Comments on: The Temperamental Shower http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/ Updated Every Friday. Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:28:05 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Doodee http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-187 Doodee Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:35:56 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-187 Thanks for sharing Thanks for sharing

]]> By: Andy Ferra http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Andy Ferra Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:14:11 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-59 Sounds like a puzzle from Myst. :) Sounds like a puzzle from Myst. :)

]]> By: Lars Martinson http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Lars Martinson Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:43:08 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-58 Thanks again for all the comments, everyone! People over at the Boing Boing comments section about this blog entry had a lot of interesting things to say as well, with comments ranging from the positive environmental implications to a set up such as this, to an explanation about how Japan's public-bathing culture factors into the prevalence of these shower/water heater units, so check that out if you haven't already: http://www.boingboing.net/2007/11/09/nightmarishly-compli.html#comments Lars Thanks again for all the comments, everyone!

People over at the Boing Boing comments section about this blog entry had a lot of interesting things to say as well, with comments ranging from the positive environmental implications to a set up such as this, to an explanation about how Japan’s public-bathing culture factors into the prevalence of these shower/water heater units, so check that out if you haven’t already:

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/11/09/nightmarishly-compli.html#comments

Lars

]]> By: janamarie http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-54 janamarie Sun, 11 Nov 2007 10:42:32 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-54 OH MY GOD I HAVE ONE OF THOSE!!!!!!! perfect description by the way! i personally didn't think "industrial age", i thought "livestock", but similar idea. japanese people have a good laugh every time they remember i have a shower like this. i swear they only install these to have fun with gaijin. mine has eleven knobs though.. are you sure you counted them all? OH MY GOD I HAVE ONE OF THOSE!!!!!!!
perfect description by the way! i personally didn’t think “industrial age”, i thought “livestock”, but similar idea. japanese people have a good laugh every time they remember i have a shower like this. i swear they only install these to have fun with gaijin.
mine has eleven knobs though.. are you sure you counted them all?

]]> By: Daniel Sroka http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-50 Daniel Sroka Sat, 10 Nov 2007 13:18:21 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-50 When I was living in Japan, I was lucky enough to be in a brand new apartment building. Tiny as a paperclip, but top of the line. The shower was awesome. The best part was that you could precisely adjust how hot the hot water could get, so you'd get the perfect heat from day to day. Sweet. Of course, the laundry machine was a glorified salad spinner, but that's another story. When I was living in Japan, I was lucky enough to be in a brand new apartment building. Tiny as a paperclip, but top of the line. The shower was awesome. The best part was that you could precisely adjust how hot the hot water could get, so you’d get the perfect heat from day to day. Sweet. Of course, the laundry machine was a glorified salad spinner, but that’s another story.

]]> By: James http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-49 James Sat, 10 Nov 2007 05:07:21 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-49 It's a old water heater. Gotta agree with Tankless tanker on this one. It’s a old water heater. Gotta agree with Tankless tanker on this one.

]]> By: Alex H. http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-46 Alex H. Fri, 09 Nov 2007 23:44:16 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-46 When I was in Japan in the early 90s (JET), we had one of these. The starter on ours was a little slow, and so we would get a mega-boom when the gas lit up, especially when it was windy out. To address some of the questions above: the panel on the left isn't an electrical panel, but a vent for the heater to the exterior. The reason it can be moved up to *scalding* is that it is intended to heat (and keep heated) the blue bathtub beside it. The shower is merely an added feature. Yes, maintaining temperature with the thing was hell, but worse for me was the fact that you couldn't actually reach your head without doing the standard shower squat. I suppose I could have gone to the local hardware store and tried to extend it, but I figured that was just the gaijin in me, and I should work harder to acculturate. When I was in Japan in the early 90s (JET), we had one of these. The starter on ours was a little slow, and so we would get a mega-boom when the gas lit up, especially when it was windy out.

