These days it is impossible to do a cold water wash. There is nothing wrong with the washing machine or any of its' mechanisms though. It's all about the weather. The problem is that all of the water pipes in the house run through the uninsulated attic, just below the roof. Whether this is bad planning or bad engineering or just because that's the way the do it here in Texas, the end result is that it is impossible to get anything less than boiling hot from the cold tap until all of the taps have run for 10 minutes. Since the washing machine only takes five minutes to fill, this means that everything that I am trying to wash in cold water, ends up washing in water hot enough to make a really big pot of tea.
Even if I do consecutive washes in hopes that washes #2 and up will be cooler, the washing cycle takes just long enough to let the pipes thoroughly reheat again. I could fill the machine and then wait around 3-4 hours waiting for the water to cool down, by which time the pipes have definitely heated to water in them back up to the hot enough to burn you just coming out of the tap. If I accepted that I was only going to do one batch a day it might work, but then I would never get through any particular category of clothes, bike clothes, work out clothes, work clothes, schlepping around clothes and miscellaneous items that need washing on a weekly basis.
In the meantime, I just tell all the clothes to tough it out and be thankful that they are getting washed at all.
We are partway into the fun and frivolity of all of Junes' activities. We haven't had any AC since about May 19th. Obviously the " permanent without replacing it fix " they did in early April was only temporarily permanent. I went through the long process of calling the landlord, leaving voice mails and text messages etc. He finally called back to tell me that he had made an appointment for "his man-Cornelius" to come fix it. The only probblem is that he made the appointment in total disregard for the text that said "we will be leaving Houston for a week on May 29th" and proudly told me that Cornilius would by to fix it on Friday between 10:00 AM and close of business. When I told him that was impossible he huffed and then said I should call him when we returned.
When we arrived home Friday night the heat was enough to knock us back on our heels. The photo is of two 12" candles which were in the house while we were gone.
Even if I do consecutive washes in hopes that washes #2 and up will be cooler, the washing cycle takes just long enough to let the pipes thoroughly reheat again. I could fill the machine and then wait around 3-4 hours waiting for the water to cool down, by which time the pipes have definitely heated to water in them back up to the hot enough to burn you just coming out of the tap. If I accepted that I was only going to do one batch a day it might work, but then I would never get through any particular category of clothes, bike clothes, work out clothes, work clothes, schlepping around clothes and miscellaneous items that need washing on a weekly basis.
In the meantime, I just tell all the clothes to tough it out and be thankful that they are getting washed at all.
We are partway into the fun and frivolity of all of Junes' activities. We haven't had any AC since about May 19th. Obviously the " permanent without replacing it fix " they did in early April was only temporarily permanent. I went through the long process of calling the landlord, leaving voice mails and text messages etc. He finally called back to tell me that he had made an appointment for "his man-Cornelius" to come fix it. The only probblem is that he made the appointment in total disregard for the text that said "we will be leaving Houston for a week on May 29th" and proudly told me that Cornilius would by to fix it on Friday between 10:00 AM and close of business. When I told him that was impossible he huffed and then said I should call him when we returned.
When we arrived home Friday night the heat was enough to knock us back on our heels. The photo is of two 12" candles which were in the house while we were gone.
It has gotten even hotter, so in spite of fans running non stop in any room we occupy, the interior temperature is hovering in the 90's. It is very hard on my father in law who is 90 and not at all fun for his geriatric dog Beau, a Llahsa Apso/terrier mix, and our geriatric cat Cappy. Today our other two cats spent the day making like bear skin rugs on the cooler tile floor in the bathroom while Cappy and Sadie the Corgi sprawled next to each other directly under the floor fan.I am alternately drinking ice water and pouring it over me.
Here's hoping that I can get a compassionate bump to the head of the line of repair men tomorrow when I call.
1 comment:
Here's some cool air waved at you from very-cool-at-the-moment Holland. HIH! It sounds horrible to me, such heat.
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