Guide
Cleaning hacks that turn chores into child’s play
by Raphael Knecht
Here’s how your showerhead can save you water
16.2.2022
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Eleven shower heads were tested by a laboratory on behalf of the SRF consumer magazine «Kassensturz». Only one was rated «very good». It performed well in terms of water consumption as well as convenience and handling.
If you spend your showers not only singing, but also thinking about the environment, you may want to consider purchasing a water-saving shower head. Large amounts of water get flushed down the drain every time we fire up the shower. A five-minute shower with a standard, non-eco-friendly shower head easily uses 70 or more litres.
For a pleasant shower, this water must first be heated with a lot of energy. Heating 70 litres from 10 degrees to 40 degrees consumes about 2.4 kWh of energy. For comparison, a Tesla could drive about 15 kilometres with this amount of energy.
And because the heated water is contaminated with shampoo and shower gel, it first goes to the treatment plant before being released back into the environment.
Water consumption: just one of the test factors
The decisive factor for eco-friendly showering is the flow rate of the shower head, which is measured in litres per minute at a pressure of three bar. The fact that you can reduce the flow of your water by adjusting the faucet handle was not accounted for in the «Kassensturz» test.
Which shower heads are economical?
The test winner, the «Tempesta 100» from Grohe with three jet options, is rather wasteful with its flow rate of 6.3 litres per minute and «C» grade.
The Grohe model stole the gold, because handling and comfort accounted for almost half of the score. In terms of comfort, jet coverage and the «feel» of the standard jet were decisive. Of course, this assessment is highly subjective. Not to mention the fact that shower heads offer several jet settings expressly for this reason. In the «Kassensturz» test, shower heads with a softer jet tended to score higher.
Here’s a shower head that received a «good» rating and is available in our shop.
There are more eco-friendly shower heads
The super-saving shower heads only work if the plumbing in your house or apartment is designed for them. Some faucets have trouble regulating the temperature if too little water flows through them. As such, your eco-friendly shower may quickly morph into a hot-and-cold one. Other problems may also arise, such as whistling noises or calcium build-up in over or underused piping.
To make sure your plumbing is suited to this super-economical class of shower heads, it’s best to ask an expert. But there are two clues you can look out for that point to your plumbing being suitable for «A» shower heads:
- You have a faucet with a thermostat, allowing you to adjust the temperature very precisely.
- You have a pressure of three bar. If this is the case, the shower hose (without a shower head) should release 30 litres (or three large cleaning buckets) of water per minute. If it only fills one and a half buckets – or less – the pressure in your pipes is, unfortunately, too low for a very economical shower head.
If you’re not sure about your plumbing and can’t ask a professional for whatever reason, the «Swiss Clima» from Aquaclic shower head might be worth looking into. It includes discs that you can insert yourself to adjust the water flow in your pipes.
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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