Comments on: What’s Next? http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/ "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today." - James Dean Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:52:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Don Ray http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-42678 Don Ray Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:50:27 +0000 http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-42678 Hi J&D, The so called "suicide shower heads" are nothing to worry about. If you don't want them you can use a different method of heeating your water. If you build your own home you can plumb for both hot and cold water. Hi J&D, The so called “suicide shower heads” are nothing to worry about. If you don’t want them you can use a different method of heeating your water. If you build your own home you can plumb for both hot and cold water.

]]> By: Jan & Dan http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-42673 Jan & Dan Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:56:36 +0000 http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-42673 Hi Don... Okay, you people are starting to scare me...suicide shower heads??? Just reading the few subject blogs that I have so far, I have learned more in the last hour than all the weeks Dan & I have spent reading up on Panama via web sites. Wish there was a book out on the "real" issues and aspects that we need to know before making our move. At least now I won't get garage sale all the camping gear...lol Hi Don… Okay, you people are starting to scare me…suicide shower heads??? Just reading the few subject blogs that I have so far, I have learned more in the last hour than all the weeks Dan & I have spent reading up on Panama via web sites. Wish there was a book out on the “real” issues and aspects that we need to know before making our move. At least now I won’t get garage sale all the camping gear…lol

]]> By: Don Ray http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32817 Don Ray Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:41:47 +0000 http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32817 A little tougher in the city. You might get to know more about your neighbor than you want to. A little tougher in the city. You might get to know more about your neighbor than you want to.

]]> By: Laurel from Des Plaines http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32816 Laurel from Des Plaines Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:15:44 +0000 http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32816 About flushing-- we can always visit the little house out back, variously called Uncle Dudley or The Little House on the Prairie. Rustic but useful. About flushing– we can always visit the little house out back, variously called Uncle Dudley or The Little House on the Prairie. Rustic but useful.

]]> By: KK http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32644 KK Mon, 07 Jan 2008 20:40:17 +0000 http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32644 Don, I'd also get a water tank if I were yo.. I bot one about a month ago and filled it right up with about 100 gallons of water. Our friend was tiling the bathroom, so I hooked up a garden hose to the new tank and we took really quick cold showers just b4 the sun went down. Did this for about 5 days before the shower was ready. Hot water is a definite plus for gringos. The locals here don't seem to care and shower straight up..no hot water! I think probably every infrastructure down here is burdened at this point. I had a modern electric service installed and we have more juice than 3 locals' houses. We try to conserve just the same and are high enough in elevation that no A/C is required.. TTYL KK Don,
I’d also get a water tank if I were yo.. I bot one about a month ago and filled it right up with about 100 gallons of water. Our friend was tiling the bathroom, so I hooked up a garden hose to the new tank and we took really quick cold showers just b4 the sun went down. Did this for about 5 days before the shower was ready. Hot water is a definite plus for gringos. The locals here don’t seem to care and shower straight up..no hot water!
I think probably every infrastructure down here is burdened at this point. I had a modern electric service installed and we have more juice than 3 locals’ houses. We try to conserve just the same and are high enough in elevation that no A/C is required..
TTYL
KK

]]> By: Don Ray http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32627 Don Ray Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:22:30 +0000 http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32627 Hi Laurel, It is also good to have enough water to flush toilets. :) Hi Laurel,

It is also good to have enough water to flush toilets. :)

]]> By: Laurel from Des Plaines http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32625 Laurel from Des Plaines Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:10:06 +0000 http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32625 We have this problem all the time when we are in the Wisconsin Northwoods. A squirrel will bite through a line, an elk will knock something down, a strong wind will disrupt service, etc. We rely on Coleman lamps, and have one in just about every room. They supply a lot of light! We use a camp shower bag that you fill with water, put in the sun to heat, and then hang and use the nozzle for showering. Very useful and efficient. Of course, you have to fill it up to begin with. I have also seen a nifty portable propane camp shower (at Cabela's, for example). We just bought a generator to use up North, too. We have this problem all the time when we are in the Wisconsin Northwoods. A squirrel will bite through a line, an elk will knock something down, a strong wind will disrupt service, etc. We rely on Coleman lamps, and have one in just about every room. They supply a lot of light! We use a camp shower bag that you fill with water, put in the sun to heat, and then hang and use the nozzle for showering. Very useful and efficient. Of course, you have to fill it up to begin with. I have also seen a nifty portable propane camp shower (at Cabela’s, for example).

