Saving water matters
Don’t just go with the flow. We can help you cut down on water usage without compromising your shower time.
Call us on 027 265 4949 to get a free, no-obligation quote for installing flow restrictors to taps and shower mixers at your place.
Understanding water flow
Saving water is not just environmentally responsible; it can also save you money.
One area where you can make a significant impact is in the shower. Water use is not just about water pressure; it’s also about the rate at which water flows from your tap or showerhead.
Water flow is the rate – in litres per second – at which water comes out of your tap or showerhead. This is quite different to water pressure, which is the amount of force pushing water through the pipes. The water pressure in your home determines what type of hot water system you can have, but your tapware or showerheads determine the flow.
Today’s environmentally smart, water savers
If your shower is using too much water, you’re wasting money on electricity and possibly on water charges. Many older showers in New Zealand use 18 litres of water a minute, and some up to 25 litres.
Consumer NZ tested water-efficient showerheads. They found replacing a 12-litre per minute showerhead with one that flows at eight litres can cut your hot water bill by about $150 a year while still giving you a comfortable and effective shower.
Reduce the flow
According to Consumer NZ, if you have an 8-minute shower every day and the shower uses 18 litres per minute, you’re using more than 52,000 litres of water a year, and the water heating will cost you more than $440 a year (based on electricity cost of 18c/kWh). Reducing the flow to 6L/min would cut power costs alone by two-thirds, not to mention all that precious water.
There are several ways to reduce the flow of water in your shower or basins without sacrificing performance. One way is to fit flow restrictors to taps and shower mixers or aerators to kitchen taps. These simple and cost-effective additions can significantly cut down on water usage.
Taps with high pressure tend to deliver large amounts of water, often more than necessary. Flow restrictors can be fitted between the showerhead and hose and restrict the volume of water that passes through the fixture, ultimately leading to reduced water consumption.
Talk to us about getting flow restrictors fitted to existing taps and shower mixers. Restrictors come in different flow rates from four litres per minute to 16 litres per minute. Check your brand of tap or shower mixer and then talk to one of our plumbers about advice on the right size and then we can install them.
Our plumbers can also fit aerators to kitchen taps. These simulate high pressure by dragging air through and cutting the flow of water from your tap by 50 per cent without reducing water pressure.
Changing your showerheads
Modern showerheads, designed to pull in air, can use as little as six litres of water per minute. The air in the water stream makes the water droplets hollow. You get the same feeling of a full-pressure shower but with a lot less water flow. Some modern showerheads even come with optional flow restrictors, allowing you to set the flow.
Replace tap fittings and showerheads with water-efficient fittings
Check the WELS label for the most efficient models. Most NZ shower heads contain a Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) rating from 0–6. The higher the rating, the more water-efficient the shower head and the more money you save. For example, a standard showerhead uses up to 25 litres per minute. Whereas a WELS 3-star rated shower head uses around 7 litres per minute.
Hire FlowFix Plumbing Ltd
An efficient showerhead can save 50 litres of water for each six-minute shower. So, call us on 027 265 4949 to get a free, no-obligation quote to start saving water at your place.
To test your shower’s flow, turn on you shower to the flow you normally use. Then, hold a bucket underneath it and measure how much water you collect in a minute. If you get more than 12 or 13 litres in a minute, you can save energy and water by calling in the FlowFix experts.
We’re also the team to help with garden irrigation and rainwater collection solutions. We can supply and install everything you need for your irrigation system: the tank, taps and pipes through to building a wooden platform to keep the tank elevated.
Our team has successfully installed water tanks for irrigation across the North Shore and Hibiscus Coast to many happy customers. If you’re interested in water harvesting, get in touch.
