New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[MTBeer]

I'm struggling to deal with the Kiwi concept of 'hot' water.

explain?

[patches]

I'm struggling to deal with the Kiwi concept of 'hot' water.

 

 

explain?

 

My guess is it has to do with the hot tap in his house.

 

In many residential homes, the hot tap has warm water. ie you wouldn't be able to burn your hand with it. It's almost the same temp as a hot shower.

 

My first place in NZ had a controller for the hot water system. Something like this...

 

http://www.scooper.com.au/i/Hotwater/Standard_Rinnai_Controller_Details.jpg

 

By default it was set to about 44 deg C. The landlord said that was the norm, but I could put it up to 65deg if I needed to wash greasy dishes etc.

 

At 44deg, it meant that I just set the mixer to hot for showering.

 

In the residential/hotel buildings we designed (at my previous employer) it was pretty standard to have showers, basins etc with a lower temp water. kitchen sinks slightly higher, and only "cleaner's sinks" have the 65deg stuff.

 

It's an energy saving thing.

 

Anyway, that's my interpretation of davetapson's post... I may be way off, haha!

Edited October 22, 2018 by patches

[davetapson]

My guess is it has to do with the hot tap in his house.

 

In many residential homes, the hot tap has warm water. ie you wouldn't be able to burn your hand with it. It's almost the same temp as a hot shower.

 

My first place in NZ had a controller for the hot water system. Something like this...

 

http://www.scooper.com.au/i/Hotwater/Standard_Rinnai_Controller_Details.jpg

 

By default it was set to about 44 deg C. The landlord said that was the norm, but I could put it up to 65deg if I needed to wash greasy dishes etc.

 

At 44deg, it meant that I just set the mixer to hot for showering.

 

In the residential/hotel buildings we designed (at my previous employer) it was pretty standard to have showers, basins etc with a lower temp water. kitchen sinks slightly higher, and only "cleaner's sinks" have the 65deg stuff.

 

It's an energy saving thing.

 

Anyway, that's my interpretation of davetapson's post... I may be way off, haha!

You're spot on.

 

100% of the two houses we've stayed in so far had luke hot water coming out of the hot tap.

 

Was about to get on to the agent and complain that the hot water doesn't work but did some googling. There are all sorts of rules and regs about what temp can come out of what tap as Patches says.

 

Our controller has been disconnected and that sets heater to default to 55 C which by the time out hits the tap doesn't feel much like 55 C - i.e. not hot baths and dish water not hot enough to cut grease.

 

I figured out how to change the default temp and jacked it up to 60 (I suspect breaking a couple of laws in the process). Still doesn't quite cut it so will jack it up again but try and get the controller working at the same time.

[Wayne Potgieter]

Both properties we stayed in had high water temps and this was not an issue.

 

Although one was a geyser the other continuous natural gas heated.

 

Wait, can’t say “geyser” anymore as it means something else here.

[Matchstix]

Do you call your geyser "old toppie"?

[GrahamS2]

My guess is it has to do with the hot tap in his house.

 

In many residential homes, the hot tap has warm water. ie you wouldn't be able to burn your hand with it. It's almost the same temp as a hot shower.

 

My first place in NZ had a controller for the hot water system. Something like this...

 

http://www.scooper.com.au/i/Hotwater/Standard_Rinnai_Controller_Details.jpg

 

By default it was set to about 44 deg C. The landlord said that was the norm, but I could put it up to 65deg if I needed to wash greasy dishes etc.

 

At 44deg, it meant that I just set the mixer to hot for showering.

 

In the residential/hotel buildings we designed (at my previous employer) it was pretty standard to have showers, basins etc with a lower temp water. kitchen sinks slightly higher, and only "cleaner's sinks" have the 65deg stuff.

 

It's an energy saving thing.

 

Anyway, that's my interpretation of davetapson's post... I may be way off, haha!

That's very unhealthy. Water stored at below 60 degrees grows all sorts of things in it.

[patches]

That's very unhealthy. Water stored at below 60 degrees grows all sorts of things in it.

 

I'm no hydraulics engineer (as they call them in this part of the world), but as far as I know they store it at the higher temp, but use thermostatic mixing valves local to the wet area.

 

But yeah, I work in a hospital and I know the fight against things like legionella is taken very seriously here.

[Mamil]

Can one of you guys in NZ talk a bit about what a salary of 90 to 100k per annum would be like over there?

[intern]

Can one of you guys in NZ talk a bit about what a salary of 90 to 100k per annum would be like over there?

Put you in the upper end of earners, but not really enough for AKL unless you and the Mrs are pulling that kind of coin.

[hayleyearth]

Can one of you guys in NZ talk a bit about what a salary of 90 to 100k per annum would be like over there?

 

Put you in the upper end of earners, but not really enough for AKL unless you and the Mrs are pulling that kind of coin.

 

 

Yip, as intern said, enough if you are single or both earning in that range.

 

Edit: assuming you wouldn't want to buy a house or have a fancy car.

Edited October 23, 2018 by hayleyearth

[Matchstix]

AKL?

[Matchstix]

AKL?

[RossW]

AKL?

Auckland 

[Herman V]

I think 150k in a 5 person household is enough to live quite well, even in Auckland. You won't be buying a house or an expensive car, but won't have to feel like you are missing out on something.

That is if the children are in school and you do not have to pay for Kindergarten.

[niterider]

That's very unhealthy. Water stored at below 60 degrees grows all sorts of things in it.

 

The Rinnai system is a gas heater. The water is stored cold and heated on demand. We use this with our tank water.

[patches]

Can one of you guys in NZ talk a bit about what a salary of 90 to 100k per annum would be like over there?

 

As many here have mentioned, it is all dependent on family situation and aspirations.

 

I have a friend that moved from JHB to Auckland for around $65 000. With savings from SA he managed to get a little $10 000 car, and he house shared with another Saffer in Brown's Bay 9Saffer Central) for about $250pw.

 

House sharing in NZ is pretty common for young singles and even young couples.

 

So for 1 person, early 30's, here on their own it worked.

 

If one is outside Auckland... then the housing is considerably cheaper.

 

I moved to Christchurch (from JHB) about 2.5 yrs ago for less than half of my current salary. I managed to buy a cheap car ($90pw), rent a garden cottage ($250pw all incl.) and live pretty comfortably as a bachelor. Now I'm in Auckland sometimes I feel I had more disposable income then, than I do now   

 

Having never had a family of my own, I cannot give you a rough idea on that... but yeah... as the others said:

 

$90 000 - $100 000 as an individual... decent. As a family... tight unless you're outside Auckland.

 

As a rough guide, Senior Engineers at my last firm were on $90 000 - $110 000.