electric outlets.. with power switches & water heaters

[smittenbyu]

You know what I miss about India? I miss the power switches that are found for each outlet on the walls (on the outlet itself). I don't keep my laptop on AC power at all times. I find it much easier to just unplug the source at the laptop than completely unplug the plug from the wall. Plus the power outlet plastic thing here feels like it will come off as the battery plugs go in so tight. sigh. In India I just turned off the main switch that's right by the outlet and that was so much more convenient. Or is there some technological advancement that it would automatically turn off that I don't know about? That would be even cooler.

oh and water heaters. Why do they need to be on at all times? Do we really need hot water 24 hours of the day? At home (in India) next to the light switch is the switch for the water heater. You turn it on about 5-10 minutes (depending on size of heater) and jump in. That is so much better, in my books. Our building has central water heating. I guess since the whole building is a rental building, it's probably more cost effective than to have individual heaters in each apartment? sigh. But then they also pay for the electricity and the water. I don't know. I guess these are things I have grown up with and so find it hard to comprehend.

But how about in houses? I remember in a rental place I once stayed in college we could keep a timer of when it will turn on and when it will turn off. I found that so strange. We had it set to turn on at 5am and turn off at 10am. But what if I wanted to take a shower in the evening after a day at the beach?! So, you could see that the whole timer setting didn't last long for this reason as it was very cumbersome to climb up and change it, etc. I hope when we get a place over time we could install this system.

Comments

[fussycat.livejournal.com]

We have those power switches in the UK too. I bet it's the same British standard in India from the old times.
There is actually a gadget that you can plug in that will turn off the mains when you've left the things plugged in on stand-by. I can't remember what it's called though.

[dragonfly1867.livejournal.com]

I do use hot water at different times during the day, for washing dishes, bathing, washing hands, cleaning things--with an arrangement like that, do you turn the hot water heater on, and then do all the things you need to use it for at once? Because if I did a load of laundry and someone took a shower, there wouldn't be any hot water left for dishes. Also, I don't know about newer homes, but in older houses the hot water tank is in the basement, at least it always has been in the houses I've lived in. So in the winter the water probably gets pretty cold, by turning it on and off you'd probably use more energy to keep warming it up.

[smittenbyu]

that makes sense.

in India, we hardly ever use hot water for laundry, just water at room temperature. I think what the big difference is also the weather. The temp of water is always bearably normal. Unlike here where normal is still quite cold! brr... for water heaters though, they (india) have a water heater in every bathroom (enough to usually heat up 10 gallons? at a time). I find that a bit more efficient. But maybe it all adds up to the same?

[deepsan.livejournal.com]

power switches : it is probably a design element, making it simple to use the socket.
water heaters : useful in winter when the normal water may be too cold to use; we do not face that problem in sub-tropical weather.

[smittenbyu]

yeah good point!