Water

1
Water Energy Efficient Showers

• Richard Critchley
• United Utilities
• and
• David Phipps
• Liverpool John Moores University

2
Why ? What ? How ? Who ?

• Why ? Becoming a major component of use
• What ? Define water efficient shower
• How ? Physical testing and customer evaluation
• Who ? United Utilities and Liverpool John Moores
  University

3
Objective

• To define water efficient shower performance in
  terms of physical parameters (eg. flow-rate,
  temperature, spray pattern and skin pressure) and
  satisfactory customer comfort performance
  criteria.
• It is intended that the results will assist the
  Water Industry and the Market Transformation
  Programme in influencing future water use by
  showers.

4
Key elements

• Shower types
• Stakeholder/customer views
• Laboratory testing physical characteristics
• Home-based evaluations customer reqts.
• Water and energy use
• Water and energy efficiency strategies

5
Shower types
38 mixer shower (especially in newer homes)
46 electric shower (especially in older homes)
Sales of all types are increasing
16 pumped shower
6
Stakeholder/customer views

• Growing recognition of need to save water
  especially shower use
• LJMU focus groups customers want good water
  flow at the right temperature growing trend to
  daily/twice daily showering.

7
Laboratory testing

• Over 20 showerheads/restrictors
• Flow-rate
• Temperature gradient
• Spray pattern
• Skin pressure

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Flowrate (1)
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Flowrate (2)
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Spray pattern (1)
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Spray pattern (2)
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Temperature profile
14
Skin pressure
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Key conclusions of laboratory testing

• Performance followed laws of physics LJMU
  could define equations
• CFD modelling was achievable by Arup
• Water efficiency needs to be achieved by design
  not by modifying existing showerhead

16
Home-based evaluations

• Water saving devices tested in 18 homes
• 9 aerated showerhead
• 9 flow restrictor

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Water and energy use
Unmetered houses WRc study
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Unmetered houses WRc study
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Unmetered houses WRc study
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18 LJMU study houses
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Water and energy efficiency strategies (1)

• The purchase/installation of electric showers
  should be strongly encouraged in preference to
  mixer or pumped showers due to the inherent low
  water and energy use.
• Shower manufacturers should produce and promote
  water saving showerheads that limit flow without
  impairing customer acceptance. They should be
  fixed head not giving the user the opportunity to
  select a higher flow setting.
• Water companies and others should encourage
  customers to retro-fit water saving showerheads
  to existing mixer or pumped showers that have
  high flow-rates.

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Water and energy efficiency strategies (2)

• The Water Industry (companies and regulators) and
  others need to maintain education /awareness
  programmes and do further work to understand how
  best to influence customers to not opt for pumped
  showers.
• The Water Industry should examine the feasibility
  of targeted pressure regulation in homes in areas
  where high mains pressures are unavoidable.
• Data presented can assist MTP, Waterwise and
  others in helping to inform the assessment of
  products for water efficient labelling.
  Showerheads are available that restrict
  flow-rate of mixer or pumped showers to below 8
  l/min but give acceptable shower performance.

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Water and energy efficiency strategies (3)

• Data presented in this report can assist water
  companies in understanding current and potential
  future water use for showers, and the potential
  benefits of water efficiency programmes.
• Further work is required to evaluate a wider
  range of water saving showerhead types in homes.
  More detailed customer surveys are required to
  determine the best means of providing customers
  with information and practical help to encourage
  them to reduce water use in showering.

26
Acknowledgements

• Many thanks for everyones help and support
• Great work by LJMU team

Final report coming soon !Questions / comments ?