subject: Saving The Environment With A Showerhead That's Water Saving [print this page] Heard about a water saving showerhead before? Your local plumber or home renovator might have told you about it. And for a good reason: they want you to save water. But how good is a water saving showerhead really?
Another factor would be the water pressure that would likely be affected. Justifiable as it may be for the purpose of saving water, the feeling of being shortchanged in the shower could make one extend his shower time instead. In doing so, the total water usage may still add up to the same as not having the low flow shower head installed.
Traditional Shower Heads
Since 1994, manufacturers were required to make showerheads that do use no more than 2.5 gallons per minute. 2.4 to 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) is the benchmark then for showerheads all over the country. In other households though, the water pressure is lower than 24 gpm, which thus eliminates the need for a water saving showerhead. If you want to know if your household needs one, place a gallon-sized pail under the shower head and note the time it takes to fill it. If it takes longer than 24 seconds to fill to the brim, your water pressure is too low, and you won't be needing all that showerhead water saving. But if it fills up in less than 24 seconds, then you owe it to the environment and to your wallet to get a Water Saving Showerhead as quick as you can.
Water Saving Shower Heads
Other types of showerheads are also available. The most common probably is the manual type which lets you control temperature by turning on hot and cold taps and mixing the right flow till you get the right warmth you need. On the other hand, an electric shower saves you energy because it heats up only the hot water which you need for your shower. The flow, however, still depends on the main water pressure. This is why you need a Low-flow water saving shower head, to restrict and limit the flow of water. These restrictors may compromise water flow, but thankfully, there are restrictors nowadays, which intelligently detects and maintain and adjusts the water pressure so the ideal gpm can be reached. Other features to look out for are new water saving showerheads that incorporate air into the water, oxygenizing water so to speak.
In the End
For one, keep the water at the right temperature so you won't need to run it while waiting for it to get warm. At the first instance that you find your shower leaking, fix it right away, and don't wait one minute to do it. If you're really serious about water saving, take only quick showers, or use a timer or even an alarm clock to keep your usage to the ideal number of liters. And perhaps, the best water saving tip of all, shower with a friend.
