The Shower

We have been here roughly two months now and we are slowly, but surely learning work-arounds to some of the more vexatious issues we face.  One such issue is the shower.  


As I have outlined earlier, there is no central water heater, but instead each shower has its own small water heater called a geyser.  These geysers hold roughly 35 liters, or 9 gallons, of hot water.  The real pain in the bum is that you must turn them on well in advance of your shower to heat up.  Now, you might say, just leave it on as we do a central water heater, but these have no thermostat and will not turn off when the water is hot and electricity is expensive.....and I am cheap.  

The Geyser

Note the plug...covered in birdcrap.  Very safe!

So, for the last two months, I have been trying to figure out how to make 9 gallons of hot water last for an entire shower.  This has been my dilemma for the past 60 days.  Every morning, I get into the shower and run the race to shower and shave before the water turns cold (and by cold I mean luke warm, since the geyser is outside and it is 100 degrees).  I am, though, running against the clock, because if I do not figure this out before winter, the water will actually be cold and the shower uncomfortable.


My first attempt was to do the obvious and let the water heat up longer.  This proved to be minimally effective extending the time a minute or two, but nothing worth reporting.  Next, I tried simply taking a less warm shower for a longer period of time.  Again, marginally effective and much less satisfying.  


Through all of this, I had made a mental note that the drain must be clogging, because the shower basin was filling up with water very quickly and not draining.  I remember after every shower I would look down and think this is another freak'n thing with which I would need to deal.  I also remembered one of the things with which I was impressed during my first shower was the great water pressure.  This was unexpected especially since the shower heads are all the large, rain types and we live on the top floor.


In a rare moment of clarity, I put two and two together and turned the water flow down to half.  Miraculously, the water stayed warm for the entire shower, albeit barely, and the basin did not fill up.  Now you might want to diminish my success by saying "duh!" but anyone that has lived overseas knows that in the barrage of crap with which you have to deal, the obvious sometimes is not so obvious.  I mean, really, when was the last time you had to turn down your water pressure.  


Another Indian pickle resolved.