Help with gas shower heater + crazy roommate

[LaurenW]

Hopefully someone can help me with this simple problem.

Quick backstory: my roommate is batsh*t crazy and turns off the gas heater connected to the shower water after she is done using it. I discovered this yesterday. She refuses to admit that she does this but the bathroom is foggy and warm after she takes her shower. She apparently has no problem splitting the gas bills with me.

The question is how do I turn it on? There is a switch and four buttons that you can select to adjust the level of gas. Once the switch is pressed inwards, you can select one of the four buttons. But I cant get the switch to stay pressed in.

Please help! Thanks!!

 

[cafeconleche]

I had the same problem with my gas oven until a friend told me that you needed to press and hold the knob down for a minute before it stays (some sort of safety mechanism or something). Maybe you need to do the same for your heater and hold the switch down for a bit? And yikes, your roommate does sound crazy.

 

[bebero]

i don't get what's crazy about it. don't you turn it on when you're gonna use it and off when you're done?

 

[LaurenW]

Ok let me rephrase my question.. forget about my roommate and whether or not she is crazy. I just want to take a warm shower and asking my roommate is not an option as she does this on purpose, takes hot showers, and pretends it is broken.

How do I turn on a gas heater here in Argentina? I have tried holding down the switch (thanks cafeconleche) but it didn't work - do most of the heaters need you to use a lighter? THe gas is coming out but it is not lighting up... but I don't want to blow anythign up (sorry if I sound really dumb but I am new to gas heaters)

Thanks!

 

[LaurenW]

Thank you all so much!! I got it to work.

 

[Adios_USA]

I'm glad to hear you got the water heater figured out. How does your roommate now deal with the fact that you have exposed her as an awful liar? What is her excuse?

 

[Ashley]

If you mean a "boiler"... it is actually really environmentally "unfriendly" to keep turning those things on and off. The water inside the tank will cool down between uses and you'll have to wait for the whole thing to reheat before you can use any hot water. Your roommate is probably driving up the gas bill (maybe that will get her to stop).
There is a difference between turning off gas valves to room heaters or the oven between uses ...a boiler shouldn't be turned on and off like that.

 

[LaurenW]

Hey everyone - I wanted to follow up by saying BE CAREFUL who you rent from. My roommate kicked me out this week after I paid the entire month of rent and also kept my deposit. (Kicked me out for no explicable or rational reason). I lost something like $350... and I DIDN'T SIGN A CONTRACT so I can't do anything about it.

People new to BA, be sure you sign a contract even if it someone you met that has become your "friend". PAPEL HABLA!!! BE CAREFUL!! Protect yourself and don't end up like me!!