The Calefon

The Calefon is used here for hot water instead of the big hot water tank I'm used to in the States. Basically, the cold water flows through coils and is instantly heated. It hangs on the wall, and is, of course, a space saver as well as an energy saver. I saw one at a home show in Colorado touted as if it was a brand new concept!

The great thing about the Calefon is that you never run out of hot water! However, I at first had trouble adjusting the hot water just so. I would turn on the hot water in the shower, then turn on a little cold, turn down the hot, turn up the cold...and so on. But, the cold water faucet is really unnecessary although sometimes desirable. The flow rate determines the temperature of the water so if the water is too hot, turning up the "hot" water actually increases the amount of cold water flowing through(because the calefon can only heat a certain amount of water-if the flow is too high, the water cools off).

So, the answer to the perfect shower temperature is to turn on only the hot until steaming hot, then turn the "hot" up slightly until you reach the perfect temperature for you! And if you like it a little hotter during your shower, simply turn the "hot" water down...You may have a different experience from winter(when the pipes are cold) to summer. But you must start with the hot water and gradually adjust either the hot or cold water.