Is it true, Americans don't.......

[greenaccord02]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
In Oz, I've only ever lived one place without mains pressure hot water. I know that my current house had a gravity system at one place because I found it's drip tray in the roof.

All have had power points in the batroom, but there's rules where the power point can be with relation to bathcs and showers regarding ditance.
.

Yeah, down here there's a three foot limit between an outlet and a water source. Even then GFCI protection is required.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: greenaccord02
Originally Posted By: Shannow
In Oz, I've only ever lived one place without mains pressure hot water. I know that my current house had a gravity system at one place because I found it's drip tray in the roof.

All have had power points in the batroom, but there's rules where the power point can be with relation to bathcs and showers regarding ditance.
.

Yeah, down here there's a three foot limit between an outlet and a water source. Even then GFCI protection is required.


Yet In the U.K. Hot water on demand, 3kw units are common IN the shower stall!

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: expat
Here are some Brands (the numbers show the models offered)


Adagio Teas (2)
AEG (1)
Alessi (5)
Anvil (1)
Applica (3)
APW Wyott (1)
Aqua (2)
Aroma (13)
Black & Decker (21)
Black&decker (5)
Bloomfield (2)
Bodum (31)
Bomann (1)
BonJour (3)
Bosch (4)
Braun (8)
Bravetti (1)
Breville (13)
Britannia (1)
Bunn (3)
CEM Global (1)
Chantal (2)
Chef Cooking (4)
Chef's Choice (14)
Cloer (3)
Conair (1)
Continental (1)
Continental Tire North America (1)
CucinaPro (2)
Cuisinart (10)
DeLonghi (9)
Dualit (13)
Electra (1)
Electrolux (1)
Farberware (2)
Flama (2)
Frieling USA (1)
Frontgate (1)
Fujitronic (1)
Gaiam (3)
General (1)
Gevalia (1)
Grohe (1)
Hamilton Beach (22)
Homesmart (4)
Hormel (1)
Jura-Capresso (6)
Kalorik (10)
Kenwood (5)
Kitchen Gourmet (1)
Krups (18)
Le Chef (1)
Lifestyles (1)
Lloytron (1)
Magic Mill (1)
Magimix (3)
Master Heaters (1)
Maximatic (2)
Meyer (1)
Michael Graves (1)
Montgomery Ward (1)
Morphy Richards (13)
Moulinex (1)
Mr. Coffee (1)
NIB (1)
Oster (5)
Panasonic (8)
Peavey (1)
Philips (6)
Prestige Appliances (6)
Presto (2)
Princess Electric (1)
Princess International (2)
Pro Series (1)
Revere (4)
Rival (3)
Rowenta (3)
Russell (1)
Russell Hobbs (22)
Saeco (2)
Salton (7)
Sanyo (3)
Severin (3)
Siemens (2)
Simplex (1)
Southbend (1)
Sunbeam (4)
Sunpentown International (12)
Superior (5)
Sur La Table (1)
Tayama (2)
Team International (2)
Tefal (11)
Tiger Corporation (6)
Toastess (34)
Toastmaster (5)
Uniden (1)
West Bend (10)
Wolo (1)
Zojirushi (12)

Or, Look on Ebay!



Wow!

 

[Shannow]

greenaccord, RCD protection has been mandatory on new houses and rentals for a while, and older homes on sale.

Still not mandatory on your older homes if you owned it before the legislation.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

Originally Posted By: expat
Yet In the U.K. Hot water on demand, 3kw units are common IN the shower stall!
Yes, those miserable UK electric showers are legendary and is why the US (or anyone else) won't be invading the UK any time soon! You really need more like 13 kW.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: Kiwi_ME
Originally Posted By: expat
Yet In the U.K. Hot water on demand, 3kw units are common IN the shower stall!
Yes, those miserable UK electric showers are legendary and is why the US (or anyone else) won't be invading the UK any time soon! You really need more like 13 kW.


I agree the cheap, low wattage ones are Garbage, But the better ones work really well (and I like my showers Hot) Hot water on demand can save you a bundle on your power bill.

