Our bathroom shower is just about as far from the water heater as it could be. When taking a shower, we turn on the hot water and then go do something else while we wait 1-2 minutes for the hot water to make it through the pipes. But it’s hard to guess when the water is getting hot unless we frequently open the door and feel it. If we wait too long, we waste hot water.
I recently installed a Ladybug Shower Head Adapter from Evolve.
With this clever gadget in place, we turn on the hot water and then go do something else (brush teeth, get undressed, etc.). When the water gets hot the Ladybug shuts the flow down to a small trickle, just enough to keep the water hot but minimizing the waste. We can easily hear the change in flow and when we are ready we open the door, pull the tab hanging from the shower head, and immediately the water returns to full flow. If we can’t come right away, only a little hot water gets wasted.
At $25 it will probably take a long time to save enough hot water to pay back, but I like the convenience, energy savings and that we ensure enough water is left for the next person.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Richard // Jan 27, 2014 at 10:40 am
Did you consider a recirculating pump? That would eliminate the wait and also eliminate wasting all the water that does down the drain while waiting for hot water. It’s best if they are installed during initial construction, but can often be installed at a later date as well. As a last resort you could install one of the undersink models. They work quite well although they do have some minor drawbacks. Here is a link to a sample:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Autocirc-Undersink-Instant-Hot-Water-Circulating-System-ACT-E1/100037011
I installed a recirculating system in our trailer as a water saving device for when we are boondocking. We have a demand water system that takes several seconds to get up to temperature and get that hot water to the faucet or shower. It was a fairly simple plumbing job to just install a tee in the hot water line below the bathroom sink, run a line to a valve mountd on the side of the bathroom vanity, and from there to another tee I installed in the water tank fill line. Of course, our system is manual but that’s fine for our use.
2 Daryl // Jan 27, 2014 at 11:03 am
I looked at recirculating pumps a few years ago before I installed a mini-hot water tank under our kitchen sink. The main complaint I have heard about recirculating pumps is that they push hot or warm water into the cold water pipes, so when you get a drink it’s not always cold.
Also, to recirculate water at the shower it would have to be installed at the closest sink, and the branch point isn’t too close. There would still be a delay at the shower.
3 Donna // Jan 27, 2014 at 4:55 pm
I have the same problem! My hot water heater is in my garage, and it takes as long for the shower water to get hot as it does for me to undress, put my hair up, and use the toilet. Sounds like it’s even a bit longer for you. However, I don’t think this gadget would do me much good, since I stand at the shower waiting for it to get warm, and once it is, I jump in.
4 Dale // Jan 29, 2014 at 8:02 am
Do you drink water out of your bathroom faucet often?
5 Daryl // Jan 29, 2014 at 11:45 am
Dale — Just about every night.
6 Dale // Jan 29, 2014 at 5:17 pm
I thought I was the only one who drank unfiltered Tempe water! Do you ever get a glass of water out of the shower?
7 Daryl // Jan 29, 2014 at 5:48 pm
Never out of the shower! I would probably get all wet trying.
8 Dale // Jan 29, 2014 at 8:52 pm
Now we’re just getting silly!
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