To address some of the questions above: the panel on the left isn’t an electrical panel, but a vent for the heater to the exterior. The reason it can be moved up to *scalding* is that it is intended to heat (and keep heated) the blue bathtub beside it. The shower is merely an added feature.

Yes, maintaining temperature with the thing was hell, but worse for me was the fact that you couldn’t actually reach your head without doing the standard shower squat. I suppose I could have gone to the local hardware store and tried to extend it, but I figured that was just the gaijin in me, and I should work harder to acculturate.

]]> By: Tankless tanker http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Tankless tanker Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:54:38 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-44 It's just an ancient tankless heater, nothing exciting here, move along. It’s just an ancient tankless heater, nothing exciting here, move along.

]]> By: barry http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-43 barry Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:37:38 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-43 i'm reading this while in tokyo..i just spent a month in a subletted apartment that had one of those contraptions. sans yellow noodley arm. I like to think i'm mechanically inclined, but that thing baffled me. i was trying to be traditional and would keep the morning bath water in the tub and re-heat it for an evening bath, but I couldn't figure out how to regulate the heat and almost melted the tub a couple of times. i ran to the bathroom when I smelled burning plastic and found little black bits floating in the tub. i've now graduated to a more modern set up. Mybe one day i'll tell you about the device that heated the water in the kitchen sink....now that was fun. i’m reading this while in tokyo..i just spent a month in a subletted apartment that had one of those contraptions. sans yellow noodley arm. I like to think i’m mechanically inclined, but that thing baffled me. i was trying to be traditional and would keep the morning bath water in the tub and re-heat it for an evening bath, but I couldn’t figure out how to regulate the heat and almost melted the tub a couple of times.
i ran to the bathroom when I smelled burning plastic and found little black bits floating in the tub.
i’ve now graduated to a more modern set up. Mybe one day i’ll tell you about the device that heated the water in the kitchen sink….now that was fun.

]]> By: Lars Martinson http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Lars Martinson Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:55:11 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-41 Thanks for the comments, everyone. I'm no expert, but I think part of the reason it was so complicated was that the shower unit was a shower/mini-water heater rolled into one. There was no hot water in any other part of the apartment, which meant doing dishes and laundry with ice-cold water. Brrr... I'd also like to mention that in my experience, Japan is a seemingly irreconcilable mix of ultra-modern and hopelessly archaic. Another place I stayed at had a toilet with a control panel and a heated seat, but had no heat in the rest of the apartment. So you could see your breath in the winter when you were inside, unless you were on the john. Lars Thanks for the comments, everyone.

I’m no expert, but I think part of the reason it was so complicated was that the shower unit was a shower/mini-water heater rolled into one. There was no hot water in any other part of the apartment, which meant doing dishes and laundry with ice-cold water. Brrr…

I’d also like to mention that in my experience, Japan is a seemingly irreconcilable mix of ultra-modern and hopelessly archaic. Another place I stayed at had a toilet with a control panel and a heated seat, but had no heat in the rest of the apartment. So you could see your breath in the winter when you were inside, unless you were on the john.

Lars

]]> By: benny http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-40 benny Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:11:55 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-40 What is the advantage to having a shower like this? Like is it space saving or energy saving? There must be some advantage or they would just go to the western style. And do they just sort of put it where ever in the home or does it go in the bathroom with the toilet? So confused! What is the advantage to having a shower like this? Like is it space saving or energy saving? There must be some advantage or they would just go to the western style. And do they just sort of put it where ever in the home or does it go in the bathroom with the toilet? So confused!

]]> By: Zafner http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Zafner Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:08:09 +0000 http://larsmartinson.com/my-most-exciting-shower/#comment-39 Any reasons given for why this was such a big deal? Did it heat the water using septic tank waste gas, or something like that? Was it a shower off a boat? Any reasons given for why this was such a big deal? Did it heat the water using septic tank waste gas, or something like that? Was it a shower off a boat?

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