In the “it’s always something” department, I now have a new water heater.
Dammit…
Nog had called me in Zahara on Friday to inform me that the water heater had started leaking. He managed to turn off the water, and I called Pepe the landlord. Since Nog was going to be at the beach with me over the weekend, we agreed to have the plumber come on Monday, though, being a plumber, he didn’t show up until yesterday morning. But no problem, he said he could replace the water heater that afternoon. And then we called Pepe … who informed me that I’d have to pay for half! I dunno, this just doesn’t seem right. I mean, I have a clause in my contract that says I am responsible for the upkeep of electrical appliances, but to my mind a water heater is “basic equipment” in a rented apartment and should be the responsibility of the landlord.
Anyhow … after a long argument with Pepe on the phone (I honestly don’t know why I bother) it was agreed that Rafael would install a smaller water heater than the old one – 50 litres instead of 75 – and I would pay off my half (200 euros) over the next six months. Sheesh. As I say, it’s always something. If I’d known that I was going to get charged for this I would have had fewer meals out in Zahara and saved some of the “vacation donation” money.
Meanwhile, having a smaller water heater with adjustable temperature settings (the old one just had one setting – HOT), means it could actually end up paying for itself over the next six months with lower electricity bills. Always look on the bright side (of life) … 
casa azahar 
It would seem to me that “appliances” means something very different over there, or at least to your landlord.
As far as I am concerned I would only pay for something if I get to take it when I leave… Since a water heater is generally fixture and fittings, I can’t see how he could think that you should have to pay anything, let alone half… AND get a smaller heater than the one before!
We rent our heater from the utility —a utility that I would never do business with except that the original came with the unit and they replace it for free (they are one of the ones that sends people round to try and trick people into signing up for getting your natural gas through them… and use illegal techniques to do so, though they claim they don’t but can’t be responsible for what their “contractors” do).
We pay for our hot water usage but to the gas company. The actual water heater is owned by the other company.
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I paid toward a few fixture replacements when I was renting, but only because I knew the landlady was holding the rent down for us. It wasn’t written into the deal.
The water heater waited so that you would spend teh money being good to yourself. And at least someone noticed it before it was leaked dry — sometimes when that happens, there’s a gas explosion and they take off through the roof, heading in the general direction of the Moon.
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I’m with you on not having to pay for a water-heater. I live in a rented apartment, too, and the water heater is not my responsibility.
Still, if it does pay for itself in reduced electricity bills over the winter, that would be brilliant.
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Yeesh. I wouldn’t think of a water heater as an “appliance” either. Pretty sucky to get stuck with half the bill! And it sounds like it’s not cheap, either.
Sorry that you’ve had this added stress! I hope the new heater does indeed reduce your bills, at least.
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Water heaters only go when you don’t have the cash. They think about this and they wait. They know what is in your savings account.
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In my what?
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Let me get this right. You now have a 15 gallon hot water heater. So you take really short showers, right? No bathtubs full of nice hot water for you. I think you should have held out for a demand heater myself. That’s what I want the next time we buy a water heater, which hopefully will be in about ten years.
If that sensor on the savings account is true, then we aren’t in trouble until we go on our next big vacation.
Did anybody else watch that video sledpress posted? I’m freaked out now.
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I think there is plenty of water in the new heater for showers. But yes, I do take very short showers. Seems like a waste of time and water to take long ones.
As for baths … didn’t you see my bathtub when you were here? When you sit down in it your knees end up in your armpits. So taking nice hot baths has never been an option here.
Anyhow, been taking showers, doing the washing up and there seems to be plenty of hot water. So now I’ll just wait and see what my next electricity bill is like.
Yes, I did watch Sled’s video. Cool!
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Of course, the heater WAS rated for less than half the psi that they pumped into it.
I haven’t seen this episode but I am sure that this was at the tail end of their experiments wherein they would pump more and more psi into the water heater until they are WAY over the pressure that would EVER happen in your average household.
Here is an even bigger water heater.
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/6526-mythbusters-exploding-water-heater-video.htm
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talk it out with your landlord/lady…and negotiate…its not fair…
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