 

[Nick R]

Its funny. As has been said most americans dri k coffee not tea. Our electrical outlets are supposex to be 115V/60hz with most being on a 15 amp breaker. Kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors get 15amp gfi circuits. We also have a 220v line for electric stoves, electric dryers, electric furnaces etc. Personally though, i like gas water heaters a d furnaces. Flat top electric stoves are the best imo.

We Americans use cofee makers mostly. If we need hot water you can either microwave it, and there is usuLlally a ready made 140-160 degree fahrenheit water source from the kitchen sink.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

Originally Posted By: rudolphna
We also have a 220v line for ... electric furnaces
There is such a thing as an electric furnace??

Central heating is non-existent here. Common are wood-burning "stoves", electric heat pumps, and gas heaters. In California I could heat my entire 3-br house with $30 of natural gas a month, here it takes about $120 of LPG for my apartment and the climate is only slightly colder. Now I use a heat pump only as it costs half the price of LPG per unit heat.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: Kiwi_ME

There is such a thing as an electric furnace??


They're normally used as a backup for heat pumps, which don't work very well when the outdoor temperature drops much below freezing. It's called "emergency heat". The air handler for the heat pump has resistance heating coils inside of it.

Heat pumps aren't used in colder parts of the USA, but around here they are very common.

 

[greenaccord02]

Originally Posted By: Kiwi_ME
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
We also have a 220v line for ... electric furnaces
There is such a thing as an electric furnace??


Yeah, and in fact it's the only kind you are allowed to have if you live in a condo or an apartment down here. I have central gas in my house, but before I lived here I had a condo with central electric heat.

 

[brianl703]

No such rules here. Many apartments and condos are built with gas heat now. That's a more popular option than electric heat pumps, which is what they mostly used before.

 

[GeaugaFletcher]

As far as I know, only old ladies drink hot tea with any regularity. Electric kettle? Microwave or kettle-on-the-gas-stove for me.

 

[JHZR2]

I know folks who do. That said, we have an instant hot in the coffee mess, and at home I use the stove.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea#Economics_of_tea
Quote:
"Tea is the most popular drink in the world in terms of consumption. Its consumption equals all other manufactured drinks in the world — including coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, and alcohol — put together."

Quote:
at home I use the stove.

Stove kettles are common here too but electric kettles are so much faster than even a microwave.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Kiwi_ME

Stove kettles are common here too but electric kettles are so much faster than even a microwave.

Hmm... my electric kettle doesn't seem to be faster than a microwave. Maybe I've got a [censored] one...

 

[Silk]

Depends on how much water you are boiling - an 8 cup jug will take much longer than one cup in a microwave....but one cup in the jug will be very quick.

 

[expat]

Plus how many Watts, some kettles are only 1kw or so.

I drink Coffee, but don't like coffee makers. Coffee that sits in the pot tastes like Gas station coffee to me. I make it one cup at a time with a filter or French press.
Those 140f hot water devices don't make good Tea or Coffee, I'm told it's something to do with taking Oxygen out of the water!
Water needs to be boiled from cool.

At School I was told, when I start work, if I am asked to make Tea, I must NOT let the water boil.
The Idea was, If I made good Tea I would end up as the 'Tea Boy'
If I made Crumby Tea, someone else would!

 

[chevrofreak]

Originally Posted By: LS2JSTS
For the "greenies" here is a Hybrid model....lol



http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-CV-DSC40-Hybrid-Boiler-Stainless/dp/B000MAFJRM/ref=pd_sbs_k_11


I have this one.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11121294&search=electric%20kettle&Mo=1&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=electric%20kettle&Ntt=electric%20kettle&No=1&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

Very, very efficient. I hooked it up to my Kill-A-Watt and it used under 19 KWH per month (I tested it for 2 months). Our power is roughly 10 cents per KWH, so it was under $2 per month.

 

[saberz]

I use a kettle, parents used a kettle. Best way to have Tea IMO.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: expat
...use electric Kettles?
I use one and love it. Also a tankless hot water heater tap at the sink.