After my previous post on waste-water heat reclamation, I’ve been a little more conscious of all the energy that I’m losing down the drain. So today, while taking a shower, I put the stopper in the drain. My reasoning was that I could heat my toes a little before letting the water go. Much to my surprise, the amount of water that I used in the shower was almost the same amount that I might have used while taking a bath. I could have sworn that taking a shower was more the more eco-friendly option, but it just goes to show that mindfulness is key when you are trying to save. So now seems like an appropriate time to review some tips and gadgets to help conserve water in the shower:
1. Install a low-flow shower head. This means the shower head will pass 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) or less. Some models will go as low as 1 or 1.5 gpm.
- Companies like Evolve make a line of low-flow shower heads, ranging from handheld to rain to standard styles. Their ShowerStart heads actually cut off water flow once the water temperature reaches 95 degrees, so that you don’t waste water while waiting outside for the water to heat up. Once you get in the shower, just flip a valve to restore water flow.
- Install a cut-off valve. This will allow you to take a “navy shower” by controlling the flow of water without adjusting the temperature. Once wet, you reduce water and lather up, turning the flow back up to rinse off.
2. Reduce the amount of time spent showering. A complete shower can take place in 5 minutes (or less), but any reduction in time will save you water and money:
- At $111, the Shower Manager seems pricey but it does have some features worth noting such as: limited access to timer controls, options for time limit settings, reduction of water flow once time limit expires, 5-minute delay after water shut-off before resuming normal flow. The goal is to train people to take shorter showers by removing incentives, such as water pressure.
- For those of us with more self-control (or cooperative families), a simple kitchen timer would suffice. Timers made specifically for the shower range from products like the Niagara Shower Coach, a basic 5-minute sand timer which you can attach with a suction cup, to the Efergy Shower Time, a digital timer that also calculates water usage.
3. And of course, you can always turn down the temperature of your water heater.
Please note, I don’t work for any of the companies or manufacturers of any of these products. I have posted the links to give you a better idea of what options are available. So good luck and happy hunting!
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