A shower is a magical place where people often think and drown their emotions under the perfect sprinkle of water. It is commonly placed indoors and could have adjustments for spray pressure, temperature, and showerhead nozzle. It also has drainage located down on the floor.
In addition, showers can be easily installed anywhere and have a plastic shower curtain or a glass door.
Showers also differ depending on their complexity. The most common showers have nozzles that reach directly down to the user, while other showers have showerheads connected to a hose so that the user can aim the water directly where they desire.
Showering is very common in Western culture because it is more efficient than a bathtub.
Moreover, showering is a good practice for maintaining one’s hygiene. Thus, it is advisable to take a shower once in a while.
Showering uses an average of 80 liters of water, while bathing uses 150 liters. Thus, showering is thriftier than bathing.
To learn more about showers and how they consume water, here are some things you need to know and steps to take to check.
History
Showers came from the waterfalls; originally, they weren’t made by man or installed indoors. A long time ago, people would take a bath under waterfall waterfalls.
Although they have traditional basins, they often clean themselves down there because they require manual transport of clean wastewater, thus making the falls more convenient.
Over time, people began to follow the said phenomenon by pouring themselves jugs of cold water after washing.
Evidence of this is how the Mesopotamians and Egyptians took baths. These people then installed shower rooms inside their homes, where servants initially carried and filled the water before bathing them privately.
Unlike the Mesopotamians and Egyptians, the Greeks were the first to use aqueducts and sewage systems in their showers. These systems pump water in and out of large communal showers and are commonly used by rich people. Discovered in Pergamum, these systems have depictions similar to what people use today, including bars to hang clothes.
The Romans also had famous bathhouses all over the Mediterranean. They also practice taking showers every day or multiple times a week. Unfortunately, after the fall of the Roman Empire, their shower system also fell out of use.
Modern Showers
The shower pumps water to its reservoir just above the user's head. A chain is then pulled to release the water. Unfortunately, the elites were not commended because the system recycles the water, thus making the user take a bath in dirty water.
However, in 1810, an unknown inventor improved this. The new design was the English Regency shower, which was originally 10 feet tall. It featured several metal pipes resembling bamboo and a nozzle that evenly distributed water around the user's shoulder. Unlike before, the water in this shower was not recycled and came from the ground.
After a few decades, this was upgraded by reinventing the plumbing to connect to a running water source and adding adjustable sprayers for various water flows. Through this, the showers people are using now were slowly approximated.
The French army also installed modern showers in their barracks for economic hygiene measures, as demanded by François Merry Delabost. He is an inventor and a French doctor. They had previously replaced the individual baths with mandatory communal showers for the prisoners because he believed it was more economical and hygienic.
The eight showers installed in the precinct have water heated by the steam engine and could be used simultaneously by eight prisoners. In addition, these showers are less time and water-consuming because eight concurrent showers could only take 5 mins and use only 20 liters of water.
This system was adopted by other armies, prisons in other jurisdictions, and boarding schools before being installed in public bathhouses.
Types
Domestic
Stall showers and showers over a bathtub are commonly called domestic showers. Both can be easily installed in a wet room, which doesn’t have a contained area for the shower, or in a dedicated room, which doesn’t require containment for the water spray.
Also, these showers don’t have any complicated adjustments because they commonly have a single shower head at its very top.
Stall showers are spaces dedicated only to showering. They are usually enclosed with a door or a curtain to contain the water's spray. On the other hand, showers over a bathtub save more space because they can be used for both showering and bathing. Like stall showers, showers over a bathtub have enclosures like glass doors and curtains.
Public
Unlike domestic showers, public showers are designed for many users. They are often provided by public swimming pools, famous beaches, and even military forces in the field.
Since the military is vulnerable to dangerous residues coming from modern weapons, it is better to have a place to wash away chemicals like deadly biological agents, caustic chemicals, and radioactive materials. The materials could be lethal to anyone who contacts them; thus, washing them immediately is highly recommended.
Public showers can also be in individual stalls or communal rooms. Some have changing rooms for different genders. Communal shower rooms are large spaces with several showerheads installed on the walls or posts, while individual stalls have curtains or doors for separation.
Wet Room
A wet room is a space where the shower isn’t separated from the rest of the bathroom. It has even flooring and no enclosures, unlike the domestic and public showers. Moreover, the water from the rain falls on the floor and into the drainage.
Use and Ecology
During the 20th century, personal hygiene became the primary concern of the people. And since showers could only use less water, their fame increased then.
For nearly 17% of residential water, showering is one of the lead ways to use water in every home. An average American could use up to 17.2 gallons of water and shower for 8.2 minutes. Annually, the shower uses 1.2 trillion gallons of water.
Due to this, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended altering shower heads so they could only use less than 2.0 gallons of water per minute. However, many disagree because they believe reducing the water flow would only prolong the shower time.
Others find alternatives, such as using extra-high pressure for the mist flow and built-in sensors and valves to shut off the water when the user is not actively using the shower.
The shower could also indicate a person's social position; white-collared workers shower every morning before work, while blue-collared workers take it in the evening after work.
Although some people can shower more than once a day, it is still not advisable to shower frequently because it could dry and irritate the skin.
It is recommended that people only take showers once a day because too much cleanliness could remove beneficial bacteria and create small cracks in the skin that could lead to infections, cause eczema, and trigger allergies in young children.
Cultural Significance
Showering at least once a day can promote hygiene and cleanliness. It can also prevent odor and protect against infections and diseases.
During the 19th century, experts realized the benefits of bathing regularly to a person’s health. Some benefits include relaxation, which could generally be therapeutic. Due to that, people are encouraged to at least take a shower daily.
Showering to Savings
Up to 65.1 liters can be used in a shower, the third-largest water use in an average home. Many have tried to find alternatives to reduce their water consumption. Here are some tips you might want to check to lessen your water usage.
Shower Water Saving Tips
- Try to reduce your shower time. Please take a shower in less than 5 minutes.
- If your shower has an on-and-off switch, using them while shampooing and soaping is better.
- If you’re waiting for your water to warm, collect the cold water, usually released by the shower, and save it for the plants later.
Navy showering could also be a good method to reduce water use. The process starts by rinsing the hair and body, turning off the water for soaping and shampooing, and resuming the water flow to rinse the soap and shampoo.
In addition, this method could decrease your shower time because it could only take less than 5 minutes.
Other Shower Information
Shower Heads
To save more water, do not replace your showerheads with models that use 2.5 GPM. Instead, buy a showerhead with a WaterSense label, which ensures that the product uses no more than 2.0 GPM and meets the EPA's water efficiency and performance criteria.
Thus, products with the label will surely be convenient, affordable, and environmentally friendly.
Duration
Shower time also affects water usage. If a person takes a shower for over 20 minutes, they could use water twice as much as an average person.
Many have also believed that reducing the water flow only prolongs the shower duration, but experts have claimed this is not true. Flow rates have little influence on shower duration.
Also, it is recommended to use a shower timer to help monitor and reduce the time spent showering.
Flow Rate
According to the current National Energy Policy Act (EPAct) standards, showerheads created in the U.S. should have 2.5 GPM as a maximum flow rate.
Before 1980, showerheads had flow rates greater than 5 GPM, which has been changed because it consumes a lot of water. Right now, the flow rates only range from 0.75 GPM to 2.5 GPM.
Although it is advisable, finding showerheads with less than 2.5 GPM flow rates is still difficult.
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