Although we’ve gotten some good rain in the last couple of weeks, eastern Nebraska is still very much in drought, which got me thinking about water use, especially since I frequently see sprinklers running in the rain.
I’ve written before about saving water while washing cars, but what about when we need to wash ourselves? I’m not looking at showers versus baths, here. Unless they’re super long, showers use less water most of the time.1 Even so, they waste a huge amount of water and energy — before you even get in.
Waiting for water
I don’t know many people who like to take cold showers. Most of us like a flow of nice, hot water when we jump in. But unless you have a tankless heater, that takes some time. Depending on how far water has to travel from the water heater to the shower in question, it takes at least 20 seconds for the water to start warming up, sometimes much longer. That warm-up equals 10%2 to 25%3 of the water you use for your shower.
Unless you switch to tankless heaters or do some expensive work-arounds, you’re going to lose this water no matter what. But you can put it to use, instead of flushing it down the drain. We keep a large bowl by our shower and catch the water while it heats up. In summer we use that water for our plants. In winter we use it to rinse the shower when we’re done, so it’s clean for the next person (which everyone appreciates!).
Not just a water problem
The water you’re flushing out used to be hot—but it cools after you stop running it, which means you’ve used energy to heat the water, then allowed that heat to simply dissipate. That’s money not well spent. Unfortunately, unless you’re doing a major renovation that allows you access to insulate the pipes, there’s not much you can do about it. (Although switching to tankless heaters would be a good alternative if it’s in your budget.)
Mid-shower shavings savings
The other time we waste water in the shower is while shaving. Do you let the shower run while you shave, standing mostly out of the stream so it doesn’t wash the shaving cream away? You’re letting gallons of water run straight down the drain. Instead, fill a large mug with hot water when you get in. When it’s time to shave, turn off the shower and use the water in the mug to rinse the razor, then turn the shower back on to rinse.
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Stanford Magazine. Shower or Bath? Essential Answer. https://stanfordmag.org/contents/shower-or-bath-essential-answer
NRDC. Waiting for Hot Water. January 22, 2014 https://www.nrdc.org/bio/ed-osann/waiting-hot-water
Evolve Technologies. 25% of Shower is Wasted Before You Ever Get In https://www.thinkevolve.com/blogs/showerstart-water-energy-efficiency-blog/understanding-warm-up-waste