lower flow faucet and shower head

[hiker22]

Being use to a manual hand pump in our old 76 scamp we find the faucet in our 09 scamp with 12v pump a bit wasteful due to the greater flow of water. Given we boondock mostly we'd like a more restrictive faucet if that exists. The one that came in our scamp seems to either dribble or blast it out when the pump is on. The layout on our scamp gives absolutely no room for me to install a rocket hand pump on the counter.
As for the shower use when in our simple 13' 76 scamp we were using a zodi propane unit in a tent privy that had a 12v bilge pump at 1/2 gallon per minute. So 4 gallons would yield a 8 minute conventional shower. This hand wand shower in the new rig seems to need to be turned on and off to last given the 12v pump and flow. Is there a way to take a conventional shower with less flow? It seems like all campers/trailer and equipment made today are intended for folks who mostly need hook-up and cling to the urban campgrounds, parks etc. Any lower flow shower heads and faucet you can advise to conserve water and energy?

[ZachO]

How do you shower? Heard of a "navy shower"? And yes, they do make low-flow shower heads. Also, most household fixtures can be installed in your camper.

My shower head is not low-flow (that's a future upgrade), but has an on/off switch which cuts the flow to a dribble.

So my shower routine is this:

Light water heater, wait the 15 minutes or so for it to finish heating.
Grab a water bottle. Turn on shower, letting it run into the water bottle until there's hot water coming out, then flip the switch on the shower head to off position.
Get in the shower, quickly get my hair wet, then back to "off". Shampoo. Turn it back on for a blast, and go off and on, working the shampoo out of my hair while it's off, quick rinse with water again and back off while I get shampoo out.
Same with body. Unless I'm really dirty, there are only key places that need washing, not my entire body (arms and torso and legs? Are they actually dirty or maybe just need a quick rinse?). I get the key places wet, turn the water back off, soap up.
Water back on to rinse soap off, water back off.
Out of the shower.
Pour water bottle back into freshwater tank.

For me anyways, fresh water isn't the limiting factor, it's grey water tank capacity.

Low flow recommendations are easy; just google! Here's what I've got on a wish list after doing my own google search.

[Civilguy]

I have wanted to conserve water from the time we got a teardrop trailer with no kitchen facilities and washed dishes at the picnic table. I even considered buying a weed sprayer so we could use the minimum of hot water when rinsing dishes, thus limiting the amount of water we would need to heat on the camp stove. But a weed sprayer seemed too large and cumbersome, so the idea was shelved and we moved on to molded fiberglass trailers with no action on this item.

Fast forward to last month when we camped for several nights at a National Park site using water pumped from the fresh water tank. I found that the kitchen sink in our Escape 21 tends to quickly produce too high a flow and it was very tedious to try and control the faucet to limit the flow adequately. After returning home, I researched online and ordered two new flow-restricting aerators for the sink.

One is rated at a very frugal 0.25 gallons-per-minute (gpm). The other is adjustable with rated settings of 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 gpm. This compares to 1.5 or 2.2 gpm ratings for most faucets.

Danco 10492 0.25 GPM Dual Thread Extreme Water-Saving Faucet Aerator, Black/Chrome

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Niagara Conservation N3610CH Tri-Max 3 Flow Rate Dual Thread Needle Spray Water-Saving Aerator, Standard, Chrome

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The kitchen sink in the Escape has a dual-mode nozzle with a switched spray-head. (I don't know what brand it is and I didn't find any associated literature in the collection of documents which was provided to serve as our owners manual.)

I removed the factory aerator the other day and found that both of the new aerators install easily by hand after removing the factory aerator. The only issue is a small spring located behind the aerator which I suspect relates to the spray switch; I will have to be careful to not lose the spring when changing aerators.

As the faucet has a spray-head, I figure we can use the "normal flow" through the aerator for rinsing dishes, and might use the spray head for filling the coffee carafe. While this is the opposite of their normal usage, I think it will work fine.

