Loser vs Looser

[Bestwifeever]

It really should be "cold water heater" as that appliance heats cold water until it's hot, right?

 

[GregLee]

It really should be "cold water heater" as that appliance heats cold water until it's hot, right?

Debatable. The water heater will heat up warm water, as well as cold water. Here in Hawaii, e.g., water taken into the heater is not very cold.

 

[MichaelB]

Debatable. The water heater will heat up warm water, as well as cold water. Here in Hawaii, e.g., water taken into the heater is not very cold.

But will it heat water that's already hot? In my house there are only two options for water coming from the tap: cold and hot. The water coming from the hot faucet has been heated, the water coming from the other faucet has not. With that context cold water heater might be the right description.

So, I guess it could be a cold water heater, or a less than scalding water heater, or a plain old water heater. Personally I don't really care what it is called as long as it works...

 

[GregLee]

With that context cold water heater might be the right description.

I think I see. A water heater affects the temperature of water which would otherwise be the same temperature as water emerging from the cold tap, whether or not that water is actually cold, so in "cold water heater", the "cold water" part means water-of-the-same-temperature-as-that-which-emerges-from-the-cold-water-tap.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Actually I just want to see the Lowes guy's face when we ask where we can find a cold water heater.

 

[KingB]

So, I guess it could be a cold water heater, or a less than scalding water heater, or a plain old water heater. Personally I don't really care what it is called as long as it works...

The labels on the appliance and its instruction book has it as "Water Heater" - no "cold", "hot", "scalding" or "plain old".

 

[MichaelB]

I think I see. A water heater affects the temperature of water which would otherwise be the same temperature as water emerging from the cold tap, whether or not that water is actually cold, so in "cold water heater", the "cold water" part means water-of-the-same-temperature-as-that-which-emerges-from-the-cold-water-tap.

Exactly!

 

[Nords]

But will it heat water that's already hot? In my house there are only two options for water coming from the tap: cold and hot. The water coming from the hot faucet has been heated, the water coming from the other faucet has not. With that context cold water heater might be the right description.
So, I guess it could be a cold water heater, or a less than scalding water heater, or a plain old water heater. Personally I don't really care what it is called as long as it works...

Yeah, but, but, but, what if it's a solar water heating system, and the water tank in the garage only does the actual heating of the water for a couple days a year? Would the collector panels on the roof be called "water heaters"? Would the tank in the garage be called a "backup water heater" or a "water backup heater" or a "water heater backup"?

 

[bbbamI]

Actually I just want to see the Lowes guy's face when we ask where we can find a cold water heater.

.....best laugh I've had all day!

 

[TromboneAl]

Actually I just want to see the Lowes guy's face when we ask where we can find a cold water heater.

Since this is a grammar thread, this is a good illustration one rule that I use when deciding whether or not to use a hyphen. The rule is:

Use a hyphen for removing ambiguity.

In this example, "cold-water heater" is something that heats cold water, and "cold water-heater" is a water heater that is cold. So, use of a hyphen is OK, because it removes ambiguity.

 

[Bestwifeever]

If I wanted a water heater that was cold, I'd probably use the en-dash after cold.

 

[Meadbh]

Meanwhile, I've just had a hot shower.

 

[Nemo2]

Meanwhile, I've just had a hot shower.

That leaves me cold.

 

[haha]

Meanwhile, I've just had a hot shower.

Did you follow up with moisturizer?

 

[Sarah in SC]

T-Al, I use a hyphen when I'm too lazy to look up whether I should use a comma or a semicolon.

 

[TromboneAl]

I saw "All right" yesterday, and I don't remember exactly when to use "all right" and "alright," but I'm not going to look it up, because then I'll just notice when people use it the wrong way. Ignorance is bliss.

 

[donheff]

I saw "All right" yesterday, and I don't remember exactly when to use "all right" and "alright," but I'm not going to look it up, because then I'll just notice when people use it the wrong way. Ignorance is bliss.

It's not alright to mix up alright and all right by saying, for example, that it is all right to mix up alright and all right.

 

[GregLee]

There's a choice between "all ready" and "already": "The fish are all ready already." "Alright" is never all right. "Awhile" and "a while" are sometimes interchangeable.