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Nightmare with children's showers

CYBORG21
CYBORG21 Member Posts: 1
Hi there
I just got registered in this plumbing forum to find out some kind of control device for showers, my kids spend ages under the water. It is not possible yet to realize the water and energy they waste in the bathtub

Thx in advance for any kind of advise

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,170
    What I might suggest -- besides parental control, which I'm sure you've tried -- depends a little on whether you are trying to save water or energy -- or both. A very effective approach if it more on the energy side is to limit the amount of hot water available with a timer. I found this: https://www.showertimers.net/?msclkid=b9ad671b8c3814c90e3c05871f3581cd but I haven't tried it. You'd have to put it somewhere where it couldn't be fiddled. Even more effective would be to plumb the shower hot water with an undersized water heater -- say something like this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Eccotemp-Mini-Storage-Tank-Series-7-Gallon-Regular-5-year-Limited-1440-Watt-1-Element-Point-of-Use-Electric-Water-Heater/1001263582. Turned up to high, that would give you about a 5 minute shower with low flow heads.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    kcopp
  • Dave Carpentier
    Dave Carpentier Member Posts: 586
    How about something that measures the time with shower running (thermal sensor on pipe as trigger), and then deduct a reasonable "fee" from their allowance ?
    Good life lesson on how the world works, and a bit of cost recovery for the bill payer.
    30+ yrs in telecom outside plant.
    Currently in building maintenance.
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,024
    Lower the temperature in the water heater, so it runs out quicker, unless you have a tankless 
    Put a time out delay on a tankless
    or some behavior mod😙
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
    Larry WeingartenPC7060
  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 1,889
    Maybe you could sell the kids?
    bucksnortEdTheHeaterMan
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,616
    I just start the dishwasher when it's time for the showers to be over...
    In_New_EnglandCLambEdTheHeaterMan
  • Hot_water_fan
    Hot_water_fan Member Posts: 1,823
    Ha. The $ wasted is probably not all that much, but low flow shower headers can help. They’ll find other ways to cost you much more. 
    Larry WeingartenSTEVEusaPAIn_New_EnglandEdTheHeaterMan
  • In_New_England
    In_New_England Member Posts: 130
    I thought the universal control for that was banging on the door and yelling. Perhaps it stops working at the age they go deaf? Haven't reached that point yet.
    EdTheHeaterMan
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,576
    Maybe this is a pick your battles situation.
  • pedmec
    pedmec Member Posts: 959
    trust me, nothing works until they move out. that's why there are a thousand suggestions because none work and you try another and then another.
    In_New_England
  • PC7060
    PC7060 Member Posts: 1,155
    edited June 2022
    @hot_rod has it right, just turn down the temp on water heater.  They’ll get after it run out of hot water in 10 minutes. 

    Another good tip in to install a Leviton moisture sensing fan control switch.  Much better than banging on door telling them to turn on the fan!
  • Dave Carpentier
    Dave Carpentier Member Posts: 586
    PC7060 said:

    ... install a Leviton moisture sensing fan control switch.

    I've never run ours on full-auto mode, but one press of the button and it runs until either the timer expires or longer if the humidity is above trigger point. I trained my young monkey to press the button when he starts the water, so that part seems to be working (small victories).
    I was thinking on full-auto, it would just run all the time during humid days ?
    30+ yrs in telecom outside plant.
    Currently in building maintenance.
    PC7060
  • PC7060
    PC7060 Member Posts: 1,155
    edited June 2022
    “I was thinking on full-auto, it would just run all the time during humid days ?”

    We really don’t have a problem with that. Our house is air conditioned so that keeps humidity under control but even when the AC is not honestly never been an issue. I typically just run it in the settings as it comes from the factory and performance is excellent.

    It is important to have it at like 50 inches up typical switch height. I have in the side of a counter at around 3 foot and it is slow to respond since the steam/moisture build from top down.

    That certainly no surprise for the steam heads on the site!
  • DJD775
    DJD775 Member Posts: 249
    My father-in-law used to shut the hot water off on my wife when she was a kid. It was an effective technique because she still takes short showers to this day.
  • PC7060
    PC7060 Member Posts: 1,155
    DJD775 said:
    My father-in-law used to shut the hot water off on my wife when she was a kid. It was an effective technique because she still takes short showers to this day.
    Not as impactful now with balancing valves that shut off both hot and cold if you cut the hot. Nothing like that blast of cold water to incentivize my son to get out of shower
  • DJD775
    DJD775 Member Posts: 249
    No water works too, especially if you're covered in soap ;)
    PC7060
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,273
    Hi, Working on hot water stuff for years got me lots of questions along these lines. My response became "Think of who will be taking care of you in your old age." You don't want them thinking about those times back when they were kids, when you turned off the shower water! ... Low flow showerheads reduced the tension quite a lot. o:)

    Yours, Larry
    mark schofieldmattmia2Dave CarpentierEdTheHeaterMan
  • mark schofield
    mark schofield Member Posts: 153
    sometimes with family stuff, I think of the saying,"do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy".
    mattmia2Dave CarpentierHydroNiCK
  • PC7060
    PC7060 Member Posts: 1,155
    Agree, that’s why I’m an advocate of the auto fans switch and setting the hot water heater down a bit.  Achieve the goal with a minimum of fuss
  • HydroNiCK
    HydroNiCK Member Posts: 182
    Install a coin meter..
    mattmia2