Water Conservation > Low-Flow Conversion of Faucets and Showers

Existing Conditions

The faucets and showers are older original equipment which consume excessive amounts of water.

Retrofit Conditions

The existing fixtures can be converted easily to use less water. We recommend:

• Installing low flow aerators on all faucets.

• Replacing existing shower heads with low consumption shower heads.

Further Benefits

Application Details

If the existing condition proves that the flow rate of the shower head is less than 4 gpm, this recommendation will not result in significant savings. This can be determined by using a bucket and a stop watch.

For faucets, there are a variety of aerators and flow regulators to restrict maximum flow. Flow restrictors can be installed to the outlet of a faucet if a threaded connection is present.

While installing these devices, repair all leaks and drips.

Issues and Concerns

Some tenants may not be willing to accept the new fixture due to the perception that low flow shower heads are inadequate for rinsing out conditioners.

Product types vary widely from all plastic parts to all brass.

Savings calculations for buildings with seniors should consider the lower frequency of showering, which will result in less savings.

References

Analysis

Savings are based on 0.5 GPM faucet aerators.

Savings = (Flow.pre - Flow.post) x (Uses per year) x (Fixture Load Factor)

Example:

Faucets

(3.8LPM - 1.9LPM) x (0.25 min/use) x (4 uses/person/day) x (250 people) x (250 days/year) x (0.001m³/L)

= 118.75 m³/year

One shower head, or two faucet regulators cost $15-$25

A typical simple payback is less than 1 year.