Hot-Water Surprise
Bob, this will not solve the original peoples’ hot-water problem (“Too Much Hot Water,” January 2007), but I did have a good chuckle when I first read about it in the April issue (“Too-Much-Hot-Water Solution”). The reason I chuckled is that this particular episode reminded me of one of our stays at Twin Creek RV Resort in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I turned on the cold-water faucet for the kitchen sink and was quite surprised when very hot water came out of the tap (and when I say hot, I mean that it was scalding).
I turned it off and then turned it back on again about four times. The fifth time the water was cold. I just shook my head a couple of times and said to my wife, “I don’t understand what’s happening here, it’s the first time that this kind of thing happened.”
Well, after about five minutes, it finally dawned on me. The outside hose that feeds our water was being heated by the sun, and after the hot water was completely used up, the cold water naturally started coming in. “Live and learn,” my wife commented.
Bob Valente
Northville, Michigan
Bob: Bob, I’m happy to learn that you have discovered “solar water heaters.” It’s always fun to hear from readers who have experiences in the field. You might have stumbled on to something here, as long as you take very short showers.
