Showerguard Limited

Article from: Australian Weekly News:

Showerguard saves water

Colin Taylor Editor:

November 16, 2009

ALAN Currie, of West Auckland in New Zealand, has a rebellious son to thank for an invention which is making a big impression in water-saving circles.

The Showerguard is a simple device fitted to a household shower which is a combination of a micro-processor and special valves.
These valves can be programmed to limit showers to a specific time, so saving hundreds of dollars a year in power bills and water consumption.
With four teenagers in his Titirangi home some years ago, Alan said his family's hot water usage was huge - particularly with one son, Peter, who could empty the home's standard 180-litre hot water cylinder in one go.
"The family bathroom was right behind our bedroom wall and I'd hear the shower going on late at night just as I was drifting off to sleep," Alan said.
"After 10 minutes, I'd bang on the wall, and then 10 minutes later I'd get up and tell him to get out.
"Then I'd turn the lights off.
"Finally, when the cylinder was nearly empty, I'd resort to turning the water off by torchlight under the house."
A registered master builder, Alan thought there had to be some way to restrict shower usage other than the drastic option of climbing under the house at night.
Five years of work later, Alan had perfected Showerguard, which is now manufactured by a New Zealand engineering company and patented in five countries.
"Hot water soaks up about 44 per cent of your monthly power bill, so a device such as this can be a substantial saving," Alan said.
"You can choose your shower settings, anywhere from two to 20 minutes.
"I have one in my own bungalow and, believe it or not, the same son who started it all has now come back to live with me."
Alan said limiting time in the shower was far preferable to simply reducing the flow.
"There is nothing worse than having to run around in the shower to get wet," he said.

For more details, visit www.showerguard.co.nz

You’re Comments

Latest Comments:

14th July 2009, Alan Currie, Showerguard Limited, 65 Tawa Road, One Tree hill, Auckland.

Dear Alan, Re Showerguard Shower controller. I feel that I must write to tell you how delighted we are with the Showerguard that we had fitted in November 2008. The device is simply unbelievable. Our Showerguard is set at 7 minutes. Having boys who still live at home in their early twenties and their friends continually showering at our place before a big night on the town, the Showerguard has paid for itself at least three times over. Our water bills show a decrease and our power bills are down too. Thanks for making us aware of it. As previously stated we are absolutely delighted! Sheila and Mike Edwards, Titirangi

Posted by: Sheila and Mike Edwards of Titirang, Auckland, New Zealand 10:53am Monday 16th November

Showerguard GUARDING OUR FUTURE RESOURCES


The Shower guard system is designed to save water and the electricity or gas used to heat it, by reducing the average shower time for each family member to an acceptable level.

In a family of four, reduced shower times could result in a saving of 700 - 900 litres of water a day. A 20 minute shower, for example, uses up to 300 litres of hot water at a flow rate of 15 liters a minute, whereas a seven minute shower uses only 70 litres at a flow rate of 10 litres a minute, providing a significant saving in water use and a reduction in water heating costs.

Thus the use of Shower guard domestically in metropolitan areas would result in saving billions of litres of water each year, in addition to the savings in the energy used to heat and treat it.
The benefits of Showerguard for home owners and national economies are obvious.

With energy constraints being an increasing concern for local and national governments, Showerguard provides a simple, inexpensive way to achieve significant savings in the conservation of water and energy resources that will benefit home owners and local governments alike.

How Showerguard
Is installed

A plumber and electrician can fit the Showerguard system easily. This should not take more than two hours in most cases, thereby keeping installation costs to a minimum.

The Showerguard owner can easily adjust the system’s controller once Shower guard has been installed.

All components are of solid state circuitry and are made from machined brass and stainless steel to provide long life and trouble free use.

1. A plumber will connect the Showerguard flow valves to the shower hot water line.

2. An electrician will install and set up the Controller.

3. The owner will simply set the controller’s three options,

Hot time: shower length

Cool time: pulse length

Cold time: time between showers.

How Showerguard
Works

Showerguard consists of two parts, the Showerguard system and the Controller.

The Showerguard system enables limits to be set on the duration of shower time by restricting the flow of hot water after a set period. This enables a strong shower flow without the need to fit a low flow shower head.


Flow Unit
The Flow Unit is the engine of the Showerguard System. It consists of a combination of special valves designed to give trouble free operation. The technology is robust and time proven, a true “set it and forget it” feature.


Controller
When the controller detects hot water flow it starts a computerized controller, which turns off the hot water flow once the programmed time limit is reached.

Approaching the last minute of a shower, the hot water is turned off and on again in a pulsing mode. This warns the user that only 60 seconds remain until the end of the shower time the owner has set.

Once the shower has been turned off the hot water is prevented from flowing for a set time while the controller constantly checks for flow.