At Home with Lisa: Installing a low-flow showerhead

Regular old showerheads can use a lot of water. When I first moved into my old house, I had an old showerhead. I didn’t know how much water it used, but I know that it’s easy to find showerheads that use very little water without compromising on the comfort level of my shower.

Taking a quick shower uses much less water than taking a bath. You can reduce your water use even more if you switch to a low-flow showerhead. Regular showerheads can use anywhere from three to five gallons of water per minute. A low-flow showerhead uses two-and-a-half gallons per minute or less. I found one that uses about 1.8 gallons.

If you can change a light bulb, you can change a showerhead. It’s that easy. First, use a wrench to loosen the old head. Wipe down the threads at the end of the pipe, wrap it in Teflon plumbers’ tape twice, and screw on the new head. It’s really that easy. I found this video on Avista’s website if you’d like to see it in action.

Finding ways to become energy efficient isn’t all that hard. You can find lots of tips and videos on Avista’s website. What projects are you looking forward to tackling this summer?

Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday morning.


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  1. At Home with Lisa
  2. Energy Saving

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