Grumpy Old Man: I keep finding myself in (very) hot water

Very hot water. Scalding in fact.

And it is happening too many mornings when I jump in the shower.

I grew up in the time when showers had two taps, and getting the right temperature was simple.

Each morning I would turn on the hot tap and let the water run until it actually turned hot, mix in a bit of cold water and then everything was right.

But these days we have single mixer taps, and I continue to struggle after more than a decade using the same one.

Now, let me start by clarifying that I have never taken a thermometer into the shower, so the readings I'm about to mention are complete guesswork, and are there for illustrative purposes only.

So let's say my temperature sweet spot for a shower is in the range of 50 to 55 degrees.

But so often the mixer tap seems to be in the right position, but the water temperature is sitting somewhere well below the optimal level, let's say about 40 degrees.

So I nudge the tap a little to the left, 40 degrees.

Another nudge, 40 degrees.

Another nudge, 40 degrees.

Another nudge, 65 degrees, damn it.

So I keep nudging the tap back, again and again, waiting for the temperature to drop while desperately to avoid getting wet as I adjust the tap.

And it goes back past the starting position still sitting at a painful 65 degrees, before finally dropping back to around 40.

And the process starts again, on a rinse and repeat cycle.

Most days I eventually manage to wrangle the water into a manageable temperature range, although there are days a simply have to tolerate a shower that is colder than ideal.

Other days I just give up after subjecting myself akin to the old sterilisation practices than moved items from boiling to near freezing water to kill bacteria.

But then again, maybe that is what having a shower is all about.