Green Wiki
Advertisement

A "water saving shower" can categorically, not, be elaborated unless also working on an "energy saving shower" as well.

After this, comparatively vast savings of water occur because conversely, in a normal showering system of the primitive variety, those vast quantities of hot water are required to merely replace the loss of thermal potential that typically occurs throughout the shower enclosure.

Particularly through the roof, and/or out through the exhaust fan.

It is a harsh realization indeed, to consider that the mechanical similarities in the desighn of a typical domestic showering installation is in almost every way identical to the operation of a commercial cooling tower. You may be wondering why choose 'this' design for domestic showers?? "Something is not quite right".

This empirically vast loss of thermal potential does not all, "just end up going down the drain", instead, most of this decadent loss of thermal energy goes out through the exhaust fan as shown in the link. The tepid or now cold water goes down the drain.

An experiment where this can be observed is by standing or sitting at various distances away from the shower nozzle/rose. The normal observation is that the greater the distance from the shower head, the greater the drop in temperature of the once hot water will be from the shower spray.

Another quite scientific observation that can be observed, is that atomising the water droplets into a very fine spray will make this temperature drop even greater. A shower head with large holes that produces nice large water droplets diminish this effect/phenomena and so a shower head that does not violently atomise the droplets will result in a hoter shower using less energy and water than a shower head using very fine holes that violently mixes air and water producing large volumes of heat and hot vapour that excapes out through the overhead fan, and environment.

There is a theory that is almost an organic part of education, and that equates the idea that the 'flow rate' and 'time' spent under the shower are the only factors to consider with respect to energy and water consumption, and both have an almost legendary status.

In fact, the greater part of the thermal loss occurs through the ventilation fan, and into concrete, glass, metal, and any other thermal masses that exist in and around the primitive contemporary showering apparatus. With such losses, it is difficult if not impossible to obtain a long hot shower without a vast waste of both water and the energy that is used to heat the water.

The solution to this is to remove as much thermal mass from the shower design as possible, Getting a builder to instal high denisity extruded styrene foam to line the shower cubicle walls/roof before adhering the desired thin plastic tiles, or laminate are an ideal conbination. This reflects instead of absorbing the heat from the hot water.

MImimse the forced air extraction above the shower enclosure, and the energy and water saving shower is well on the way..

watersavingshower.com

Wet Air Shower Since 1997 circa.

(Please note: A rapid editing of this wiki is being undertaken. The author has a wealth of knowledge and experience but was interupted around the time the wiki was comenced. This small note will be removed in the coming days 13thJan2012)

Some say "a two minute shower saves 10 gallons of H2O in a single day, 342 pounds of CO2 a year, $1.50", and a 2 minute cold shower can save 4,400 btus of energy, and 1/27 pounds of Al.

How much does a Wet Air Shower © 2012 use in one minute?

Advertisement