We have always had a problem in this apartment with not getting hot water.
We would have to let it run for 10 minutes or more before it got “hot”. And it never got HOT. By HOT, I mean hot enough that you have to turn on the cold water faucet to blend the water so that it doesn’t burn.
I never gets that hot.
But we adapted.
But the water stopped coming out of the hot faucet entirely. Or it would spurt out and stop. and spurt and stop.
We had the staff of the apartment building look at it several times. And when they were here it was fine.
We finally had to play bad cop, good cop. We went down stairs and kaddee, very rationally, tried to explain the problem. I interrupted and railed and generally “made a scene”.
The next day we had no less than 6 workmen in our bathrooms. (might have had a peak of 7 at one point, with them all coming and going, I kinda lost track).
I tried to explain the problems:
1. The water pressure is erratic to the point of getting no water, followed by enough pressure to knock a pigeon off a garbage truck.
2. When we had water, it wasn’t hot.
So they turned on the water and let it run for a couple of minutes and determined it was hot enough. I assured them in no uncertain terms “uh, no. that’s not hot. I want STEAM”.
They (and I am not making this up) banged on the pipes with a wrench. and tested it again. “See hot”.
Me: “no, no steam? do you see steam? call me when you see steam”
As I was leaving the bathroom, problem #1 reared its ugly head. [we had never been able to repro problem while they were here].
“AHA! LOOK! MAFISH MAYA” (no water)
There was much muttering and they sent off one of the junior workmen. I understood enough to know where they sent him:
They sent him off for a new hose for the shower head. The thinking being that the hose was clogged.
I tried to explain to them why their reasoning was faulty:
the cold water behaves fine. Great water pressure. The cold water comes through the same hose that the hot water comes through, ergo….
“uh. Wait 1 minute. new hose.”
I shrug and wait.
They replace the hose and turn on the water and (thank god!) no hot water….. They turn on the cold water, plenty of water. Turn on hot no water.
Hmm, fancy that. It wasn’t the hose. [Once I lost the “it aint the hose because the cold water works fine” battle, I never even bothered to ask why it was the same in the sink (no hose) and the other shower. I figured it was faster and easier to allow them to figure it out then to try to save them time and effort]
More people were called up. A man in “nice” clothes came up to see what the problem was. [The rest of the men had on overalls]
They went down to the apartment below to check his water pressure.
And came back up. Apparently it was localized to this apartment.
Except for the hose, nothing was replaced. But they (again, no joking) banged on the pipes and joints and valves for about 2 hours.
Then they called me into the bathroom to see.
Very good water pressure, tons of grit in the sinks and shower (that came out of the faucets) and HOT-ish water. [hot enough to shower comfortably, but not HOT enough to need cold water added].
Apparently, the hot water pipe was clogged with grind/sand. [I clean the aerator/screens on the faucets about once per month to get rid of the build up]. The banging broke up enough of it and flushed it from the pipes.
Since then the water pressure and temperature are far better than they ever have been in this apartment.
It still is poor enough that if this were my house in the states, I would be replacing the water heater or looking for another cause.
But it is as good as it is going to get here, I am afraid.
Apparently the old saying of putting enough monkeys[1] in a room with typewriters, and you will get the combined works of Shakespeare holds true.
Just substitute “wrenches” for “typewriters” and “hot water” for “works of Shakespeare”.
And you need 7 of them.
[1] Which is not to say I am comparing Egyptians to monkeys.