Having a hot shower is often something that you take for granted, it may be part of your daily routine to tumble out of bed and into a hot shower. The water splashing across your body is an excellent way to wake up and get ready for a new day. However, if your water heater breaks down you may suddenly find yourself jumping into a cold shower; it will definitely wake you up!
Unfortunately, a water heater repair can be expensive. There are many small electronic parts as well as the bigger, mechanical components. Anyone of these can fail leaving you with no hot water. The faster you can get this repaired the happier you will be; it is inconvenient to have to start showering at a friend’s house, or even at work. There are several options whilst waiting for a water heater repair to be sorted:
Emergency Call Out
The first thing you will want to do is find someone to come out and look at your water heater. They will be able to advise what has gone wrong and a guideline price regarding completing a water heater repair. If you are lucky it will be something simple and it will be fixed straight away. However, if it is something more serious you will probably need to wait for parts and may be without hot water for some time; especially if the repair is going to be expensive. Finding the necessary funds can be a challenge in itself.
Look at the heater yourself
It is possible to attempt a water heater repair yourself. However, unless you are an expert you will probably be baffled at the array of wires, circuit boards and other parts inside your water heater. Even with the help of the internet this is a dangerous option which can result in more repair work being needed. Water heaters are generally very robust but it is surprisingly easy to damage them permanently when you attempt to fix them without fully understanding how they work.
Showering at a friend’s
You will, of course, still need to shower! Showering at a friend’s house, or a family member, is one of the most obvious choices. This can be awkward as you will need to drive to their house and fit in with their schedule. You will have to carry your wash gear around with you and may not feel free to shower whenever you like. You will also be likely to feel that you are imposing on them and their good nature; especially if it is a while before your parts arrive.
Work or Gym showers
You may be lucky enough to have showers at work or even at your local gym. These can be more flexible in terms of when you will be able to shower; you will probably not feel like you are imposing on anyone. However, you will always be aware that you are surrounding by work colleagues or strangers and may find it difficult to enjoy your shower.
Boiling the kettle
Finally, the other option is to forego the shower altogether. Boil a kettle to get your hot water and simple wash with a flannel. It is also possible to boil several kettles and have an incredibly shallow bath; but this is time consuming and has little more effect than a flannel wash. Eventually you will need and want a proper shower.
Anyone can experience a water heater breaking down, but regular servicing will dramatically reduce the chances of this happening. This is something you should seriously consider.