Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobb
Your wife using hot tap water for tea?  How about a hot pot or a microwavable glass? 2 minutes and you have hot water.  |
I agree that's the cheapest and easiest solution. A cup of water will come to a boil in about 3 minutes in a microwave oven. Also, tea experts say you should always start with cold water to brew tea, due to optimal oxygenation.
As for the water for the bathroom, here's what I use. Our upstairs bath is located two floors above the basement where the gas water heater is located. We pay a city water bill that is very expensive, so I wanted to avoid running and wasting gallons of water to get only a small amount of it hot. I installed a small hot water heater which holds about 1/2 gallon under the sink in the hot water line. The heating element in the tank is thermostatically controlled. The 110 volt power for it is attached to a timed circuit. I turn the timer on for about 5 minutes before using the water to wash my face and hands. The heater delivers enough warm water to use for that purpose. If I should happen to forget to turn the power off, the circuit timer shuts it off automatically. In summer I simply turn off the power to it, as it isn't necessary in warm weather. It's a relatively inexpensive system that works.