An easy way to saving energy and water

With increasing pressure to save energy and water, homeowners can sometimes sacrifice the use of a bath, for the more stringent shower. When deciding whether to install a bath or a shower you may want to consider which of the two saves more water. Taking a shower instead of a bath is a commonly known money/energy saving tip. To save water through shower usage depends on the time you spend in the shower and how quickly the shower head dispenses water. A typical bathtub requires about 30 gallons for a bath. A standard shower head will flow about 3 gallons per minute. In five minutes, this uses only 15 gallons of water.

Using a low-flow shower head can cut the total water usage to less than ten gallons saving thousands of gallons of water per year. Depending on your showerhead and whether it has a flow restrictor in it and how long you shower, the answer could oscillate either towards shower or bath.

There are two types of low-flow shower heads: aerating and non-aerating.

Aerating - mixes air into the water stream. This maintains steady pressure so the flow has an even, full shower spray. Because air is mixed in with the water, the water temperature can cool down a bit towards the floor of the shower. Aerating shower heads are the most popular type of low-flow shower head.

Non-aerating - air is not mixed into the water stream. This maintains temperature well and delivers a strong spray. The water flow pulses with non-aerating shower heads, giving more of a massaging showerhead effect.

More tips and advice for fitting a bathroom sink, installing a shower or wiring an electric shower can be found at lets-do-diy.com