Environmental and Social Aspects of Domestic Bathing - Ethical Engineering for International Development and Environmental Sustainability - page 209

recycles water promises to save householders money and energy … The system re-
circulates and cleans used water, with the potential to save families around £170
each year'. Overall, however, the 'eco' profi le is swamped by the 'consume' one,
and this has its effect on our desires and fantasies. There is relatively little detailed
information available on effi ciency and showers. One exception is the useful project
report Water and Energy Effi cient Showers by R. Critchley and D. Phipps, dated
2007, which is, as far as I know, unfortunately not in the public domain but may be
requested from the copyright holders, United Utilities. I would extend to sustainable
bathing in general the observation of Rothausen and Conway ( 2011 ), on p 2 of the
online PDF version - 'The low recognition of the relationship between water and
energy use is refl ected in the lack of peer-reviewed publications on the subject. Our
review shows the literature is dominated by government agency, private sector and
non-governmental organization reports ('grey literature')'.
Examples of the effect this produces in society at large may be found in the topic
Bathroom DIY by Tommy Walsh ( 2004 ), who writes on p 50 'For me a proper pow-
erful shower is an absolute necessity' and 'The whole principle of a shower is to
wash you with pressurized water - this is what cleans and revitalises you' and on
p 51 'There are some wonderful shower fi ttings which can give you that fabulous
drenching shower'. This attitude to showering, or to bathing and cleansing, is how-
ever not inevitable. Indeed, it is entirely unsustainable and cannot last long. An
attitude of peace, rest and relaxation has a great role in other cultures and other
times and it could be so again, everywhere. In developing a typology of bathing,
Giedion ( 1948 ) devotes a long section, pp 628-644, to Types of Regeneration .
Following these remarks on showering in general, I will discuss a few features com-
mon to all technical designs and then discuss the principal designs themselves.
Water Temperature The temperature control of the mixer I use has, between its
physical minimum and maximum rotation, a mark labelled MIN, a mark labelled 38
and a mark labelled MAX, which suggests that 38 °C is the recommended temperature.
I fi nd by measurement at the rose that the corresponding fi ve temperatures are 17 °C
(equal, in July, to the incoming mains temperature, so the mixer is taking no hot water),
29 °C, 35 °C, 40 °C and 43 °C. My own comfortable range for temperature at the rose
is 35-38 °C.
Showering temperatures are signifi cantly higher in the USA. It is stated in Rusty
Bee ( 2011 ) that the average American adult takes a bath or shower at about 41 °C,
the average bath or shower temperature should be around 40 °C, and anything over
46 °C can be dangerous.
Since the range of safe and comfortable temperature is narrow, it has little effect
on the energy needed, but it is still important because even a small change of water
temperature in this range has a big effect on the amount of dampness produced.
Electric showers usually have only fl ow and power controls. This makes it more
diffi cult to fi nd the correct temperature. Although it adds to the price, a proper tem-
perature control is a desirable feature.
Time This is important because, if other factors are constant, the water and energy