Sharing bath water

So until then, I darn well will whinge about it because that's what this forum is all about!  

Quite right, Balmerhon, and I'll do whatever I can to protect your right to do so! .  I was being a bit over-sensitive about "camping" and stuff.

Now, good Celtic and dear Britwife, if you two would make up and be friends again, that would really cheer up my day...

I'm afraid I don't know offhand what it should be (Howard?  Anyone?)

I think Waterg may well be our man here, dear Mindy.

Thanks Howard! And in my defense, I WISH I could make sure I had a place that had a nice shower and all that but rental properties in Exmouth are few and far between. We got the best of a rum lot. This is because most landlords would rather rent to the lucrative tourist trade. The Met office also moved here so the area rents went up to accomodate those well-paid weather folks!  

You all are right that I should be able to fix the temp on the hot water (it was the worst in our old flat). I've had a look at the boiler but see no way to adjust anything. Will have to see if I can find the manual.

As for washing my hands in cold water, I just can't!   My Mom always told me I 'must' use warm to kill the germs! This just goes to prove you are, in many ways, how you are raised!  

Balmerhon, I'm going to send my boys round to have a little informal chat with your landlord about showers, mixer taps and driers and so forth.  Sort of make him an offer he can't refuse!  

As for washing my hands in cold water, I just can't!   My Mom always told me I 'must' use warm to kill the germs!

Turn both taps on... fill the basin.  Hot + cold= warm!!
If youre in a public place and cant fill the basin, then fill your hands... cup them together, fill with cold, then top up with hot... hey presto!  warm water!!  

Howard, I wish you would  , but since the landlords can pick and choose their tenants in this area, we like to keep a low profile! A recent success is a 6 month campaign to get an extractor fan in the kitchen! We also put a dryer in the spare bedroom as that's the only space for it and an attachment that makes a shower (so far no exploding rubber bits!).   In reality, we've made pretty good progress, it's just fun to join the whinging and we look forward to owning our own place where we can make the changes we want!

Turn both taps on... fill the basin.  Hot + cold= warm!!
If youre in a public place and cant fill the basin, then fill your hands... cup them together, fill with cold, then top up with hot... hey presto!  warm water!!  

Lol. A bit hard to do if you're trying to rinse soap off your face and have your eyes closed.  I don't like the individual taps and can't wait to move to a new house and have mixer taps put in. It's just amazing how prevalent the individual taps are over here - I haven't seen them in the states for...oh...forever!

The camping thing made me laugh because the igniter button on our ancient gas cooker doesn't work (probably hasn't since Thatcher's time) and we have to light everything with a match - I'm practically putting my head in the oven to reach way in the back and light it. I've said a couple of times that it's one step above cooking on a campfire. It could always be worse, though, couldn't it?    

Another thing I don't quite get is why do all of the houses have gas central heating with those big, ugly radiators on the wall taking up valuable space in too-small rooms?  Why is there no forced air heating with ducts in the floor or the ceiling?  I've seen on the property shows under-floor heating being installed, but no other heating methods....

"The camping thing made me laugh..."

My friend who said this says it because she has no hot water in her kitchen and boils water in her kettle to do dishes! 

"Another thing I don't quite get is why do all of the houses have gas central heating with those big, ugly radiators on the wall taking up valuable space in too-small rooms?"

I think this is largely because so many British houses are too old to retro-fit with all the duct work central heat and air require. New American homes generally have hollow walls that all the wiring and duct work can go in. Old British houses have radiators and wires and pipe work concealed behind all those little boxes and tubes you see. Some new build and completely renovated British houses do put the wires and pipes in the walls but radiators still seem to be preferred. You can get American style heating here if you want though!

Lol. A bit hard to do if you're trying to rinse soap off your face and have your eyes closed.  

The post i was responding to was about hand-washing, but you can do the same for your face... i have a mixer tap in my bathroom, but at my in-laws, it's got to be done the way i described, or use a flannel / washcloth.  

The post i was responding to was about hand-washing, but you can do the same for your face... i have a mixer tap in my bathroom, but at my in-laws, it's got to be done the way i described, or use a flannel / washcloth.  

I wash my face this way Broxi.  We have separate taps in our bathroom, and prior to wetting my face I put warm/nearly hot water in the basin, then wash and rinse.

BTW, we're having our house completely remodeled this year, and this includes a new bathroom with mixer taps!

Bless you, dear Britwife!  I remember as an impoverished student living in a sqallid garret in the early '70s
quote]

Howard - you make me quite nostalgic. Our first marital home was a squallid garret in the Kings Cross area in the early 70s, or at least the bathroom was in the squallid garret, because you hit your head on the sloping roof when you stood up in the bath! A rubber shower hose? Sheer luxury!

Do me a favor Britwife....save your little condescending pats on the head for someone else OK

I wasn't trying to be condescending, I thought you had taken offence to my previous remark then someone else thought I meant them, it seems I am upsetting everyone on this thread - completely unintentionally! So I apologise to everyone for any offence caused.

wow, this topic went off course...i am late to be here...but wish to add a few thoughts as well.

2nd hand bath water? I would rather go out and bath in an ice cold creek then get into someone elses bath water...totally gross!

i will admit that i can not stand the water taps over here...but i have adjusted to accept them...and after reading what i think Howard wrote about the reason for cold water being seperate for drinking water...well that makes the inconvienance well worth it, because I do love taking a glass to the cold tap and enjoying the refreshing water here...after years of needing bottled water back home to drink due to high minerals, rust and yukky taste.  luckily our kitchen tap although is seperate...they run together into one outlet, allowing a mix...but it is quite obvious they come from 2 seperate pipes, as you can feel the parts of cold and hot as being seperate...

We do not have a shower here...I ever so want one...but due to renting, we are waiting until we decide to stay for a long time before putting one in...until that time, i must use the kitchen taps for washing my hair...and again have adjusted well...although I would almost give my soul for a nice shower daily.  even asked tom for a shower instead of a honeymoon...LOL!  and those rubber things to make a handle shower...LOL Worthless!...you can not get round rubber hoses to fit square taps...  I have one if anyone wants it though, just let me know...LOL...I even tried duct taping them on.

I do not have a dryer here...would love one, but I have managed ok...like the smell of them outside...but waiting for a nice day to hang out is almost impossible... in fact, today is laundry day...and knowing showers are possible, instead of worrying about it...I have just prepared the coke fire by stocking up and cleaning so that it works the radiators nice and hot all day...infact, the radiators will dry some clothes faster than a dryer if it is working good all day.

Oh yea!, in order for us to get hot water and heat in the house....we must keep the fire going 24/7...in summer months, we can use the electric to heat water...but sparingly due to the cost... so when you say living in england is like camping...I definitely know the definition...except I call it living on
The little house on the prarie...  
what a fabulous way to sit back and slow down some...i may whine over the inconvienances at times... but I really do not mind as much as I gawk about it...it is kinda fun to do things the old ways...but shhhh, do not tell tom, because I still want my shower...

doesn't work (probably hasn't since Thatcher's time)

Ah, so many things stopped working under the horrendous Thatch!  But I mustn't hijack the thread into a political rant!

I apologize humbly for being insensitive towards the position of you good Yanks struggling manfully (personfully??) with poor housing and rip-off landlords - believe me, I have been there myself.  But I should have given the matter more thought, and I am sorry.

Hijack away Howard, I will join you in the anti Thatcher rant!