Shower vs bathtub – which option is better? If you are planning a bathroom renovation, you may wonder whether you should include a tub, a shower or even the combination of the two. In fact, it is a serious decision for many reasons. Some people prefer soaking in hot water relaxing their body and soul, while the others use showers because either they do not like bathing or simply have no time for that.
But if you want to save money, you should really understand which option uses more water. Comparing a shower to a tub is no easy task. It’s just like comparing apples to oranges. We talk about duration if we want to determine the amount of water usually used by showers. That means that you can measure that amount of water that is running while you are in the shower. But when it comes to a bathtub, we measure the amount of water required for filling it up. Obviously, taking a bath needs more water than taking a shower. Let’s dig deeper to find out what factors can influence the water usage and what you can do to use less water and still enjoy your bath.
Factors that Influence the Amount of Water Used
On average, you need about 30-36 gallons of water to fill the tub. But if you take a shower for 10 minutes using a regular showerhead, you will need about 25 gallons of water. However, people who prefer taking a shower, usually spend more time than they think and use more water than they believe.
The amount of water used by a bathtub largely depends on the size of the tub. A large bathtub may require up to 50 gallons of water to provide you with a fantastic bathing experience. Do you usually fill your bathtub right to the top? If so, you will use even more water during your bath.
The amount of water you need to take a shower depends on the duration. How much time do you usually spend in the shower? No doubt, the longer you stay in the shower, the more water you use. Plus, you consume more if you let the water run while shaving or lathering your hair.
If you lather your hair for several minutes, then rinse and repeat, you waste too much water. The showerhead you use can also determine the amount of water consumed. Thus, old-style showerheads use about 5 gallons of water per minute, while low-flow showerheads use only 2 gallons of water per minute. That’s a huge difference, isn’t it?
Calculate Your Personal Water Usage
The statistic shows that a shower needs less water than a bath. But interestingly, some people use more water while taking a shower than when soaking in a tub. That’s why, it really makes a lot of sense to calculate your personal water usage. Let’s suppose that you usually take a shower for about 5 minutes. Take a shower one day, and fill the tub on the next day. You can analyze whether 5 minutes would be enough to fill the tub the way you need. If it takes longer, you definitely use more water to take a bath.
Saving Water While Taking a Shower
You often hear that a tub wastes more water than a shower. But you can be really surprised to find out that your tub can use less water if you bathe wisely. However, if you prefer showers more, you may wonder what you can do to save water and pay less.
The first and most important thing you can do is to spend less time in the shower. Try to take a shower for 4 minutes or even less. You can buy a waterproof shower timer that will help you limit your time and water usage. Do not brush your teeth in the shower. It leads to excessive water use as well. You can brush teeth at the sink instead.
Getting a water efficient showerhead is another way to save more water. By installing that showerhead, you can save up to 5,000 gallons of water per year. You should also consider the flow rate because it can vary significantly.
Saving Water While Taking a Bath
When you take a bath, you can also save water. You should avoid overfilling the tub. Try to use the amount of water you really need. It would be enough to fill the tub only halfway. It will help you avoid spillage. Do not forget to plug the drain first. Don’t let the water be too hot.
Remember that adding more water to get the ideal bathing temperature is wasteful as well. Think about using the remaining bathwater in the garden. Just make sure that the soap you use is not harmful to the environment. Washing your car with that water is another great idea.
Using Devices that Can Help Save Water
Saving water is becoming much easier now. There are smart devices that can help you do that effectively. Tankless water heater is one of them. The device does not use a storage tank. It heats the water instantaneously just when you need it. By installing this heater you will be able to conserve energy and water. The heater uses about 24% less energy in comparison with a traditional water heater.
Switching to a halo-shaped showerhead provides a fantastic opportunity to conserve water. With this showerhead, you will use 28% less water than with a standard showerhead. This showerhead does not just save water. It looks gorgeous indeed adding more style and luxury to your bathroom.
A smart shower is a fixture that controls the water temperature, the rate of flow and even the shower duration. Obviously, a smart shower wouldn’t be smart if it couldn’t connect to the internet. A smart shower connects to your Wi-Fi and provides you with an excellent opportunity to interact with the shower by using a smartphone app. With a smart shower, you will be able to track the water usage and reduce it if necessary.
So, a bath uses more water than a shower. However, it all depends on the person who takes a bath or shower. A shower can still use more water under some circumstances. You should analyze your personal water usage to make a conclusion. It would also be great to recycle the used water to help the environment. Change the way you use water to protect our natural resources and strengthen our planet’s ecosystem.
If you are thinking about shower vs bathtub, check out our article here on the differences between a bathtub and a walk-in shower.
