Navy shower?

14 years ago

Have not seen this topic covered on GW.

DH and I are avid users of the Navy Shower method. This means getting wet, pushing a little button to stop water flow while we soap up, then pushing the button again to resume water flow for rinsing. This is our little effort toward water conservation. (And our logic for removing flow restrictors.)

In the new master renovation we want to continue this practice, whatever new shower system we purchase (leaning toward a Grohe Relexa at present).

In our previous fixed shower arrangement, the little do-hickey with the flow stop & go button was a simple add-on to the pipe coming from the wall that the shower head screwed into.

If we go with a Grohe Relexa handheld on a slider as our only shower, how do we accomplish the Navy Shower deal? Do these handhelds have a stop flow button? What then?

We have very good water pressure in this 1951 house and are replacing all plumbing pipes. Will Navy Shower method stress the new Grohe/other shower parts?

KISS method is preferred over expensive complicated one. Thanks as always for the good advice y'all give.

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Comments (5)

tobler
14 years ago
Liz, I am the person who said take the flow restrictor out of your shower head. Our grohe is installed with a hansgrohe diverter and we can turn the water flow off by flipping the small handle. Flip it again and the water is on at the same temperature. I don't see why you need a special button when the thermostatic controls that are out there allow you to turn the water on and off at a consistent temp at will. my husband turns the water off during his showers all the time.
MongoCT
14 years ago
On/Off flow away from the valve can sometimes mess up the temperature control of certain valves.

Why not just use a themostatic valve, which has separate temp and volume controls, and turn the volume on and off?

Rotating a lever a quarter turn is a little different than punching a button. But I thought I'd toss that out for the sake of simplicity and cost.

You could go the Army way and save even more money. Don't shower at all. Of course that's coming from a softie ex-Air Force fighter pilot. lol
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salem1772
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you toiler and mongo! Showers are complicated, but I think it is all becoming clearer now. . .

OK, thermostatic valve is the way to "Go Navy" ---- but tobler, why do you have a Hansgrohe diverter with a Grohe shower? Why not purchase the whole package as Grohe? Sorry to be so nit-picky, but I want to get this purchase right the first time!

Thanks all!

And Mongo, thank you for your service to our country. Tops on my bucket list is to take off and land (as a passenger only!) on an air craft carrier. Will never happen, but I think it is the coolest.
tobler
14 years ago
we have a hansgrohe diverter control because it gave us control of two different heads in one piece. we have a hand held and a rain shower on the ceiling. according to the contractor only hansgrohe makes one piece that controls the source of water, temp, and flow. it doesn't seem to matter that they are different companies.
bill_vincent
14 years ago
One of the reasons I couldn't WAIT to get out of the Navy-- I GOTTA have my long showers!! LMAO