Water saver for shower.

I carry lots of water because I eat on real dishes, take daily showers and I don't want my black tank clogging up.

We always have rinse-free body wash and waterless shampoo on hand when we are on a trip. The rinse-free body wash comes in handy for freshening up just before bed especially when you've had to use bug repellent. We buy it at the drug store in the convalescent needs section, where the walkers, etc. are.

Just one more comment on use of FW for showers. I often camp in the desert SW when temps are relatively high and access to water can be limited. A daily shower is almost a necessity.

When I really want to extend my trip, there are some options. First is to give up on washing hair every day. A quick rinse without using soap works pretty well at least for a day or two and cuts down on the 1 gallon of FW I typically would use for a shower.

Next is a sponge bath to substitute for a shower. With proper technique you can do really well with less than a quart of water. You can even use "body wash" instead of regular soap. Just be sure to get an appropriate product. Typically they will be advertised as "hospital grade, no rinse" or some similar description.

JKJavelin wrote:
FWIW, I did a little testing with our Oxygenics showerhead a couple years ago and found that keeping the flow as low as possible but still getting a spray effect, it would consume .6 gallons per minute.
Now, as far as toilets go, I read about people saying "use plenty of water " for the black tank, as well as many saying that they can go 2 weeks before dumping the black tank. How much should you put in the toilet between flushes?? We put about a quart of water in (I've measured it!). Too much? Not enough? With a 41 gallon tank, we can go a week max before the dreaded burp.
JK

You are in a whole different category from some of us who are concerned about saving a few cups of water. For example I am trying to get by for a week or so with a 30 gallon FW tank. It seems that you use more than that just flushing your toilet.

My RV is more boondocking oriented. It has a built in cassette toilet. The water tank for flushing is a separate 6 gallon tank. Flushing is very efficient and only requires a very small amount of water from a high velocity jet. Flushing uses maybe 2 gallons a week.

Even with a built in toilet you should not need a lot of water to keep the system working. Even a very minimal amount of flush water should work. Chemicals and sloshing during travel should avoid any build up and most RVs also allow you to use GW when dumping to break up any remaining sediment.

FWIW, I did a little testing with our Oxygenics showerhead a couple years ago and found that keeping the flow as low as possible but still getting a spray effect, it would consume .6 gallons per minute.
Now, as far as toilets go, I read about people saying "use plenty of water " for the black tank, as well as many saying that they can go 2 weeks before dumping the black tank. How much should you put in the toilet between flushes?? We put about a quart of water in (I've measured it!). Too much? Not enough? With a 41 gallon tank, we can go a week max before the dreaded burp.
JK

profdant139 wrote:
For what it is worth, here is how we save water while waiting for the hot water to arrive: Every night, DW is the first to shower. She takes a four-cup plastic measuring cup into the shower. She runs water from the hot water faucet into the measuring cup until the water coming from the faucet is warm enough.

The measuring cup usually contains about two cups by the time she decides the water is warm enough.

Then, she showers. (And yes, these are very serious Navy showers -- we mostly boondock.)

When she is ready for a final rinse, she adds a little hot water to the measuring cup and uses the warm water for rinsing.

Then it is my turn to shower. The water in the hose is already warm, so I don't need to use a measuring cup.

Someone mentioned Oxygenics. We got one for the trailer and found that it uses a little too much water -- about 3 quarts per minute, on a minimum setting. We found that a cheap little low flow showerhead consumes two quarts per minute on a minimum setting.

The Oxygenics is now in our S&B house -- it's great.

I also use up a couple of cups of water waiting for the HW to flow out of the showerhead. I just don't bother trying to save that small amount. Being careful with the rest of the shower, being careful with washing and rinsing dishes and even being careful on brushing teeth can save even more water. I can only commend your efforts but they go a bit beyond what I see as significant.

I also agree on the Oxygenics. Those who think it works well in an RV are probably using hookups. It is designed to run at about a gallon per minute, which is my entire consumption of water for a shower.

profdant139 wrote:
For what it is worth, here is how we save water while waiting for the hot water to arrive: Every night, DW is the first to shower. She takes a four-cup plastic measuring cup into the shower. She runs water from the hot water faucet into the measuring cup until the water coming from the faucet is warm enough.

The measuring cup usually contains about two cups by the time she decides the water is warm enough.

Then, she showers. (And yes, these are very serious Navy showers -- we mostly boondock.)

When she is ready for a final rinse, she adds a little hot water to the measuring cup and uses the warm water for rinsing.

Then it is my turn to shower. The water in the hose is already warm, so I don't need to use a measuring cup.

Someone mentioned Oxygenics. We got one for the trailer and found that it uses a little too much water -- about 3 quarts per minute, on a minimum setting. We found that a cheap little low flow showerhead consumes two quarts per minute on a minimum setting.

The Oxygenics is now in our S&B house -- it's great.

Thanks for the feedback on tbe Oxygenics and the great idea on the meaduring cup!

For what it is worth, here is how we save water while waiting for the hot water to arrive: Every night, DW is the first to shower. She takes a four-cup plastic measuring cup into the shower. She runs water from the hot water faucet into the measuring cup until the water coming from the faucet is warm enough.

The measuring cup usually contains about two cups by the time she decides the water is warm enough.

Then, she showers. (And yes, these are very serious Navy showers -- we mostly boondock.)

When she is ready for a final rinse, she adds a little hot water to the measuring cup and uses the warm water for rinsing.

Then it is my turn to shower. The water in the hose is already warm, so I don't need to use a measuring cup.

Someone mentioned Oxygenics. We got one for the trailer and found that it uses a little too much water -- about 3 quarts per minute, on a minimum setting. We found that a cheap little low flow showerhead consumes two quarts per minute on a minimum setting.

The Oxygenics is now in our S&B house -- it's great.

I've got this video bookmarked as a "someday" project. It is a DIY take on the ShowerMiser product linked to earlier.
RV Recirculating Hot Water Line Don't Waste Water Complete Installation

2oldman wrote:

JimK-NY wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
Our tank is directly below our shower. We easily collect a gallon before the water gets hot.

That does not seem possible.

No, it doesn't.

My showerhead already has a water saver.. a valve that only lets a trickle flow when you want it to.

We have a watersaver shower head too. Could be less than a gallon, but not by much. Our water heater is 12 gal.