Low-flow showerheads are efficient. They can significantly reduce your household water consumption without a noticeable difference to your shower experience. The term “low flow” is generally defined as a showerhead with a water consumption rate of 0.5 to 2 gallons per minute (gpm). Here’s my review of what’s available:
Ultra Oxygenics Low-Flow Showerhead
Pros: Attractive design. Adapts well to different kinds of water pressure. Has a lever that adjusts water velocity. Oxygenates water.
Cons: Has a jet-like sound that some may find distracting. May reduce the temperature of your shower water a bit.
Price: $20-35
The Oxygenics SkinCare Showerhead (pictured above and at top of article) is a water efficient showerhead that is also “self-pressurizing”. Because the showerhead can automatically adapt to low and variable water pressure it can deliver a great shower whether the water pressure is 20 psi (pounds per square inch) or 100 psi. It has a maximum flow rate of just 1.5 gallons of water per minute. It has a comfort control lever on the side to allow for the regulation of water velocity at the showerhead, allowing the user to select a spray ranging from brisk and stimulating to soft and gentle.
Available from Amazon
Niagara Earth Massage Low-Flow Showerhead
Pros: Produces a pleasant, massaging spray. Non-aerated spray means no water temperature loss. Self-cleaning. Good price.
Cons: Some may prefer an aerated spray.
Price: $17
This is my favorite showerhead at home. The 1.75 gpm adjustable spray of this showerhead delivers a broad, rain-like spray or a focused, pulsating massaging spray. It is self-cleaning, and the non-aerated spray mean less temperature loss between the showerhead and you.
Available from Amazon
Ultra Saver Showerhead
Pros: Uses only 1.5 gallons per minute. The price is hard to beat.
Cons: “No-Frills” design. May need to be replaced in a couple years.
Price: $3-$8
These low-cost showerheads get good reviews from buyers, and they certainly have a low-flow rate at 1.5 gallons per minute. Apparently, this showerhead lasts for about two years before it needs replacing. The pressure of the water erodes the water holes and the spray becomes uneven. This similar showerhead
Available from Amazon
Road Runner Low Flow Showerhead
Pros: Unique “hot water saving” feature. Can be used with low water pressure. Self-cleaning. Uses 1.59 gallons per minute.
Cons: Can’t think of any.
Price: $40
TheRoad Runner 1.59 gallon per minute showerhead with a built-in sensor that detects when the water gets warm enough for showering, and then it “pauses” the shower by restricting the flow of water. You’ll hear the water stop running when the shower reaches the right temperature, and you’ll know it’s ready. You can see a video of the showerhead working here. This is my wife’s favorite showerhead, she enjoys the rain-like shower it produces.
Available from Clean Air Gardening ($40).
Bricor Low Flow Showerheads
Pros: Good design. Can be used with very low water pressure. Use only 1-0.5 gallons per minute!
Cons: Pricey.
Price: $60-$80
How low can you go with showerheads? Well, Bricor has some showerheads that use as little as a 1/2 a gallon of water per minute. These showerheads make use of “vacuum flow restriction” technology created by Bricor. The showerheads seen here are the “B100 SUPERMAX” series, and they are rated at 1.125 gallons per minute @ 50 psi. Bricor also has a “B100 ULTRA MAX” showerhead that is rated at 0.5025 gpm. You’ll have to pay for such a low flow — the showerheads cost about $60-$80 each. But don’t forget you’ll be saving water and the cost of heating the hot water for your showers.
Link: Bricor
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Hey, question for you…
Not sure if this is a review? I would much appreciate it if it were clearer whether this is just a product placement or a review. Product reviews are worth their weight in green gold!
Cheers!
Elizabeth
Letters from a Small State
Editor’ Answer: We don’t any affiliation with any of the manufactures, and we’ve tested many of the showerheads listed here ourselves.
I have the Oxygenics showerheads. One hand-held and one fixed pipe. They’re great. They save me a great deal on my water bill and aren’t affected by the toilet flushing!
The jet sound sort of stinks at first, but you get used to it and eventually come to appreciate it as it drowns out outside noise.
Ideal if you have a tankless water heater. Ours has a 5.5 gal/min. flow rate and we can run two showerheads anda sink simultaneously without noticing ANY difference in pressure or temp.
Careful mixing low-flow shower heads with tankless water heaters. Some tankless systems shut off the gas if the hot water draw is too small (less than .6 gpm of hot water — or a little less than half of the volume most of these shower heads are putting out — on the Rinnai tankless we spec on our houses). If you pair the two, Rinnai recommends putting the remote thermostat in the main bathroom and dropping the temp to increase the hot water draw.
No need, just navy shower.
Get wet in shower for just 10 seconds max. Turn off and lather up properly for two minutes to get clean. Shower 20 seconds max, to rinse off.
Was used on UK (probably US as well) navy diesel submarines to save water while still being military clean on arriving in port (not sure they bothered at sea from the tales of submarines I hear!)
Avoids the scenario where most people expect the water to wash off dirt. Only contact provides sufficient skin oil soluability via mixing and kinetic energy to dislodge dirt. And 99.9% of water molecules never touch the skin anyway. They are fresh drinking water quality molecules straight down the tubes.
The Thirty second shower.
It’s nice to see the variety. When we were teenagers, my parents outfitted out shower with a low-flow head and only allowed us to have seven minutes in the shower. I always thought it was counter productive. How could I spend less time in the shower when there is less water pressure and it takes longer to get clean.
That whole “get wet, then turn the water off while you soap up” doesn’t work for shaving legs! Instead you freeze while shaving off all those goosebumps.
The Roadrunner can save more water, energy and money than any other low flow head with a similar flow rate. The reason for this is the ShowerStart technology that saves the hot water that would usually be wasted during warm up. If you assume that the ShowerStart feature can save a minute of hot water per shower it will increase the showerhead’s effeciency by an additional 15%.
The other nice thing is that it does not aearate the water. Studies by Texas A&M University suggest that aerating requires an increase in water temperature by 10 degrees F to get the same feel as a non-aerated head. Since water and energy are linked, it’s best to find a great feeling showerhead that can save both.
Just as a point of reference, we’ve been using the ultra saver for about 10 years and it is still working just fine. At $4, it can’t be beat.
Just in case you wanted to know …
Get better prices on Niagara Conservation Showerheads below:
http://www.watercheck.biz/component/page,shop.browse/category_id,57/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,79/
Even better pricing on the Niagara Showerheads at:
http://www.usalandlord.com
I called Bricor to purchase 3 of these showerheads. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bricor where jerks. I was willing to pay $100 a showerhead and they refused my business. Because they didn’t like my attitude. I never knew it was this hard to buy a showerhead!! And they will not let you return anything if you don’t like it. Steer Clear of this Company Something Shady is going on here. Never BUY THIS PRODUCT!!! THEY WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY AND RUN!!!
Ever since I was in the Army I have been advocating and using the Ultra Saver Showerhead & have never had an issue with the quality of the model without the shutoff button. However the model with the shutoff button has drip issues. Troy is correct about needing more heat, because of the aeration, but for $5 versus $40 it is a no brainer. I helped a friend’s water pressure in an upstairs shower by installing one of Ultra Saver Showerheads and she became a believer after her shower curtains started blowing outward!