When you reduce the amount of
water you use when taking a
shower, you reduce the amount of electricity and fossil fuels that went into delivering the water to your faucet, you reduce the amount of electricity or fossil fuels used to heat your water, and in summer you may reduce the
energy used to cool your home a little.
Maintaining Comfort – Since the methods for conserving water listed below generally result in the water not feeling as hot/warm, the methods for conserving heat must be applied to counter those effects, and minimize significant reduction of comfort.
Remember, you could practice radical water conservation a few days each week when you simply need to clean your body, and occasionally indulge yourself with a longer
shower with a heavier flow of water just for the pleasure of it. The heat conserving methods listed below will be a win for you, no matter how much water you choose to use to shower.
Conserving Water – There are three primary elements of water conservation when it comes to taking a shower, and they are as follows:
• When water is used – does the water need to be on the entire time you are taking a shower, or could it be on to soap up, off while you wash, and back on again to rinse.
• Water distribution – The finer the spray, the less water will come out of the faucet.
• Water volume – Turning the water volume down will also reduce water consumption.
Conserving Heat – There are four primary elements pertaining to how hot your shower will feel, and they are as follows:
• Shower space size – The larger the space where you shower, the more heat will be lost warming it up. You can actually “shrink” the area where you shower by creating a smaller space within your shower using plastic or foam board.
• Sealing your shower space – When air is trapped in your shower, heat is trapped with it. Your shower space can be completely sealed, other than the water coming out of the shower head, and the water and air going down the drain.
• Insulating your shower – It amazes me that so little effort is made to insolate showers (and tubs). Once again, you want to trap as much heat in your shower as you possibly can, if a hot shower is what you desire. Since heat rises, the “ceiling” above your shower
should be low, and well insulated.
• Shower head height – The further the water falls through the air before hitting you, the more heat it will lose on the way. A shower head that is a foot or more above your head will deliver water that feels much cooler than a shower head that is only a couple of inches above you head. You will need to accommodate different heights to meet the needs of all members of the household. Remember, the closer you are to the source, the warmer the water will be (and feel).
Question: Do you think you would be comfortable lathering up and washing in a steam room, and then have water flowing at a reasonable volume to rinse? Trapping the heat in your shower plays a crucial role in comfort level. Experiment a little, and see what you can do to use less water and the energy to heat it, especially seeing how much less you can use without sacrificing comfort.
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