“Which uses more water - a bath or a shower?
I was recently thinking about this question, and I realized that I don’t actually know how much water is used when I shower. I know when I’m in the shower sometimes my mind wanders, thinking about a cool new projects idea or trying to decide what to have for breakfast, while water is just gushing down the drain. It would be a lot easier to reduce my water consumption if I actually knew how many litres I was using each time!
I did a bit of research, and found that different shower heads can use anywhere from 9.5 litres (2.5 gallons) per minute to less than 6 litres (1.6 gallons) per minute, if you have a flow restrictor installed. A very old shower could use even more water.
I decided to design and build a device that would display the total volume of water used per shower, the cost of the water, and the flow rate. I’ve had this device installed for a few weeks, and it’s really handy to have a live readout of the amount of water being used.
In this Instructable, I’ll explain how I built this. Of course, you don’t have to follow my steps exactly! It’s always good to make use of parts you have lying around. I’ve included links to all the parts I used, or an equivalent part that will work.
Supplies:
(All Prices in USD)
- Flow Sensor - $3.87
- LCD Screen - $2.29
- Arduino Nano - $1.59
- Boost Converter - $1.88
- LiPo Charger - $1.89
- Waterproof Toggle Switch - $0.93 (Not the exact one I used, but it should work)
- Waterproof Pushbutton - $1.64
- Standoffs, M3 Screws & Nuts - $6.99
- 2X Female 3.5mm Jack - $2.86 ea.
- Male 3.5mm Plug - $1.48
- 3.5mm 3’ Cable Assembly - $3.57
- USB Cable Assembly - $1.74
- 1/2” NPS Female-to-Female Coupling - $1.88
- 500mAh 3.7V LiPo Battery - $3.91
Tools & Common Supplies
- Soldering Iron & Solder
- Wire
- Wire Cutters
- Wire Strippers
- Double-Sided Tape
- Phillips Screwdriver
- 3D Printer (Optional)”