Water recycling showers (also known as recycle showers, circulation showers or re-circulation showers) are showers that use a basin and a

pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they u ...

to re-use the water during a shower session. The technology is used to reduce the use of

drinking water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...

and primary energy consumption for

water heating Water heating is a heat transfer process that uses an energy source to heat water above its initial temperature. Typical domestic uses of hot water include cooking, cleaning, bathing, and space heating. In industry, hot water and water heated t ...

. By lowering the (household) hot water demand, water recycling showers also allow for smaller heating appliances, like

boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...

solar water heating Solar water heating (SWH) is heating water by sunlight, using a solar thermal collector. A variety of configurations are available at varying cost to provide solutions in different climates and latitudes. SWHs are widely used for residential an ...

systems and other

HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...

solutions.

History

The first recycling shower, operated by a hand pump, was patented in England in 1767 by the stove maker William Feetham. This recycling shower used the pump to push the water into a basin above the user's head. To receive the water, the user pulled a chain to release the water from the basin. Like this, the invention would recycle the same dirty water during the entire session. It also gradually lost temperature. It was not until 200 years later, in 1979, that Billy G. Bloys invented a motorized version of the same concept, discarding the hand pump. Using no filtration or a means of re-heating the water, the contraption likened the original invention by Feetham but did not improve on it beyond the electronic pump and some fixtures. It was never commercialized. In 1988, Francis R. Keeler patented a similar but smaller and more mobile version of the recycling shower for usage in motor homes, boats and airplanes. In 2011, Nick Christy of Australia won the

Postcode Lottery In the United Kingdom, the postcode lottery is the unequal provision of services such as healthcare, education and insurance prices depending on the geographic area or postcode. Postcodes can directly affect the services an area can obtain, such ...

Green Challenge, an annual competition for sustainable ideas for his version of the water recycling shower. The shower aimed to collect, filter,

pasteurize Pasteurization or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mild heat, usually to less than , to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life. Th ...

and then dilute the water with fresh tap water to cool it again to the set temperature. Citing cultural problems and lack of traction in his native Australia, Christy aimed for the UK market. They are yet to collect

certification Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

standards. In 2013, the Swedish company Orbital Systems introduces their first shower, the launching company being a spinoff from a

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

internship. It comprises a closed-loop system where the water is purified using a replaceable filter. These filter out particulate matter and microbes from drain water before sending the water back through the head. After the capsules have been depleted, they have to be replaced at cost. Orbital Systems has had several high-profile investors, including

Skype Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, deb ...

and Kazaa co-founder

Niklas Zennström Niklas Zennström (; born 16 February 1966) is a Swedish entrepreneur and technology investor. Zennström is also the co-founder of the charity organization Zennström Philanthropies. Education Zennström has dual degrees in Business Administr ...

and

Karl-Johan Persson Karl-Johan Erling Göran Persson (born 25 March 1975) is a Swedish billionaire businessman, and the chair and former president and CEO of the fashion company Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), founded by his grandfather Erling Persson. As of March 2022, a ...

, CEO of the fashion company H&M. In 2015, the Dutch company Hamwells introduced the e-Shower at the

TechCrunch TechCrunch is an American online newspaper focusing on high tech and startup companies. It was founded in June 2005 by Archimedes Ventures, led by partners Michael Arrington and Keith Teare. In 2010, AOL acquired the company for approximately ...

Disrupt conference in London. Citing hygiene issues in earlier solutions, Hamwells opted for a solution with a semi-closed loop where the water is used several times instead of the entire session. External hot water is used to maintain temperature, with incoming hot water replacing the used water within the loop. In addition to replacement, water within the loop is filtered and purified with

UV light Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation i ...

. For users unable or unwilling to use the recycling mode, the e-Shower offers a classic shower where all the water is drained. Being a

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

, the e-Shower is able to self-clean, regulate shower times between users and offer the user music

streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...

and

remote control In electronics, a remote control (also known as a remote or clicker) is an electronic device used to operate another device from a distance, usually wirelessly. In consumer electronics, a remote control can be used to operate devices such as ...

through mobile apps.

Benefits

Water recycling showers have been explored by people who wish to conserve water and the energy needed to heat the water, for both environmental and economic reasons.

Energy savings

According to the

U.S. Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United States. ...

, water heating is typically the second-largest energy expense in homes (after space heating). Mostly destined for the shower, it accounts for roughly 17% of total household energy consumption. Energy efficiency was the main driver behind the federal regulation, mandating the top flow of a shower head to be restricted to 2.5 gallons per minute. Manufacturers of recycling showers typically claim a 70% to 90% reduction in shower energy consumption.

Water savings

Nearly 1.2 trillion gallons of water is used in the United States annually just for showering. This is enough to supply the water needs of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

for a year. Manufacturers of recycling showers typically claim an 80% to 90% reduction in shower water consumption. Also, before the shower reaches the set temperature, users leave the tap running. Typically 20 percent of every shower session is essentially lost this way.

Comfort increase

A typical shower delivers 9.5 liters per minute (2.5 gallons per minute). Scientific studies that monitored hundreds of homes across the nation have shown that flow rates have little influence on the duration of the shower.

References