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Hamwells e-Shower rains down water and energy savings

Hamwells e-Shower rains down water and energy savings
The e-Shower can be submerged into the floor and built into the wall
The e-Shower can be submerged into the floor and built into the wall
View 13 Images
The e-Shower can be positioned against a wall or in a corner
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The e-Shower can be positioned against a wall or in a corner
The e-Shower can be submerged into the floor and built into the wall
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The e-Shower can be submerged into the floor and built into the wall
The e-Shower is designed to be "cool," easy-to-use, hygienic and self-cleaning
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The e-Shower is designed to be "cool," easy-to-use, hygienic and self-cleaning
The controls of the e-Shower allow users to choose between a "Classic shower" setting and a "Refresh Cycles" setting
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The controls of the e-Shower allow users to choose between a "Classic shower" setting and a "Refresh Cycles" setting
The e-Shower system can filter, purify and reuse water
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The e-Shower system can filter, purify and reuse water
The e-Shower is able to deliver 15 l (3.3 gal) of water per minute while using only 1.5 l (0.3 gal) per minute
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The e-Shower is able to deliver 15 l (3.3 gal) of water per minute while using only 1.5 l (0.3 gal) per minute
Using the "Classic Shower" setting, the e-Shower's stopper is raised and allows water to flow into the drain
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Using the "Classic Shower" setting, the e-Shower's stopper is raised and allows water to flow into the drain
Using the "Refresh Cycles" setting, the e-Shower's stopper is lowered and and recycles the water in the run-off reservoir
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Using the "Refresh Cycles" setting, the e-Shower's stopper is lowered and and recycles the water in the run-off reservoir
The stopper draws the water back into the e-Shower's system for for filtration and purification
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The stopper draws the water back into the e-Shower's system for for filtration and purification
The app is used to help gamify water saving via the e-Shower
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The app is used to help gamify water saving via the e-Shower
The e-Shower app shows water usage and savings
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The e-Shower app shows water usage and savings
The e-Shower app can stream music to the shower
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The e-Shower app can stream music to the shower
The e-Shower app is available for tablets and smartphones
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The e-Shower app is available for tablets and smartphones
View gallery - 13 images

In the move toward sustainable homes, the progress of showers has been more of a trickle. Ten minutes in a traditional shower can use up to 100 l (22 gal) of water. The Hamwells e-Shower, however, promises high pressure and volume, while saving up to 90 percent on water and 80 percent on energy.

Hamwells was founded only this year, with the aim of building a shower that could make significant savings on water and energy, while still providing the comfort of a traditional shower. The startup says that it found shower heat recovery systems to be inefficient and wasteful of water, low-flow showers to waste water and recycling showers to require expensive maintenance.

In addition to saving water and energy, the firm wanted its shower to be "cool," easy-to-use, hygienic and self-cleaning. The key to achieving this was creating a design that would reuse water, filtering it as it went.

As a result, the e-Shower is said to use each drop of water an average of seven times. Hamwells says it is at least twice as economical as its closest competitor, the Nebia, and has been chosen by Heijmans N.V. to help make its Heijmans ONE prefab home energy-neutral. The firm also claims that it "offers at least double the comfort" of low-flow showers (however that is calculated).

The e-Shower is designed to be "cool," easy-to-use, hygienic and self-cleaning
The e-Shower is designed to be "cool," easy-to-use, hygienic and self-cleaning

The e-Shower has two settings. The "Classic shower" setting uses and delivers water at a rate of 7 l (1.5 gal) per minute. When the "Refresh Cycles" setting is selected, however, it is able to deliver 15 l (3.3 gal) of water per minute while using only 1.5 l (0.3 gal) per minute. To do this, a stopper is lowered into the run-off reservoir and sucks water back around the shower's system to be filtered, purified and reused.

As is seemingly the case with every new product today, the shower is Wi-Fi connected. This does provide a few useful functions, though. Users are able to stream music into the shower, water usage and savings can be tracked via an accompanying iOS/Android app and it's possible for remote monitoring and maintenance to be carried out.

Water usage and savings are gamified, with the e-Shower showing a glowing green tree when more water is saved. Hamwells says that, in the future, the shower will also be able to communicate with the heating system of a user's home.

The e-Shower app is available for tablets and smartphones
The e-Shower app is available for tablets and smartphones

Among the other features of the shower, Hamwells promises easy installation (it can be submerged into the floor and built into the wall, positioned against a wall or in a corner). It also promises minimal maintenance requirements, without a need for filter replacements.

The e-Shower was launched at TechCrunch Disrupt London earlier this month. It will cost €2,950 (US$3,200) and will begin shipping worldwide from July next year.

The video below provides an overview of the Hamwells e-Shower.

Source: Hamwells

The Hamwells e-Shower

View gallery - 13 images
9 comments
9 comments
Mr. Hensley Garlington
Do not pee in this shower on that setting.
Bob Flint
The resulting splash coming of ones body will likely create puddles all around the perimeter, may want to incorporate some sort of curtain, or maybe a warm/hot air knife. CG generated flow seems very docile, more of a hot mist. Any actual flow footage?
Koolski
$3200??? No ROI unless "sustainable" is the only factor.
Sean Reynolds
Recycling water is gross. Keep your hippy showers in California, the rest of us have lots of free water to spare.
Douglas Bennett Rogers
This is kind of like the $3000 solar water heater.
Daishi
I want a WiFi connected toilet that analyzes my droppings and gives me dieting tips. I could connect it to a Soylent(tm) powdered food shake dispenser and it will make adjustments to my micro and macro nutrients based on those droppings.
Connect it to my WiFi scale that measures my weight and percentage of body fat and it could decide when I need to lose a few pounds too and cut my calorie intake for me or up my protien game when I'm trying to get swole. Connect it to my fitness tracking watch and it would have near complete knowledge of my life, exercise, and diet.
It would be like a 24/7 personal trainer.
PaulWatkins
yeah, main photo that looks like a very 'sustainable' bathroom. Then again, I've seen cars promoted as 'green' because they use recycled plastic in the dash! Lol!
Nicolas Zart
I like the idea a lot, but how much energy, as in electricity does it use? Perfect for California, indeed with an 18 year long drought.
pmshah
$3,200/- ??? How ridiculous!
I used to be a regular visitor to Photokina in Cologne Germany during my working years. They facilities had a "step on" type of button of the floor to activate flushing mechanism. It was flush with the floor. This was of course from the hygiene point of view. Something similar can be easily applied to shower stalls to prevent wasted water.