.

For those wishing to “court death� please take a look at other devices.

eBay link, electric shower devices

The shocking truth about hot water in Cuba

"Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent" - Isaac Asimov

poco says on Feb 27, 2006, 15:30:

I've seen the exact same electrical cord "plug" I wasn't asked to "plug it in".

When I saw the guy using the extension cord w/o a plug I didn't say anything, let him use my extension. The only thing that keeps homes from going up in smoke is they are made of concrete and brick. I joke not.


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"Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent" - Isaac Asimov