When I was living in an apartment while attending college in Austin, I had an electric water heater just like other apartments in the U.S.

Then, trying to save on electricity, I turned off the water heater for three days while visiting a friend's house.

However, when I returned home and turned it back on, I found only cold water coming out when I tried to take a shower.

At that moment, I wondered if it was broken or if I needed to call the apartment management, but it turned out that electric water heaters don't provide hot water immediately.

The electric water heaters commonly installed in U.S. apartments are mostly tank-type, holding about 30 to 50 gallons, which means they store water in a tank and heat it slowly with an electric heater.

So, unlike gas water heaters that provide hot water instantly, it takes quite a bit of time.

After turning it on, it took about 2 hours for the water to become lukewarm enough for a shower.

But the problem is that if you try to take a long shower, cold water suddenly comes out again because the entire tank isn't heated, resulting in fluctuating temperatures.

Ultimately, to use hot water reliably, you need to wait at least 2 to 3 hours, and in the case of larger tanks, it can take 3 to 4 hours.

Since the cold water left in the pipes comes out first, the water temperature can drop quickly at the beginning.

So now, every time I turn it back on, I mentally prepare to wait at least two hours before showering.

It's fine to turn it off for a few days to save on electricity, but if you come back and want to shower right away, you're in for a disappointment.

Also, I've noticed that when you turn the water heater back on after leaving it off for a long time, it can feel a bit unsettling at first.

You might wonder if it's broken or if it consumes a lot of electricity. But it turns out everything is normal; it's just a matter of waiting.

So for those living alone in apartments in other U.S. cities using electric water heaters, it's good to remember that after turning it back on, you should wait at least 1 hour, preferably 2 to 3 hours.

That way, you won't be caught off guard by cold water while hastily preparing for a shower like I did.

And while turning off the water heater does help save on electricity, honestly, you might not save much at all.

So from now on, I plan to only turn it off when I'm away for a long time, and when I'm just gone for a day or two, I'll leave it on.

It feels more reassuring to come home to a warm shower that way.