Save on your water expenses with low-flow shower heads

Posted by Guest Blogger on February 29, 2012

Can you save water and still get a great shower? YES!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, showering is one of the top uses of residential water in the United States, representing approximately 17 percent of indoor water use. Stop and think about how much you’re paying for your water usage – especially for showering. You pay to bring the water into your home, to take it away from your home and you pay to heat it as well. Basically, you are paying three times to use water for showering – that can really add up!

Typical shower heads have flow rates that range from 3-7 gallons per minute (gpm). If you choose to switch out your old shower head for one with a lower flow rate, your savings is simply the difference in the flow rates between the old and new shower heads. Compared to 2.5 gpm, a new 2.0 low-flow shower head will save you 20 percent on your water usage. You can take your savings even further by installing a 1.75 gpm shower head for a 30 percent savings, a 1.5 gpm shower head to save 40 percent or a 1.25 gpm shower head to save 50 percent.

You know the old saying of practicing what you preach? Before I wrote this post, I thought I would try out low flow shower heads myself. I searched the Web and found a website that sells a number of energy savings products, including low-flow shower heads. http://www.conservationwarehouse.com/

I selected the 1.5 gpm shower head. A couple of days later, the shower head arrived. I installed the unit, which was a fairly simple process (I don’t think it took me more than two minutes to install). And yes, I did have a great shower while saving water.

I’d recommend low-flow shower heads to anyone looking to save on their energy costs.