How much heat is lost in a steaming hot shower anyway?

[Ed Pawlowski]

There is only one side to understand. Anyone keeping the house at 55 with a wife and child is an inconsiderate abusive prick.

[Paintedcow]

So you got one of those idiot tubs without an overflow. I replaced a tub for that reason. Of course you shouldn't let the water drip either. But tubs and sinks without overflows are assinine.

I wish toilets had some sort of overflow drains too, so when they plug, they would not run all over the floor....

[Don Y]

What if the only other option is sleeping under a bridge?? Would that be a better option for all involved?

I had a neighbor who was always burning her fireplace. The smoke was really irritating to me (allergies, etc.). I commented to another neighbor, one day, his reply: she has no *heat* in the house; wood is relatively easy to come by but the gas company wants cash money!

I'm just a little less willing to jump to conclusions without knowing the entire story. E.g., if he wanted to be truly abusive, he could limit their showers, turn off the hot water (except when HE wanted it), etc.

The fact that he's looking at increasing the house temperature +5F as a means of mitigating the (apparent) "need" for those long showers suggests he's trying to be reasonable (at least, in HIS mind).

[Ed Pawlowski]

It may be he is just pulling our collective leg too. There is heating assistance available too.

That just means he is irrational, but still a prick.

I do know a guy that keeps his house at 55-60, but he lives alone and is rarely in the house aside from sleeping.

[Tony Hwang]

I still have a bit of suspicion OP could be a troll.

[Micky]

It has an overflow, but I've found that neither sink nor tub overflows handle as much water as comes in.

I think I took the whole thing apart once -- remove the two screws adn pull the wire and the bottomless bucket out from the wall -- and there nothing clogged about it. Perhaps the area where the water leaves the tub is not big enough.

Same problem with a sink.

[Stormin Mormon]

Way to start the new year! Big load of common sense.

All usenet posters should be this observant. Good job!

(But, on the flip side, 55F cuts down on spoiled chicken the next day. And, 55, it's not just a good idea, it's the law. Thermostat cops will see you before you see them.)

[Tekkie®]

Vlad Lescovitz posted for all of us...

I haven't read all the replies and I'll leave the personal opinion out. Why not just zone out the bathroom with its own thermostat? Limit it to certain times. Or get one of those in wall heaters with a timer?

[makolber]

When you take a shower, most of the heat of the water is released into the air in the form of heat or humidity. The water that goes down the drain is Luke warm. And even that heat is not totally lost as it heats the pipes in the wall. By the time the waste water leaves your house, it has given up most of the heat. Enjoy the hot shower. It is one of the true benefits of modern life.

M