My vocation in the USA before retiring revolved around energy efficiency advocacy and that included developing ways to lower usage of both energy and water use.
Energy-efficient shower heads can make a major difference! I hope the information below can help with the need to conserve water.
Drought conditions in the Algarve must be addressed! Water-saving efforts by residents can significantly help to mitigate these problems.
Installing water-saving shower heads, which is VERY easy to do, and can significantly lower water and electricity costs for residents. Apartment owners who have an AL designation pay twice the amount of water per cubic metre used as purely residential users. Moreover, apartments that host guests may be subject to additional amounts of hot water used by short-term tenants.
Where was the test conducted?
The comparative test was conducted on October 16, 2023, in an apartment located in the Marina Village condominiums located in the western region of Olhão. The test was conducted comparing the original shower head type common to these buildings, several constructed in 2010, with a water-saving shower head purchased in 2023 from Ikea for around 7 euros. Attempts to access comparable water-saving shower heads from stores located in Olhão during the summer of 2023 were unsuccessful. Perhaps this will change if the results of this test are made available to local store owners.
Can you enjoy a satisfying shower with these water-saving shower heads?
Yes. Neither the apartment owner nor the tenants they hosted suggested otherwise during the 2023 summer. The author installed these shower heads two years ago and has been enjoying satisfying daily showers since.
How was the test conducted?
Using a stopwatch and clear plastic container marked at the water level of 3-litres, measurements of the amount of time it took for each shower head operating at the highest setting to fill the container to that level were noted. The original showerhead took 14.69 seconds to reach 3-litre level. The water-saving shower head took 22.69 seconds to reach the 3-litre level.
The data was then corrected, by dividing by 3, to reflect the time it took for each shower head to reach the 1-litre level. The original shower head took 4.9 seconds compared to the water-saving shower head at 7.56 seconds. Then dividing 60 seconds by each amount resulted in the original shower head consuming 12.24 litres per minute compared to the water-saving shower head’s consumption of 7.9 litres per minute.
The results suggest just over 35 percent consumption savings using the water-saving shower head. The payback time is literally in WEEKS when applied to daily shower use!
For the shower/shower/bathtub/washbasin/sink there are flow restrictors from 4L to 12L per minute which are simply inserted between the shower hose or aerator. They cost around €10 for the whole apartment and are easy to install yourself if you have some manual skills or help from your neighbors. You can find them in any good plumbing store.
You can also regulate the flow rate yourself at home using the cold water shut-off valve under the sink or washbasin. For hot water, please also pay attention to any gas boiler, as this requires a certain flow rate to be able to produce hot water.
Kind regards
By Klaus from Algarve on 06 Apr 2024, 08:25