Eco-rate - Buying Guide

Showerhead Buying Guide
`A quick guide to strategic product selection`

Showers use 16 - 20% of an average U.S. home’s water. When you start to calculate water use in terms of gallons per minute, the numbers really start adding up. A measly five-minute shower that uses a standard 2.5 gpm showerhead requires 12.5 gallons of water. That’s enough to run a 4 gpc dishwasher 3 times!

The best way to cut water use (by up to 70%) and save money when it comes to showerheads is simply to buy and install a low-flow one. Before 1992, some showerheads had flow rates of 5.5 gpm. So if you have showerhead(s) that pre-dates 1992, your best bet would be to replace it.

Here's a quick test courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy to determine whether you should replace a showerhead:

Place a bucket marked in gallon increments under your showerhead
Turn on the shower at the normal water pressure you use
Time how many seconds it takes to fill the bucket to the 1-gallon (3.8 liter) mark
If it takes less than 20 seconds to reach the 1-gallon mark, you could benefit from a low-flow showerhead

Low-flow

Low-flow showerheads are the way to go. They will save you water and money.

There are two basic types of low-flow showerheads: aerating and laminar-flow. Aerating showerheads mix air with water, forming a misty spray. Laminar-flow showerheads form individual streams of water.

Quality low-flow showerheads do not compromise performance.

Gallons per minute (gpm)

Look for showerheads with low Gallons per Minute (gpm) ratings (1 - 2 gpm). Products with such ratings function just as well as the 2.5 gpm conventional/federal standard showerheads, are available in a variety of styles and most importantly, will save you water and money.

► Eco-rate's Consumption Rating for showerheads is based on gpm. The higher the Consumption Rating, the lower the gpm of the showerhead and the more water-efficient it is.

Buy local

To reduce carbon emissions associated with product transportation and to support your local economy, we encourage you to buy your showerhead from a local manufacturer.

► Eco-rate features where a showerhead is made and how far it must travel from its manufacturing location to you.

How are showerheads rated on Eco-rate?

Please click here to discover our showerhead rating system.

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