Problem shower in electric only flat

Forgive the naivety, but I've never lived anywhere that was electric only and I'm having some trouble with the hot water in the shower. There is a pull cord with a off/on indicator and a separate red light (which is always on regardless of off/on status), but there are no other buttons or things to fiddle with, just regular (separate) hot and cold handles for the faucet.

The problem is that the hot water runs out after about one shower's worth regardless of whether the pull cord says off or on. So my question is this: am I using it wrong? Does the cord need to be pulled 'on' all the time? Does the always on light mean something is broken? The hot water from any other faucet in the flat doesn't ever run out, so I doubt it's a problem with the boiler. Any suggestions on how to use this silly shower are very welcome! Thank you!

Silly question. But is it an electric shower. The power cord would indicate yes, but then you say there is just the faucets to regulate the water, which sounds like just a hose from the taps??

I can't think how it could be anything but an electric (as you said, cord thing) and the entire building doesn't have any gas connection. But it looks like a normal shower with just the taps to turn the water on and off, so I have no idea what's going on. So confused!

Normally the pull-cord would be the master on/off switch for an electric shower, but it sounds like you don't have an electric shower. Rather it sounds like the water you're showering with is coming from the immersion (hot water cylinder), which is why it runs out after half an hour.

Do you have central heating? If so, and it is currently on, it will be heating the water in your immersion without you doing anything. Otherwise you would usually turn on the immersion to heat about half an hour before your shower (or an hour before your bath, as "shower" or "sink" heats half the tank and "bath" heats the whole tank.

Are you in rental accommodation? It is possible that there was once an electric shower, but it was removed (and the hole tiled over) but the electric wiring was left in place, including the pull cord.

I noticed you used the word "faucet" which leads me to suspect you are not Irish. In which case you may be in for a cultural education - check out this video http://youtu.be/52bna-tn_dY

Considering you're using the term "faucet", i would guess you're American. Unfortunately in this country we don't have unlimited hot water "on tap" (pardon the pun - i couldn't resist it) like in the US. It sounds like you only have a regular shower which heats the water from an immersion heater. The immersion heater switch is usually in your hot press near the hot water cylinder. The cylinder usually only hold enough hot water for one maybe two showers. If you have Gas or Oil heating, then this will also heat the water but only when you have it on.

As Duggem said,it'll be a big cultural change for you. You should search for Des Bishops "immersion heater" sketch on YouTube. He's an Irish American comedian who does some great gags on the differences American's face living in Ireland.

Im living in an apartment in Germany and whilst we do have normal taps in our bath/shower the water is in fact heated electrically by a unit in the adjoining utility room.

The water only runs hot once the tap is opened up to a sufficient extent that the hot water unit registers a flow of water and then switches on.

I doubt though this type of setup exists in this case

dubgem: Thank you for your help! We don't have central heating, just some horrible (electric) heaters on the wall of each room.

After much investigation, I found the immersion heater in the closet out in the hall and noticed that the timer was set wrong, and located the on/off and boost buttons! God only knows why it's out there and not in the flat; I live in a conversion, so it was perhaps not planned very well for modern life.

I am, in fact, Canadian! We say "faucet" instead of "tap" as well as the Americans. Thanks for the video link! I feel that poor man's pain

Guns N Roses: Thanks for the clarification! I think I've managed to figure it out with everyone's help! The link dubgem listed above is Des Bishop's immersion heater sketch I can relate!

jaykayphd: I did manage to find the immersion heater in the hall closet. Looks like I can better control when I have hot water from there. Thanks!

Be aware that immersion heaters and storage heaters can be very expensive to run.

kitkat2013 said:

I am, in fact, Canadian! We say "faucet" instead of "tap" as well as the Americans.

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Apoogises for suggesting that you were American. I understand that "Canadian's" hate been mistaken as "Americian" as much as us "Irish" hate been mistaken as "British".

The last time I addressed a Canadian national as "American", she didn't talk to me for a week.