I Get Myself into Hot Water

When you think about it, having hot water on tap, 24 hours a day is an extravagant luxury. None of us takes a shower at 4 in the morning, yet many of us pay a gas bill every month to keep our water heated 24/7. Why heat water all the time when you only need it a few hours a day?

Chileans have solved this problem with a remarkable invention: el calefón. A calefón is a small hot water heater that you turn on when you need hot water and turn off when you’re finished. Since gas is considerably more expensive here than it is in the US (water too), the calefón makes perfect sense.

That is, of course, if you know how to use it properly. Let’s just stay that I didn’t entirely master the art of the calefón after my first lesson. I showered with my back against the wall, lathering quickly and darting in and out of a thick stream of cold water. When my host brother Mauricio returned home, I told him:

“Mauricio, I need another lesson on how to use the calefón.

“Why?”

“Well… I had a very cold shower this morning.”

He smiled and patiently showed me how to use it again. I’ll let you know if I do better next time.