Sharing bath water

I am all for trying new things, and learning the hang of a new culture,, but having to heat up water in the kettle all last winter, because our boiler was very messed up and we were quoted about 3000 pounds to replace it by British Gas,, which we still have not done, as that is just too much for us at the moment. That is why I laughed at the 'camping' quip. We actually had our sleeping bags out in the lounge to cuddle in for warmth the first winter I was here, because of the dodgy boiler. Sometimes you have to see the light side of a situation that would otherwise drive you to drink  People shouldn't have to explain why they can relate to something that amuses them.

You need to get another quote!  
I've never seen a boiler that costs £3000, even with labour charges included!  
I saw an advert in the paper recently for a combi boiler plus X number of new radiators (combi boilers give you unlimited hot water... there is no tank, it heats the water as and when you use it!), fully installed, for £1600.

We did finally get a reasonable quote of 1300 to replace the boiler (a combi), install it to a new location in the house by a guy our boiler repair guy recommended. We still havn't replaced the thing yet,, and it's still a mess,, but we have so many things we need to get done in the house before we replace it. It was never installed properly from what we have been told. Hopefully will get to replace it soon, after replacing everything in both bathrooms, and outfitting a new kitchen  . In the end,, we hope to sell the house by this time next year, so have alot to do first.

The British Gas quote, was without replacing the radiators, we were flabbergasted at the quote too.  Just beware of British Gas's cowboys who come out to give you a quote.  

We installed a condensing boiler a couple of years ago and got a government grant towards it as they're seen as greener, the only problem is that a lot of plumbers aren't very experienced or keen on installing them. Apparently some local councils still offer grants or discounts - might be worth doing a Google search.

I hate mixer taps.  >:(I hate having to run the cold so that it doesn't come out luke-warm, and having the warmth sucked out of the hot side by running the cold tap. I can't imagine how we got suckered into fitting them in this house. With a square taphead like ours you can't even put a hose on it properly and wash the car.
My brother and I used to share the tub when we were both small enough to fit in. Later, when we got too big for that we started the second-hand water thing - the tank wasn't big enough for two bathfuls, and the emersion heater would have taken hours to heat up again. I guess I haven't done it for thirty years now.

I can see the point about the hot running hot and cold running cold, actually. And Howard's point about the cold water being fresh and not stored...does make a lot of sense. It is really nice that our cold water comes out almost like a running brook in early spring...nice and crisp, if that makes any sense.

We get around both these issues (somewhat) with a combi boiler. (I love the combi boiler idea.) Yes, there is a bit of "old" in the pipes when you first run it, but I think all taps have this going on. The "mixing" bit for us is right at the end, just before the water comes out. The tap is like an upside-down "Y" shape. Well, not really, but it works for me as an explanation.  

I'd hate the square taphead, too. Ours isn't square, though, and probably would fit a hose...except that we have a tap on the outside wall that we use, and that only runs cold water.

We've yet to install a master bath and I'm giving some thought as to the pros/cons of mixer v non-mixer taps. I'd like it to be traditional so perhaps non mixer is the way to go. Hmmm...

I've taken things a bit further and actually created a "resource pool" in my subdivision, where neighbors utilize a mobile bathtub which is mounted on a wheeled platform, and we all utilize the same bathwater until it's totally expended. The current tubfull of water has been in circulation since February 17th!

Come join the fun and see how things are done in Atlanta.

Now Sun King...you know that requirement of the water restrictions was actually lifted in Atlanta last year?  

True enough, but we had this tradition going on years before the restrictions were even implemented. And you wouldn't believe what a sufficiently dedicated community of around 123 residences can accomplish with just six toothbrushes! It's only the logistics which can be somewhat challenging...