Water Saving Shower Heads

Water-saving shower heads

The average shower in the UK last 8 minutes and in that time an estimated 60 litres of water is used. Even if you don’t pay for the specific amount of water you use (i.e. you are unmetered), you still need to heat the water for showers, so using less hot water, means you have to heat less, so you save on your heating bills.

Elsewhere in our water saving section we look at behavioural changes you can make to use less water when you are in the shower, but a water saving showerhead is a solution that you can install in your shower to dramatically reduce the amount of water you use.

How do water-saving shower heads work?

These shower heads work by restricting the volume of water that they allow to flow through them. Newer models can reduce the volume of water used by half, but still provide an enjoyable showering experience!

It is important to point out that if you have an electric shower or a shower with very low pressure, a water-saving shower head will probably not be suitable for your home.

There are two main types of ‘low flow’ water saving shower heads.

Non-aerating shower heads

These work by restricting the water flow through them and squeezing it through very small holes. This means the water comes out under more pressure, so it gives a harder, more massaging showering experience.

Aerating shower heads

These are slightly more complex and work by mixing the restricted flow of water with air, therefore the water appears to come out of the showerhead in higher volume, replicating a normal shower, this will therefore provide a softer showering experience.

How are low flow shower heads fitted?

Both types of shower head are fairly easily to install. If you are replacing a shower head on a flexible hose, then you simply need to unscrew the existing shower head and screw on the low flow one in its place.

To ensure a really snug fit and no leakages from the top of the hose, you can use plumbing tape. Simply cut a short length of plumbing tape and wrap it around the thread of the new showerhead and screw this into the hose.

To replace a fixed showerhead, it is exactly the same principle except you might need a spanner to remove the old showerhead and tighten the new low flow one into place.

Aerated versus non-aerated showerheads

Since aerated showerheads combine room temperature air with the water to ‘flesh it out’, people tend to increase the temperature of their showers to compensate.

Water coming out a non-aerated showerhead will come out under higher pressure so the jets will feel harder on the skin. Conversely, the aerated showerhead will produce a far softer showering experience.

Benefits

    • Water saving shower heads reduce the amount of water you use during your normal shower.
    • Water saving shower heads are incredibly simple to fit in existing shower units.

Limitations

    • Only worth the payback if you are on a meter

Cost