SHOWERHEADS

According to the EPA, showering accounts for 1.2 trillion gallons of Americans’ annual water use. But with our collective passion for the shower “experience,” adoption of low-flow models often takes some convincing.

WaterSense-certified showerheads use no more than 2.0 gpm, 20% less than standard fixtures of 2.5 gpm. In addition, devices must meet performance guidelines for both spray force and spray coverage, whose comfort thresholds were determined through research into consumer preferences.

Simply restricting the flow doesn’t ensure a drenching spray, so, like toilets, many manufacturers have re-engineered devices from the inside out. Tactics include changing the shape and number of nozzles, tweaking nozzle patterns, and injecting air into or otherwise reshaping water droplets. A turbine in American Standard’s FloWise showerhead, for example, chops droplets into a size and shape engineered to provide for a drenching feel.

It’s also important to remember that reduced-gpm showerheads are designed to perform at lower flows, so attempts to “help out” clients by doctoring a fixture or removing parts can actually do more harm than good.

WaterSense-certified showerheads install the same as regular units. Installers, however, do need to pay attention to the bathroom’s anti-scald devices; if a showerhead has an ultra-low-flow rate, such as 1.5 or 1.0 gpm, some older valves may not work as well, manufacturers caution. For new homes, just verify with your plumber or manufacturer that valves are compatible; for remodels, particularly with older homes, extra care is needed, and it’s wise to upgrade to a new valve.

FAUCETS

Of the three types of bath fixtures, faucets have raised the least amount of concern among buyers. In fact, many manufacturers converted their entire lav inventories to WaterSense products—which flow at 1.5 gpm, 32% less than the 2.2-gpm max set by federal standards—with little to no fanfare or price increases.

Like toilets and showerheads, WaterSense faucets must meet performance criteria to ensure flows are strong enough for tasks such as rinsing a toothbrush. Most devices were an easy fix, with manufacturers swapping in pressure-compensating aerators engineered to reduce water without altering force.

CHALLENGES

The first hurdle with low-flow fixtures—designing products that conserve without sacrifice—has largely been cleared. Now the challenge lies in convincing consumers that “low-flow” is no longer a phrase to be feared. WaterSense is helping significantly, both for its certification assurance and the EPA’s efforts to educate the public.

“[Pros] need to help us sell this,” notes Zimmerman. “They need to sell it with confidence: that these products work well, that what I’m doing as a builder is to help you reduce the cost of operating your home.”

Katy Tomasulo is deputy editor of EcoHome.