This would be a small computer that measures how much hot water is left and the rate at wich your using it and then gives you a count down from 5 minutes, this would give you time to get out of the shower and not be blamed for using up all the hot water although there would only be 5 minutes of hot water left it would give you the maximum amount of time in the shower without having an arguement. Another version of this device could infact time the shower and hot water usage then when it has got to a certain preset limit shut off the hot water so there is some left fot the other people yet to have showers.
-- Gulherme, Sep 05 2002

Hot water alarm clock!? I was thinking people would wake up to hot water in the face. Oh well.
-- gootyam, Sep 05 2002


Reminds me of communal shower parties..use as much as you want.
-- skinflaps, Sep 05 2002


Maybe you could successively lower the shower temperature (lesser amount of hot water) as the amount of remaining, hot water diminishes. That way the twentieth person at least gets lukewarm water.
-- FarmerJohn, Sep 05 2002


I thought this was about the baked type of hot water alarm:
"AAAIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE..."
-- thumbwax, Sep 05 2002


it wasn't me. I don't flush.
-- gootyam, Sep 05 2002


I had always envisioned this kind of device, some kind of temperature sensor with displays throughout the house.

I always have had problems with a family of five and a insufficent hot-water heater. Recently, we have installed a new hot water heater with increased capacity.
-- BinaryCookies, Sep 06 2002


Why don't you install a drainwater heat recovery device and never have to run out of hot water again? There are some very nice devices out there, like GFX. ORNL did a test and found that one 40-gallon tank was more than enough for three appartments in a study in Dulluth, MN. Check out www.endlessshower.com if you've never heard of GFX or thought about recovering the heat of your draing water.
-- coffeehorn, Oct 17 2002



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