Design and comfort play an increasingly important role in selecting the right shower mixer - especially in the private sector. One very popular example are rainfall showers with a wellness feeling. The German sanitation industry is continually developing innovative shower solutions that combine comfort with sustainability and are aware of the essential items that must be taken into consideration in the planning process.
Whether in the morning to wake you up or in the evening after a sporting activity: Showering is not just cleaning your body, but a pleasant time out from everyday life. The size of the shower head in particular has steadily grown over the past few years to the point where rainfall shower heads can reach a diameter of 30 cm or more. Nevertheless, German sanitation manufacturers are conscious of the need for the sustainable and efficient use of water resources. The energy consumed for the generation of hot water is reflected in the environmental balance for private households. To make the setting of the water flow and temperature as convenient as possible it is essential that these functions are controllable using thermostats. Modern shower technology uses flow regulators integrated into the shower head. "The water flow rate through our hand held and overhead showers are limited to only 8l or 12l per minute. Our hand held and overhead showers provide excellent shower comfort despite the lower water consumption", explained Thomas Kreitel from Ideal Standard. A completely new kind of spray jet that is particularly sustainable: A modern hand held shower sprayface, such as the one from Dornbracht, envelops the body with soft, very quiet single jets and consumes only 7.6 l per minute. The German sanitation manufacturer also offers digital control units that allow temperature and water volume to be precisely controlled. "This system saves presets so that individual shower scenarios can be called up as desired and unnecessary water and energy consumption is avoided", explained Inga Liesenjohann from Dornbracht.
Flexible, easy to clean and hygienic
The shower systems from Kludi can be precisely adapted to the installation situation at hand with up to 30 cm height tolerance when installing the shower rod. This enables excellent shower comfort even with low ceilings.
Aspects such as ease of cleaning and hygiene are equally as important as comfort and functionality. One example of this is the shower head emptying feature developed by Kludi that ensures that the shower head no longer drips: After showering the residual water trapped in the shower head can be drained in a controlled way by adjusting the jet type. "By draining away the water the shower head hygiene is ensured and those annoying limestone deposits in the shower are prevented", explained Christoph Reiß of Kludi.
Regulating the water flow
Retrofit systems with volume regulators such as Neoperl can also be retrofitted to existing shower hoses or hand held and overhead showers. The water volume is controlled by a sophisticated technology and is not merely throttled, so that a nearly constant flow rate is achieved regardless of the pressure. The flow regulators replace the seal in the shower hose seal or the shower head handle. They simultaneously regulate the volume of water and act as seals. Neoperl has developed volume regulators for many different flow rates and designs, and these are able to set the ideal flow rate for a wide variety of uses.
Smart accessories as a water-saving component in shower systems
Ideally matched, sophisticated accessories in the shower area enable the volume of water to be controlled from the fittings or hand held shower used: The Eco shower hose or new Eco wall mounting elbow with incorporated volume regulation from Kludi enables up to 90% of water to be saved by volume. The flow rate can be reduced from 20 to 2 litres per minute in a single rotation.
Stylish and functional shower trays for a holistic shower impression
The right shower drainage channel systems are of particular importance for the pleasing design of modern, flush-to-the-floor showers: The effective control of the draining water is of particular importance when the flow is increased due to the use of rainfall shower heads. Various different designs allow the shower trays to be installed centrally or laterally offset to the shower. Companies such as Mepa even have individual solutions for modernised shower rooms where the fall for draining water may not exist. "Shower trays with a double run away are particularly effective as they guarantee an overall drain capacity of 1.0 l / second", explained Veit Szpak of Mepa. Special attention should be given to the shower channel in the planning phase of a new bathroom or bathroom conversion to ensure it meets the end user’s specific wishes and needs.
Ensuring that water used for showering is sustainable
Innovative solutions from German sanitation manufactures make it easy to combine a comfortable shower experience and sustainable water use. "Smart technologies help to control the use of water and energy in such a way that it meets individual requirements over the long term. Comfort and sustainability go hand in hand and make showering an experience for body and mind", summarized Wolfgang Burchard of Blue Responsibility.