Low-Flow Showerhead: A Low-Stress Way Of Cutting Back

Here's the easiest go-green effort I've never done: install a low-flow showerhead.

So the people at Niagara Conservation were kind enough to send me an Earth Massage Showerhead to try out. It's something I should have done a long time ago. It's a 30-second fix and can save a ton of water.

Having not tried it before, I didn't know if it would make showering totally infuriating -- we've all had the apartment or dorm room with a terrible shower -- so I also didn't know if it would irritate my roommates, whom I sort of didn't consult on this matter. Then it became kind of a game and/or prank: let's see if the roomies notice this.

Yep, that's where I live: Right at the intersection of "waste not, want not" and whoopee cushions. If I could have set up a showerhead that would have made a hilarious noise AND saved energy, I might installed that, too.

Having used it for about a week, there have been no complaints from the roommates (though I did admit to changing it, and I even left the old showerhead out in case they wanted to switch back). You do notice a slight difference in the shower, but you get just as clean in the same amount of time.

And it couldn't have been easier to do.

Final grade: 9 out of 10 fresh-as-a-daisy roommates.

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Comments

[Tactical Grace]

I installed water save shower heads in some of the public showers in a place I worked at. Within a week everybody in the place wanted one because they provided such a pleasant shower. They are simple chrome flairs with a changeable disk in them so you can select the intensity of the spray you may like. Some come with a little sliding shut off valve built in for the ultra conservative among us.

These particular ones I speak of run anywhere from $10 to $15 dollars and are available in most chain hardware stores. Be advised, the plastic ones are cheaper but are useless. So, Let us spray.

[uncomplicatedlife]

I've tried to use lo flows but in my house the showers DO take longer because it takes longer to get wet and rinse off.

Come on, you know its true.....

[Meah]

I ALWAYS run the shower water into a container until it gets to the warm temp I want, instead of letting it go down the drain. After my shower I use the water for the plants on our deck. It is at least a gallon of water that would otherwise be wasted.

[JScott]

That has more to do with the length of the pipe from the water heater to the shower (and if it's insulated in some way) rather than what kind of shower head you have, mine is kinda long so even with the lo flo there still is a lag time till it gets hot.