How to Spare Water and Enjoy Your Shower

If you haven't yet placed low flow shower heads in your abode, rest assured you can spare water and maintain peak shower performance by acquiring a shower head displaying the WaterSense label. Water saving shower heads vary in price from $8-$50 and are simple to put in place. Just unscrew your old shower head and replace it with your new one. The low flow device will scale down your water expenses by 25%-50%, and thereby pay for itself in a matter of weeks to a few months, depending on your rate of water usage.





WaterSense-EPAWaterSense criteria have been established by the EPA, and a shower head that carries the WaterSense sticker, must conform to a few EPA requirements. These specifications include a demonstrated 20% greater efficacy in comparison to unlabelled shower heads, ability to reduce the water bill, and third party verification that the product conforms to EPA requirements. WaterSense labeled shower heads produce 80 psi pressure at all times and must give consumers a satisfactory shower experience..


WaterSense endorsed shower nozzles on the market use one of two accepted mechanisms to scale down water flow. Some shower nozzles inject air into the flow thereby maintaining steady water pressure in the face of decreased water flow. The extra air may reduce the temperature slightly.

Non-aerated heads maintain pressure by making water flow through smaller openings. This mechanism gives the water a pulsating quality, which causes the user to feel like he is having a gentle massage.

You can perform a simple test at your house to discover if your present nozzle is EPA compliant. Put a two quart jug directly under your nozzle so that all the water flows into the container, and turn on the water at a temperature you like for your showers. If the 2 quart container fills in less than 12 seconds, then your current head is permitting water flow at more than 2.5 GPM and is therefore not EPA compliant. Before starting the test, you might conserve time by looking to see if your shower nozzle bears the WaterSense label. Your shower nozzle might have a sticker reading 2.5 GPM or less . This means it conforms to government requirements for water efficiency, but is not as strict as shower heads displaying the WaterSense label.

You can find water saving heads at your local retail outlet (Home Depot, Loews, etc.). With a family of three of more you can expect to save $200 a year or more.

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Resources; 1st Choice Plumbing Inc.; 3502 Taney Road; Baltimore 21215. are experienced in the selection and installation of low flow water heads. Call (410) 967-6547