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Savings in the Shower

Shower heads are an interesting item. I find most people really don't want to spend a lot of money on them, but have strong opinions if they are good or bad. For the past few years I have been testing all kinds of shower heads - part of our Choose Renewables best-in-class testing methods. I can't tell you how many frustrating and horrible showers I have started my day with through this process. I am sure if any of you have purchased "low flow" shower heads in the past you will know exactly what I am talking about. I truly do understand the importance of starting your day off right with a great shower, which is why we searched for so long to find the perfect low flow shower heads to sell at ChooseRenewables.com. In the past we have only offered two shower heads, one traditional wall mounted option and one handheld option that really performed. But the hunt continued because two options just weren't enough for our Choose Renewables community.

Things that I have encountered during our testing process of low flow shower heads are:water comes out in a big circle but there is no water coming from the middle so you have to move around to get wet, you simply don't feel like you are getting any water, the pin spray comes out of a small section with so much pressure that it feels like the water is ripping your skin off, or you feel like you are just getting misted and you can't get the soap off of you or the shampoo out of your hair.

Call off your search, we've done the leg work for you. The day has finally arrived to announce our 3 new shower head options!

1.5 GPM - Chrome plated Fixed Spray Shower Head
This shower head is not only aesthetically pleasing, but offers outstanding performance along with its energy savings. The large droplets spray in a fashion that cross each other, therefore you feel like you are getting a wide spray that covers your entire body. The large droplets keep the water warmer longer than a pin spray design. The pressure is enough to get the soap out of your hair and feel like you are getting a really good, clean shower and you won't even feel like you are missing the water. I prefer this shower head over those that use upwards of 3.0 GPM in hotels. The only draw backs I found were:no option to change the spray pattern - but I personally wouldn't change it even if I could - and this unit does not have a shut off valve. But overall, this design is outstanding.

2.0 GPM - 5 Spray Chrome plated Shower Head - Fixed & Handheld options
For those of you who like a few options while you are showering, this is a really great product. This shower head has an interesting design, coupling a small pin spray with larger spray patterns and overall, I think it gives a very nice feeling shower. The full spray setting is a bit softer spray than the traditional pin spray, so you don't get that needle-like feeling. The simple lever positioned below the water outlets makes switching from one spray option to the next very easy, even with soapy hands. The full spray option is nice because you get the pin spray pattern around the outside perimeter and a small section in the center, which does a good job of making you feel like you are really getting a full body spray. The full spray with massage option is similar, but the center portion offers large droplets instead of a pin spray. If you are looking for a hard, pulsating spray this massage option likely won't be enough for you. I personally felt the massage spray by itself was not very useful because it was very small and you had to really move around to get the water on you. The setting did work better on the handheld option since you are concentrating the spray on a specific area. I did not feel the aerated spray was very powerful. I basically had to stand right underneath it because it didn't spray very far. I did like the feature that allows you to turn the shower head down to a trickle, which really minimizes your need for an on/off switch and can sometimes change the showerhead performance. All in all, I felt this was a shower head that performed well and as a bonus comes in a traditional wall mounted or handheld option.

Don't think this small change won't make a big difference! Switching from a 2.5 GPM to a 2.0 GPM shower head can save the average homeowner 20% per year in water and energy. For a four person family this would be approximately $143/per year in water and electric water heater savings, $124/year in water and gas water heater, and $44/year for water alone.

– Written by Team member: Jessica