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Water Saving Shower Heads
Overview: Although water is a plentiful resource, clean potable water is not. Potable water is water that is suitable for consumption. The difference between plentiful water and potable water is populated water, water that is not suitable for consumption.
Because potable water is in short supply in many
areas we need to conserve as much water as
possible. As many people take showers rather than
baths the average household uses a lot of water.
Much of this water can be saved simply by changing
our shower heads to water saving shower heads.
Water saving shower heads is commonly referred to
as a low flow shower head.
Low flow showerheads are very efficient. They can
reduce your household water consumption without a
noticeable difference to your shower.
A low-flow shower head is defined as a
showerhead with a water consumption rate of 0.5 to
2 gallons per minute (gpm). This is a lot less than
the flow of a standard showerhead.
Showerheads are measured by their flow rate, the
number of gallons they deliver per minute (gpm).
The flow is affected by water pressure that is
measured in pounds per square inch (psi). The
greater the pressure pushing the water through
pipes and showerheads, the greater the volume of
water flow.
Water pressure at 80 psi will push a greater amount
of water through a showerhead than a lower water
pressure of 20 psi. If your water supply is from a
public utility the pressure will vary from house to
house.
An older showerhead will deliver approximately 5 to
8 gallons per minute (gpm) at 80 psi. The current
standard is far less than that at approximately 4
to 5 gallons a minute. To determine your
showerhead's flow rate hold a gallon container
under the head and time how long it takes to fill
it. If it fills up in 15 seconds the flow rate is
about 4 gpm. If it fills in 10 seconds the flow
rate is closer to 6 gpm. With a low-flow head, it
should take 24 seconds or more.
There are many styles of low flow water saving
shower heads available at most home improvement
supply centers or plumbing supply outlets. The
ultra low flow water saving shower head produced by
Delta and Kohler are two of the best low-flow
shower heads on the market. Even a modest low flow
shower head you can save 50% of the water you use
for showering. In addition, you will also save on
the energy cost to heat the water. A low flow
shower head cost between $75 and $110 and they will
pay for themselves in less than a year.
You can do your part in saving water by installing
water saving shower heads in your home. A DIY
homeowner can remove the old shower head and
install a new low flow shower head in a few minutes
using common household tools.
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