Aerated Shower Heads: Real Results or Hot Air?
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
Builder Jeff Howell gave us the low-down on aerated shower heads in a piece for the Telegraph.
If you’re unfamiliar with these products, the basic concept is that aerated shower heads force air through the faucet along with water, allowing you to use less water while still feeling like you’re standing under a heavy stream. The main selling point is savings—according to advertisers, you could save a lot of water and up to £200 per year in water costs. But do they really work?
According to Howell, who’s tested a few of these products, the shower heads do work—although they don’t save you as much water as the ads claim. £30 to £60 per year is a more realistic figure. You can test an aerated shower head by gauging the length of time it takes to fill a bucket with your old shower head and the new one—and comparing the results.
So what are your experiences with aerated shower heads? Do they really save water, and do they really feel like a heavy stream of water? Have you noticed significant cost savings with these shower heads, or are advertisers’ claims nothing but hot air?