Ecocamel aerating showerhead June 2009
Can you save water while having a shower that feels good?
The Ecocamel aerates water as it flows through its showerhead. The company claims the result is a spa-like shower with significant water savings. We gave the £25 Ecocamel a try with two showers to test its claims – with mixed results.
Ecocamel aerating showerhead
Ecocamel says that by switching your showerhead to its £24.95 aerating one, you will use considerably less water while having a more pleasant shower.
We conducted a quick test of the Ecocamel with two showers and found that, on a shower that was fairly powerful, Ecocamel used a third less water and did make showering feel a little nicer – if noisier.
If your shower is not powerful enough, it seems that Ecocamel just won’t work. With an electric-pumped shower at a low-ish 0.75 bar pressure, the Ecocamel spouted water out of the hole that is designed to be used for sucking air in - making for a miserable shower. Not only was there a only a dribble to shower in, but it wasn't aerated either. Ecocamel says that 0.7 bar is the lowest pressure its showerhead can cope with.
But a more powerful gravity-fed shower had sufficient flow to make the Ecocamel work, producing a softer-hitting flow of water. As Ecocamel claims, less water bounces off the body.
The instructions warn that some tape may be necessary to ensure a good fit with the hose, which matched our experience of a minor leak. And the Ecocamel is noticeably noisier – a bit like having a hairdryer on nearby – though you do get used to this.
Saving water and money with the Ecocamel
The Ecocamel gave no discernible reduction in flow, but did use a third less water. A significant saving, but less than the 45% to 60% Ecocamel claimed. Since being contacted by Which?, Ecocamel has removed all percentage water saving claims from its website.
We did some rough calculations on the potential savings, and found that the Ecocamel could pay for itself well within a year, though that depends on factors such as how many times the shower is used, whether your water supply is metered and how much you pay for water heating. As with the water saved, this is a little short of the company’s claim (up to £240 a year for a family of four).
The Ecocamel aerating showerhead is available direct from Ecocamel online, or by calling 0844 888 8339. It will be available in high-street stores soon.
Pros: Used a third less water in our test, relatively low cost, slightly nicer feeling shower
Cons: Noisy, only works with sufficient pressure, might leak