Before knowing the answer to this question: How many GPM do you need for a shower? You need to understand what GPM is and why it is essential for your daily shower.
Let’s start with what is GPM:
The basic meaning of GPM is Gallons per minute. It is also known as the rate of water flow or Flow rate, whatever you say. In the context of the water heater, GPM is a measurement of how many gallons of water flow out each minute of your shower. Say, for example: in 1992, the maximum 2.5 GPM was the “federally mandated flow rate” needed for brand new showerheads. That means 2.5 gallons of hot water flow out every minute, not more than that. At the same time, the most valuable thing is that the GPM flow rates decrease by a notable figure over time. If today’s modern shower head was made earlier, like 19080 or the 1990s, its flow rate could not be less than 3.5 GPM.
Now we are going to talk about why GPM or flow rate is important:
For future water and energy-saving factor, the federal, local government, or federal regulators regulate the flow rates of showerheads. That’s why they always calculate:-
As a result, if everyone from the United States decided to install 2.0 GPM showerheads, then the EPA estimates annual savings stands for:
- 260 billion gallons of water saves in a year.
- It saves 2.2 billion dollars on utility bills of water.
- It also saves 2.6 billion dollars in energy costs for water heating.
Oh My God, dear, it’s a lot of billions of dollars saved in a year. But why does the government needs to take the initiative and impose regulation on water use in the shower? Because for some people, showers are a utilitarian invention. They think that it is the easiest way to remove the dirt of the whole day without the hassle of filling a bathtub. For some others, the showers wash far more off than mud, and it can help feeling happy. They take it as private spacing where they can escape reality and wash away from the day’s annoyances. In that case, most tools take a long time to shower. As a result, the wastage ratio of water flow heats the many policies, one of the most common factors in raising your home’s utility bills. As a result, these tankless are energy-saving units to protect your energy bills.
In that part, let’s talk about how many GPM do you need for a shower?
The US well-known organization Home waterworks said clothes washers and toilet showers are the 3rd largest using a factor of water. The average number of Americans uses 17.2 gallons of water during a shower, with an average time length of 8.2 minutes. In that case, you need to select the tankless water heater unit with the minimum hot water serving capability of 2.1 gallons per minute.
At the same time, if we discuss adding up the whole family’s needs for hot water, it can be briefly like: most Americans take one shower a day. In that way, if we figure out the potential energy consumption for showering six times a week. Then it looks like 17gallons of hot water, an average of 8 minutes of shower X 6 showers in a week is equal to 102 gallons of hot water used by a person in a week. If you multiply this amount by 52 weeks, you have got the total hot water used by a person in a year, and it is approximately 5304 gallons. If this amount of hot water is used by four-member families, the amount is approximate 21216 gallons per year. This calculation assumes 8 minutes for every shower. So, you have to buy a water heater unit with the capacity to deliver 2.1 or more gallons of hot water per minute.
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