You might think that taking a shower with electricity is out of the question. But, in some cases, it’s actually possible. Water is under pressure and doesn’t need electricity. The shower might be cold though as your water heater might use electricity.
Therefore you can probably take a shower when the water is out but it won’t be a lot of fun. There are some dangers associated with this though, let’s discuss these.
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Hot versus cold shower
The water is often heated with natural gas or electricity. If the power is out, the water will be cold as heaters use advanced electronics to determine how much gas or electricity they have to use.
If you have a heater that has a tank, it is possible that some hot water got stored in it and that you can use a shower. You should ask yourself if you shouldn’t have to use this hot water for something else, such as doing the dishes.
If you have a heater that doesn’t use electricity, it should be possible to get hot showers.
If power outages are common occurrences in your area, you can consider solar panels and batteries. A generator can work as well, just be careful how you connect this to your electric system.
You might have a lower water pressure
If you have an electric pump, it is possible that it doesn’t work. This can really lower the water pressure. Check the instruction manual of the pump to check if you can use the pipes when the power is out. This makes sure that you don’t damage the pump when the electricity is out.
It is often quite straightforward to restart a pump once the electricity turns back on. Most homes don’t use a pump for their shower so generally, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem in a city.
Danger 1: When is it okay to take a shower with electricity?
It is often best to know why you don’t have electricity. It is possible that there is a short circuit because there is a water leak. Showering can make this worse if the leak is in that area. Therefore it can be a great idea to contact an electrician to see what is going on.
Especially if there is a short circuit, it is important to investigate what is going on. You want to avoid further damage to your house or even dangerous situations! For this reason, it is essential that you examine what is going on before you take a shower.
Danger 2: Hot water
It is possible that the electricity suddenly gets restored and that your water heater restarts. If your shower is in a hot stand, you can get a sudden burst of hot water over you. Therefore you have to check the settings of the shower before you open the tap.
It can be quite annoying to get hot water over you when you didn’t expect it. For this reason, you have to check this before you start showering. A lot of people get surprised by this and it is no fun!
How to shower without electricity: use a bottle?
While you can shower without electricity, chances are that the shower will be cold. This is not really a problem during the summer but during the winter it can be quite annoying. You can use a bottle of water and fill this with water from a faucet.
By placing this in a warm room, you can get tepid water. Then just throw this over you in the shower. This can give you the option to get a pretty comfortable shower, even when the water heater is out. You might have to get several bottles if you want to wash your hair.
Places to shower when you can’t shower at home
You can go to a gym to shower. In most instances, they give a free trial. You can use this to get a shower. It can be a great idea to contact friends and neighbors to check if you can shower there.
A lot of people won’t mind as they want to help you out. Everyone can have an issue with their home so helping out each other is always a nice thing to do.
Will your water be hard?
Some places have a lot of calcium in the water. This can lead to a dirty white layer on your shower. This is called hard water. A water softener is often installed to get the calcium out of the water and to create soft water. Some water softeners use electricity, others don’t.
If your system is using electricity, it is possible that your water will be hard (eg. it will have calcium). Check the instructions of your water softener and what needs to happen when the electricity goes out.
Will the rest of your plumbing system work when the electricity is out?
Your toilet should function as normal (if you don’t use a water pump). Gravity and water push the dirt away and this can happen without electricity. Your faucets should provide water as well but it will be cold water.
Your washing machine and dishwasher won’t work as these require electricity. Water shouldn’t stand still too long in your pipes so it is a great idea to open your taps from time to time so that the water can move around.
To conclude, while you can shower when the electricity is out, it probably won’t be fun. The water will probably be cold and the pressure could be lower. It might also be necessary to what the cause is of the electric outage before you shower as there might be a short circuit in your house.
If a water leak is causing this, showering can make the situation worse and it could be even dangerous. You should try to get the electricity back on or shower somewhere else if you want more comfort.
Plumbing systems need electricity to function. If the power is out, a lot of parts won’t work anymore. This can affect the comfort that you get while taking a shower.
Taking a shower can be great. If there is no power in your house, it might be less comfortable though. You also have to be careful when there is thunder or lightning.
Source
https://www.consumerreports.org/home-safety/how-to-survive-a-prolonged-power-outage-a1579830430/
