Hi everyone, we are new to this forum and have found it to be very helpful and interesting.
We are having a new house built at the moment in Hua Hin and we are wanting to have a hot water system put in to supply both the bathrooms, one of which has a bath, and the kitchen.
The developer has suggested individial water heaters in each bathroom and kitchen, but this sounds a bit impractical, is it possible to have one boiler to heat all the water in both bathrooms and the kitchen.
If anyone has any suggestions or could recomend a reliable company capable of installing such a system and a rough idea off the price we would be most gratefull.
Generally in the tropics, heated water is not common and doesn't make sense. "Boilers" - large storage hot water tanks heated by electricity or fuel - are not common. Each "bathroom" - more commonly the room is called by its British term, "toilet" - can have a 250-volt electric coil unit mounted on the wall between the water supply and the bath-tub. You can also run a line to the bathroom sink, and you could have a unit in the kitchen as well. They run about 4000 baht each, and are standard luxury appliances in Thailand. I'm moving from Chiang Mai, where the winters are mild and the tap water gets quite cool, to Hua Hin. I'm not bothering to bring the new wall unit with me; there's one in the bungalow I'm renting in Hua Hin. I doubt I'll even use it.
I hope that clarifies hot water in Thailand; it's almost a novelty. Hot steaming baths don't make sense when it's 30 degrees C outside.
I have been down this road myself. There are central hot water heaters available in Thailand but only as far as I know in Chang Mai and Bangkok. They mostly sell to Hotels and Guest Houses. What a friend of mine eventually opted to do was to install a British immersion heater in a detached tower next to the house. The heater could also be positioned in the roof. The heater has to be imported from Britain.
What I can not understand is why anybody would want a hot bath in Hua Hin. When you get out are you going to put a towel round your waist and curl up next to the fire with a cup of cocoa.
In our house we have a small Steibel Eltron heater, along the lines of those described by Ajarn Frank, under the kitchen sink. It has two hot water draw-off points; one to the kitchen sink and the other to the bath on the other side of the house. They are readily available at most electrical outlets in Hua Hin. Because it was a retro-fit, the pipe work to the bath is external but personally I prefer that to it being chased into the wall because it is more accessible if (and when!) things go wrong.
It fills the bath adequately and both draw off points can be used at the same time without the water going cold or disappearing in one or other location.
On the subject of baths... I never wanted a bath but after a number of years in the UK, my Thai wife insisted on it and uses it whenever we are at our house in Hua Hin! Also good to have a soak if you have knackered every muscle in your flabby body by doing something like digging a drainage trench in your flooded garden! Also easier and safer to bath small kids (as opposed to them slipping on the soapy, tiled floor). There are plenty of Op Samun Pai temple saunas at Wats up-country and getting out of the hot sauna and into the 30+ degree Thai heat is not dissimilar to the effect of getting out of the bath - without the herbal bit - so the idea of hot bathing is not totally unheard of in Thailand, just the form of the bath.
Thanks for the replies ...... on the hot water system, will look further in to the electric heaters for the bathrooms etc...... then I will look in to having an open fire as well !!:D Can you buy coco in Hua Hin!
We are looking forward to coming to Hua Hin in October / November to furnish the house .... any recomendations for furniture and electrical appliances and sof furnishings would be much appreciated.
Any one on here originally come from Dorset?... be good to chat to some other ex Dosetarians!
Thanks again for all your replies
We're in the same boat re house purchase. The info on water heaters is useful - it was one of my queries. We are of to BK tomorrow for 4 days before going to HH on Tuesday. One of our jobs apart from taking a peak at the bulding work!! is to widow shop for white goods and furniture, so i will let you know how we get one when we get home if it will be of any use? We hope to go back at xmas to get keys and buy furniture.
Hi Suej,
Thanks for your reply hope you have a good trip and look forward to hearing from you on your return, as we will be wanting furniture and white goods as well.....I have heard that Bkk is the best place to buy as there is more selection and cheaper prices..... be interested to find out.
Central water heating tanks are available at Homemart in Pranburi (and probably in HH)100litre approx 10000baht. Fitted in the roof space as in my house it supplies 4 ensuites and the kitchen without any bother or great expense.
