subject: Choosing And Installing A Low-flow Shower Head The Easy Way [print this page] Low-flow shower-heads are the rage nowadays and for good reasons, too. These shower fixtures provide for greater amount of savings on water and electricity bills while still providing for an enjoyable shower with good water pressure.
Think about this A low-flow design only uses 16 gallons of water for a typical 10-minute shower while a conventional shower-head takes 80 gallons of water for the same period. If the difference of 64 gallons can be multiplied over 30 days, it will amount to 1,920 gallons of water in savings!
Before choosing from among a wide variety of low-flow head designs, however, it is best to know their types and features as well as their installation steps. This way, you can make an informed decision instead of just blindly going with the trend.
Choosing the Style
There are two basic types of low-flow shower-heads based on their mountings. First, the stationary head is mounted in a fixed position on one of the shower room's walls. Although the shower-head stays in place, it can be adjusted based on the person's height - tall or petite - as well as on the person's preference in water flow - slow or strong.
Second, the hand-held low-flow head has a flexible hose that can be manoeuvred to point at specific places of the body. The head can be clipped onto a swivel, bar or hanger when it is not in use or when a hands-free shower is desired. Although the cost of an average hand-held shower is higher than a fixed shower, its benefits of versatility, portability and functionality outweighs the cost.
Also, you can enjoy double benefits from a hand-held head. On one hand, the low-flow itself saves on water. On the other hand, since you can hold the head closer to whatever part of the body you are washing, you can slightly lower the water temperature. This results in a small energy savings.
Both types of low-flow designs, however, have adjustable spray settings including but not limited to narrow and wide as well as spray and pulse. This way, each family member can enjoy his or her own preference in sprays.
Which low-flow shower-head will you want to install in your shower system? Well, it depends on your needs and wants, of course, but for as long as your intentions of saving on energy and water is present, then either the fixed or the hand-held low-flow head will do.
Installation
No worries on the installation of the low-flow designs either. Even when you have no advanced DIY skills in plumbing, installing the shower-head is a breeze. Here's what you need to do
Turn off the shower so that there will be no wet accidents, so to speak.
Unscrew the old head with the use of an adjustable wrench.
Look at the pipe to determine if the new head should have threads on the inside or the outside. Better yet, you can search online sites for a similar shower head albeit a low-flow one.
Run liquid soap around the pipe threads to make it easier to affix the head.
Screw in the new head using the adjustable wrench and voila! Your 10-minute shower just became an exercise in water conservation.
A simple change from your conventional shower head to a low-flow one is fast and easy while also being eco-friendly and pocket-friendly.
