Thursday, September 10, 2015

Peru's 220v Electric Showers

You know you are in a foreign country when there are electronic devices in the shower. One would think that water and electricity are not a good idea, even more so when you are talking about 220 volt. However, it is quite common in Peru for the hot water in the shower to be generated by an electric heater perched above your head. Almost every shower I have seen, including my host family, is set up this way with the possible exception of the hotel shower the very first night I arrived in Lima and the hotel I stay at in Cusco.
The shower head in my bathroom

I have not had any problems with mine but I have heard other volunteers report that they get shocked on occasion by theirs. One guy told me his arm was numb for 5 hours after getting shocked at the one in his host family house and that it is a bad idea to touch the shower head.

They also don’t work very well. Yes you get hot water if you let it trickle out of the shower head but the more you turn the water on the more the cold overpowers the electric motor. So at best I would say you get a luke warm shower.

No comments:

Post a Comment