Cozy Low-Energy Shower

Step 9 B) Pedal Control: Introduction

For many years I've had showerheads with a little button valve to shut off the flow, on the theory that I could shut off the flow while I soaped up. But that was just the theory. I rarely shut off the water in practice. In part because I got cold, but even once I had the stall enclosed, it was still just a little inconvenient to reach up and shut it off, and my early morning motivation level is not what I'd like it to be.

My solution is a pedal controlled valve. To push myself on the motivation factor a little further, it's a momentary valve--the water only turns on while I'm pushing the pedal. That might seem to make it hard to turn around and such. Turning around does require turning off the water momentarily, but operating the pedal from different angles is no problem, and it quickly became second nature, even before my morning coffee. The pedal makes it very easy to turn the flow on and off as needed.

Falls in showers are a common cause of injuries, so if you or some of the people using the shower are at risk for falls, consider whether you want to include this feature. If it makes sense for some users and not for others, the pedal can easily be hung out of the way for people who don't use it. Installing a non-slip mat or grip tape on the floor and grip handles on the wall are good ideas in any case.

Comments

[winnerceramics]

Some older houses may make banging sounds when the water is shut off quickly. This can easily happen form a valve like this even in homes with modern plumbing. This banging noise can break pipes and cause leaks in the plumbing in the house. This can be stopped inexpensively by putting in an air chamber before the valve (on the side where the water comes from). The noise is also refereed to as water hammer hammer.