“Happy Birthday Mummy!”

1st Oct – it is that time of the year again! My beloved mother’s birthday. I wanted to try my best to reward her and for all the sacrifices she has made. At first, I looked around to reward her with a personal present. After scouring through the endless gifts of watches, flowers, jewelry and make up, I chanced upon a website while scrolling mindlessly through Instagram.

They were featuring the RHEEM water heater. When I looked through the website, I instantly fell in love with the Platinum instant water heater.  It looked stylish, it had great comfort, safety and had great durability. Above all, the price was within my budget. It was listed at $252 on Lazada. For that sum, I knew every dollar was going to be worth it. Imagine the look on my mother’s face when the heater is installed. She used to wake up early to boil water to prepare hot baths by mixing the hot and cold water for our showers. It has been years since we had our showers taken from a direct heat source. Most of the time, we just took cold showers as we told our mother that we preferred cold showers since the weather was always hot anyway. Truth of the matter is we did not want to trouble our mother with the hot water boiling. I can imagine my mum would be so happy as she can get hot water just by flicking a switch! I was thinking to myself ‘This electric tankless water heater would change our lives forever!’ Although I am not sure if this is the best electric tankless water heater, I do know that RHEEM is a reputable brand and my money should be safe if I invest in this.

I looked at the other models, but nothing came close to the Prestige Platinum, Instant Water Heater.

On the website, it stated that there were two years warranty for elements & parts,6 years warranty for anti -leak tank, 6-spray shower head, along with that, there was temperature precision +/- 1 degree Celsius, DC Pump, replaceable elements, suitable in low water pressure, continuous hot water and 3-in-1 Rheem compact valve. I figured that with all these advantages of water heater, it seems a steal at that price they were selling!

Aside from that I had recently read an article on hot showers lowering Blood Sugar. Scientists from Loughborough University studied the impact of a hot bath on blood sugar regulation (an significant indicator of metabolic fitness) and energy expenditure in a recent report (number of calories burned). They enlisted the help of 14 men, each of whom spent an hour soaking in a hot bath. They then compared the number of calories burned in each session and measured their blood sugar for 24 hours after each trial. Bathing burned almost the same amount of calories as a half-hour stroll (around 140 calories).

Hot showers also help us fall asleep more quickly. Hot water relaxes the body and helps us fall asleep faster. When a nervous body enters a warm bath, the hot water raises body temperature while also relaxing the muscles. Muscle relaxation is beneficial not just physically but also psychologically.

Aside from that, blood pressure is reduced by having hot showers. Bathing in a hot tub has been shown to reduce blood pressure in studies. This is because water exerts physical pressure on the body, increasing our heart’s energy.

Portrait of a senior Asian woman in cycling jersey hold a cup of coffee

Hot Shower relieves muscle tension. Muscle pain is relieved. Hot showers can help to relieve stress and relax tense muscles. Allow the hot water to work on your shoulders, neck, and back like a mini-massage. Muscle aches and pains are common, particularly after a workout or sporting event. Stepping into a hot water bath, which is good for aches and pains, after vigorous exercise will help to alleviate the discomfort.

When I tell my mother about all these health benefits, I am sure she will be delighted with this water heater gift!

Additional Benefits Of Showering With Hot Water

I also know that hot showers can get rid of excess oil and sebum.

Bathing in hot water cleanses the skin by opening the pores which cause sweating. During cold baths, on the other hand, your skin constricts, closing pores and moisturizing your skin.

Even if your skin is clean, your pores will need to be cleaned. Acne and blackheads occur when air pollution, chemicals, and debris clog these tiny openings. To have healthy pores, you must first open them and remove dirt with hot water.

I immediately took out my card, added the heater to the cart and made my checkout. I knew that I needed the installation to be done and I wanted it to be done on her actual birthday – 1st October. On that morning, I purposely asked her to go down for a run and told her I would be having an important meeting.

At 10am sharp, the installer came in, he drilled holes into the bathroom tiles in the master bathroom, screwed the backboard onto the wall, fixed the top cover and attached the shower head. Voila, the silver of the cover glistened and the heater looked exquisite. I hoped my mum would love it.

She came up after an hour. She complained about the rainy weather and insisted that she would dry herself off instead of taking a shower. I insisted and led her to the master bathroom, “Happy Birthday Mummy,!” “Thank you for always taking care of us all these years.”

You deserve a hot shower, go ahead. She teared up and in a typical mother’s style nagged, “Boy, why did you waste so much money?”

I immediately told her the full benefits of the heater, it had a two year warranty on its parts and was energy saving so we would not waste too much money on our electric bills even with the heater. Best of all, whenever we needed hot water just to soak off, help with our body aches or just to calm down after a hard day’s work. Plus, the birthday gift was beneficial for all of us, not just for one person, better than buying a dress, or shoes, or flowers and watches.

My mother gave me an approving look. The ‘economies of scales’ look.. “Thank you, my dear! You are a good boy!”

Boy? Hmm I thought to myself, I am practically a grown man… never mind I thought to myself, that banter I would save for another day.

Most importantly, the queen of my heart – my mother – had a Happy Birthday!