I will be carrying all three aerators in the trailer from now on, though I anticipate I will never use the factory aerator unless we are in a full hookup site. Based on my brief tests in the driveway, I am confident we are going to really like these. I suspect we'll normally use the three-way aerator as the 0.25 gpm one produces a very minimal flow. But, I can see it being useful in situations where we really need to conserve.

On the other hand, we found that the "switched" shower head worked fine for us, providing we exercised the discipline to use it and to shower military style. It turned out that "one of us" was better at this than I was.

[ZachO]

I also installed one of these, since the "shut-off" switch in the shower still allowed more water waste than I was willing to put up with. This stops flow completely.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by ZachO

I also installed one of these, since the "shut-off" switch in the shower still allowed more water waste than I was willing to put up with. This stops flow completely.

Yeah, the built-in switch and diverter are designed as a backflow prevention system and they don't allow you to completely shut off the flow, while the valve you bought will allow you to save every drop that you can.

The backflow prevention function is something folks should be aware of so they can make informed decisions.

[ZachO]

I learned that when I started looking into new shower heads. One of the reviews for the head I linked talks about how it's not meant to shut off the flow, since everyone complains that it "leaks". But it was the initial reason I started looking at new shower heads. I figured mine was broken.

I also thought, when I looked at this thread, that it was from last month, a few weeks ago...but nope, April. Oh well.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by ZachO

I also thought, when I looked at this thread, that it was from last month, a few weeks ago...but nope, April. Oh well.

Yes, that was the last day the OP logged in.

Well, I was all excited to see the thread pop up because I had just tried out the new aerators and had already taken pictures to post, knowing they would make everyone absolutely pea-green with envy. Why, now that the word is out, I bet there's going to be a run on the market as hundreds of orders flood in!

Seriously, I do like finding inexpensive solutions and improvements. We started out with plans to widen our driveway and were quoted at more than we paid for our trailer. In the end, we took a considerably revised approach that is doing the job and cost less than 1/10th of the original quote.

Sometimes I don't know whether to be pleased that I am so persistent, or upset that I can't figure this stuff out to begin with.

[ZachO]

Yes installing new things is exciting! I've had a few of those "why did I wait so long??" moments when I finally do something I've been thinking about for a while, and it's even better than I had hoped. "Everyone needs to know about this!"

My kitchen faucet and shower head are two things that have been on that list for a while...but keep getting bumped by more important things breaking...

[Defenestrator]

The "Altered:Nozzle" is probably the lowest-flow faucet nozzle you'll find. It puts out a very fine high-pressure low-flow spray. Kinda pricey and a bit finicky, though. It takes about 2-4x as long to wash anything, but if their "98% less water flow" claim is accurate that's still 8-16% as much water used as a normal faucet.

[starbrightsteve]

Mike,
The information on those two low flow devices is very useful. Thank you!

[Defenestrator]

Originally Posted by Civilguy

Yeah, the built-in switch and diverter are designed as a backflow prevention system and they don't allow you to completely shut off the flow, while the valve you bought will allow you to save every drop that you can.

The backflow prevention function is something folks should be aware of so they can make informed decisions.

For a year, I've wondered why nobody makes an RV shower head that can actually be shut off. Finally an answer. I suppose it should be possible to put a one-way valve near the hot and cold handles to minimize/prevent backflow, but probably more hassle than it's worth. Better would be a single-handle valve for hot+cold that lets you turn the water off and on at the point of combination without changing the temperature.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by starbrightsteve

Mike,
The information on those two low flow devices is very useful. Thank you!

We just got back from a four-night trip. While there, we used the campground facilities for showers and most of our tooth-brushing and personal hygiene, and we used the trailer for all of the kitchen functions.

While I had been prepared to install and use use the adjustable "three-speed" aerator with the higher flow rates, we were pleased to find that the Danco 0.25 gpm aerator worked to our complete satisfaction for rinsing and cleaning dishes and cookware, including a grill that we cooked bacon on. This was done using using hot water from the water heater.

