Low Flow Showerhead

The hot water that many if us take for granted can account for a substantial portion of your total energy costs - as much as 25%, depending on use. In many cases, showers can be the largest single contributor to overall hot water use. Even a modest 10-minute shower can use up to 230 litres of hot water with a conventional showerhead. A low-flow showerhead can reduce this by as much as half, without sacrificing the "feel" of the shower. There are a wide variety of low-flow showerheads available, including hand-held and designer models.

How It Works

By restricting the flow and forcing the water through very small apertures, these showerheads aerate and increase the velocity of the water, creating a very fine but "wet" feeling spray pattern. While a conventional showerhead uses 22 litres or more per minute, the low-flow types uses approximately 11 litres per minute, depending on the model. Many are equipped with a push-button shutoff valve which allows the use to interrupt the flow of water while soaping up, saving even more.

Replacing a conventional showerhead with a low-flow model is usually a very quick and simple job. With a variety of adapters readily available, they can be fitted to most standard shower arms, including the swivel-type.