MarcXpat
4/29/2022 11:07 EST
For expats living in Colombia, many apartments do not have hot water. Is the cold water really that warm? Especially interested in the Caribbean coast where I am planning to retire to. The apartment does not even have the 2 pipe system to be able to install a water heater later. Am I going to regret this?
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WhoaNellie
4/29/2022 11:28 EST
You may just have to get used to it. For instance in Buenaventura on the Pacific coast, many fill big tubs with the cold water which comes from the mountains, and let it warm overnight so it's not such a shock in the mornings. You might be able to install an on-demand hot water heater but much cheaper is the "suicide" heated shower head.
You'd be surprised at what you can get used to. After all the indigenous people in Patagonia thrived naked and without fire, in 50 F wet weather the year round...
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elpdiver
4/29/2022 11:55 EST
I am not a fan of cold showers and have purchased several "suicide shower heads" at homes where I have rented rooms or stayed with friends and relatives.
lpd
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Paco23
4/29/2022 12:47 EST
Very typical but you can get a hotspot put in or get an electric shower head put in. Not a huge deal really.
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ChipW
4/29/2022 14:32 EST
Installing a heated shower head, costs a minimum 100,000 pesos in Homecenter, is a no brainer. I've done it three times over the years. As for the Caribe coast, I lived with agua ambient for many years. In the afternoons/evenings the water temp is great because of the hotter-than-hell temp+humidity of the coast. Mornings though it can be an immediate eye-opener. I never got used to that.
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Electricista
4/29/2022 17:38 EST
I could get by without a heater in Santa Marta as the tank on the roof would eventually warm up the water during the day. But in Pereira I am such a whimp when it comes to cold water. It is tough to impress a girl when she hears blood cuddling screams coming from the shower (made by me) after she just took her normally cold shower without a making a sound.
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tubes
4/29/2022 17:54 EST
If you are aiming for the Caribbean coast then the last thing that you will want is hot water!
You will find yourself cold showering several times a day just to cool down.
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Wildstubby
4/29/2022 21:07 EST
I know most of the country is barely north of the equator but my wife when she lived in Ibague had some of the coldest water I ever felt. Even on the 1oth floor of the apartment complex. Does the word, "shrinky-dink" mean anything?
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ChipW
4/29/2022 21:13 EST
Being a few longitudes north of the Equator has nothing to do with it - it's about the altitude and where the water is coming from. Ibegue water comes from the Andes which happen to be snow-capped and even have a few glaciers. The water for B'quilla comes from the highly polluted Magdalena River.
And to agree with another post, you'll probably be taking several showers a day if you live on the Caribe coast. And the cooler water will be welcomed. I lived in that area for 7 1/2 years and always had agua ambiente and it was really nice. Now, at the base of the Andes in Roldanillo, I installed a heated shower head. When I lived in Armenia I installed a heated shower head. When I lived in Cartago, tambien, installed a heated shower head.
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flgolfer50
4/30/2022 10:39 EST
I live in Santa Marta. No hot water for 4 yrs. The water on the roof is heated by the sun and in the afternoons the water is quite warm. But a nighttime or early morning shower can be a little bracing. But with a low of 75 at night and a high of near 90 during the day, the coldest water is when the roof tank is refilled. And you can always install always install an instant water heater (available at Home Center)
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justme4641
4/30/2022 11:46 EST
We're 5 weeks into building a house near San Francisco (2 hrs out of bogota) and we're thinking of installing an electric water heater, hoping to simplify things from the get go.
I know sometimes electricity goes out for a while but think its still a doable proposition
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ChipW
4/30/2022 11:55 EST
Use a combination of tankless water heater and a water tank up on the roof that will naturally solar heat the water in the tank.
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thedissident
4/30/2022 13:30 EST
Interesting. Barranqulla water comes from a polluted river I read here. I'm curious if anybody here knows much about the sanitation of water in Barranquilla. I don't recall thinking much about the water when showering but after reading this I might.
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ChipW
5/1/2022 00:46 EST
I lived in the B'quilla area for 7 1/2 years and nobody I knew/met drinks the water from the tap, they all buy bottled water or boil water. For showers and laundry, no problem. Maybe the city water is okay, if your house is new, plumbing between the house and street is new, and pipes in the street to the water plant are new, then you might be able to safely drink the tap water. But what are the chances of all of that coming together? Nill.
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elpdiver
5/1/2022 07:30 EST
A very high quality R/O water system is fairly cheap; at least in the USA. I would assume that they are available in Colombia as well. I have two at my home in Texas. They do waste a small amount of water in the process and the filters and membranes would likely not last as long as they do here in Texas; but, all in all a relatively easy and inexpensive fix.
lpd
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blueflame7
5/1/2022 10:32 EST
I lived in Cali for a week some years ago, in a residence that had no water heater. And the reason for that was that it was not needed. It was so hot there that the cold water shower was actually refreshing and I wouldn't have wanted any hot water even had it been available. I've never been to the coast but I believe it's very hot there too so you should be alright.
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MASNUCS
5/1/2022 12:39 EST
I installed a solar water heater in my Home in Colombia it is made by Nasa Colombia, nothing to do with the nasa in the USA. It works very well and the cost was under $800 dollars including reposing a 2000 sq foot home.
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Rolito
5/1/2022 20:41 EST
Hello Mark. Not a problem. Welcome to “La Tierrita.”! Enjoy it while you get adjusted and you can laugh later. Best of luck. Roliti.
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