The 28-gallon grey water tank finally lit the "1/3 full" indicator today on our last morning there, so we basically used about 10 gallons or so in just under four days. I am really happy with what this says about prospects for more extended boondocking when we really want to make the most of our fresh water supply.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Defenestrator

The "Altered:Nozzle" is probably the lowest-flow faucet nozzle you'll find. It puts out a very fine high-pressure low-flow spray. Kinda pricey and a bit finicky, though. It takes about 2-4x as long to wash anything, but if their "98% less water flow" claim is accurate that's still 8-16% as much water used as a normal faucet.

Judging by the video, this looks like a good option too. The Atered:Nozzle is definitely one that hadn't come up in my searches, so it's nice to see it posted here.

Huh; maybe we should have shot an 'action' video of rinsing the bacon grill.

[Glenn Baglo]

Last I heard about bacon grease around here is that the sewer guys want you to wipe it up with paper towels and dispose of those towels in the organics can, which is picked up for composting.
See: https://www.theguardian.com/environm...-sewage-system

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Last I heard about bacon grease around here is that the sewer guys want you to wipe it up with paper towels and dispose of those towels in the organics can, which is picked up for composting.

Oh yeah, in the utilities business it's FOG ordinances, for Fat, Oil and Grease. In fairness, concerning my praise for the all-mighty Danco, I had poured the grease in a can and wiped the grill with paper towels. (I'll bring them up for collection the next time I swing by there Glenn!)

Working with sanitary sewers can bring some sites we'd all rather wish we'd never seen. I once grabbed a long 1x concrete form board which was lying around to move the gravel out of a manhole channel so we could get an accurate invert during a field survey.

Well, I dislodged a grease slug that sort of shivered and then gently accelerated on its way downstream. It wasn't the worst thing I had ever seen, but the way it seemed to move like a large, languid fish has never left my memory.

[ZachO]

Originally Posted by Defenestrator

For a year, I've wondered why nobody makes an RV shower head that can actually be shut off. Finally an answer. I suppose it should be possible to put a one-way valve near the hot and cold handles to minimize/prevent backflow, but probably more hassle than it's worth. Better would be a single-handle valve for hot+cold that lets you turn the water off and on at the point of combination without changing the temperature.

What I've done is set my water heater to a low enough setting that I run only hot water for my shower. It only took one or two showers to dial it in. This way I can shut off the water if I want, while I'm soaping up, then don't need to run it while I'm getting the right hot/cold mix again and wasting all that water. Just on/off with the hot.

I bought an actual shut-off valve, and while not perfect (some water is still lost after shut-off), it's a lot better than the anti-backflow valve. I put it right where the hose connects to the shower head. So just that water in the actual shower head drains out when I shut off the valve, then not a drop more comes out. Definitely an improvement from the anti-backflow valve.

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by hiker22

Being use to a manual hand pump in our old 76 scamp we find the faucet in our 09 scamp with 12v pump a bit wasteful due to the greater flow of water. Given we boondock mostly we'd like a more restrictive faucet if that exists. The one that came in our scamp seems to either dribble or blast it out when the pump is on. The layout on our scamp gives absolutely no room for me to install a rocket hand pump on the counter.
As for the shower use when in our simple 13' 76 scamp we were using a zodi propane unit in a tent privy that had a 12v bilge pump at 1/2 gallon per minute. So 4 gallons would yield a 8 minute conventional shower. This hand wand shower in the new rig seems to need to be turned on and off to last given the 12v pump and flow. Is there a way to take a conventional shower with less flow? It seems like all campers/trailer and equipment made today are intended for folks who mostly need hook-up and cling to the urban campgrounds, parks etc. Any lower flow shower heads and faucet you can advise to conserve water and energy?

You could control it by changing the pump to one that outpus a flow that matches your preferences. Be sure it is a continuous duty pump, not all of the smaller pumps have that rating. You might also install an accumulator tank, that will help even out the rate of flow.