We just bought a generator to use up North, too.

]]> By: Dan Miller http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32560 Dan Miller Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:25:52 +0000 http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32560 Hi again, Don Ray Our water pressure is not constant, but there is an adjustment on the water heater and it seems quite happy with the minimum water pressure we get when the water is on, as it is 98% of the time. It takes a bit of patience, but the adjustment can be done. Not only that, but we haven't been electrocuted yet. I remember one time when we had a suicide shower in a rental house, and there was a short circuit in the suicide shower wiring. It was scary. Dan Dan Hi again, Don Ray

Our water pressure is not constant, but there is an adjustment on the water heater and it seems quite happy with the minimum water pressure we get when the water is on, as it is 98% of the time. It takes a bit of patience, but the adjustment can be done.
Not only that, but we haven’t been electrocuted yet. I remember one time when we had a suicide shower in a rental house, and there was a short circuit in the suicide shower wiring. It was scary.

Dan

Dan

]]> By: Don Ray http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32558 Don Ray Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:10:01 +0000 http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32558 Hi Dan, I have used the on demand gas hot water heaters in Boquete. They require a reasonable amount of pressure to ignite. I had a pump because I didn't think the gravity fed method would provide enough pressure. Hi Dan,

I have used the on demand gas hot water heaters in Boquete. They require a reasonable amount of pressure to ignite. I had a pump because I didn’t think the gravity fed method would provide enough pressure.

]]> By: Dan Miller http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32550 Dan Miller Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:56:08 +0000 http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2008/01/06/whats-next-2/#comment-32550 Hi Here are two suggestions. We have used the electric "suicide showers" and they have several problems. Obviously, without electricity they don't work. Additionally, electricity is relatively expensive. We now have an on demand propane water heater, and it is absolutely great. The government apparently subsidizes the small (20 pound) gas bottles, and when empty you just take the empty bottle to a nearby tienda and exchange it for a full one. Cost: $5.35. With luxurious showers and hot water at every tap in the house, one bottle lasts about two months. As to water, we have few outages and they generally last only an hour or two. Still, we plan to put in a reserve tank. How big depends on where you live and the frequency/duration of outages. Five hundred gallons should be quite adequate for us. We hope to put it at the highest elevation possible, to avoid the need for an electric pump; sometimes but not often, electric and water outages occur simultaneously. Five hundred gallons should be more than adequate for us, for our worker's family, and for our animals (nine horses, five dogs, three cats and a bunch of chickens and ducks) for a couple of days. We lived on our sailboat for many years, and 150 gallons of fresh water was more or less adequate for a month. So 500 gallons for a few days seems the height of luxury. Dan Hi

Here are two suggestions. We have used the electric “suicide showers” and they have several problems. Obviously, without electricity they don’t work. Additionally, electricity is relatively expensive. We now have an on demand propane water heater, and it is absolutely great. The government apparently subsidizes the small (20 pound) gas bottles, and when empty you just take the empty bottle to a nearby tienda and exchange it for a full one. Cost: $5.35. With luxurious showers and hot water at every tap in the house, one bottle lasts about two months.

As to water, we have few outages and they generally last only an hour or two. Still, we plan to put in a reserve tank. How big depends on where you live and the frequency/duration of outages. Five hundred gallons should be quite adequate for us. We hope to put it at the highest elevation possible, to avoid the need for an electric pump; sometimes but not often, electric and water outages occur simultaneously. Five hundred gallons should be more than adequate for us, for our worker’s family, and for our animals (nine horses, five dogs, three cats and a bunch of chickens and ducks) for a couple of days. We lived on our sailboat for many years, and 150 gallons of fresh water was more or less adequate for a month. So 500 gallons for a few days seems the height of luxury.

Dan

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