Showerhead That Uses Air

How It Works

• An aerating showerhead mixes air into the water before it reaches the holes in the shower nozzles, creating an air/water blend that feels like traditional showerhead spray. This added air maintains a water steady pressure like a basic showerhead. Non-aerated low-flow models, on the other hand, pulse the water out of smaller than usual holes to cut down on water usage. Water is aerated in two basic ways through an aerating showerhead: a vacuum-style version that has an air intake hole near the top of the showerhead, and another with an inner turbine that spins the air into the water.

Benefits

• The main reason to use an aerated showerhead is to cut back on water use, which saves money compared to showering the same amount of time with a standard-flow showerhead. A 2.5-gallons-per-minute spray is the standard for basic -- non-water-saving -- showerheads on the market since 1992, according to The Wall Street Journal. Low-flow aerating showerheads use less water than that -- sometimes 2 gallons per minute or even 1.5. The end result: less water usage and therefore a savings on the water bill.

Drawback

• One main drawback exists for aerating showerheads: since air is mixed into the water, the water seems cooler than normal because the air temperature may be significantly lower than the water temperature. If two showerheads were running in the same shower from the same water source, one aerating and one conventional, the spray from the aerating model would feel cooler due to the added air. This may mean turning up the temperature in the shower to feel the same level of heat you're used to, if you like things on the hot side.

Options

• Aerating showerheads are available in the same options as conventional versions: the wall mounted style and the hand-held wand attached to a flexible hose. Some heads offer adjustable sprays, much like their high-flow counterparts, such as stream, massage or cone. As with standard showerheads, aerating models are available in a variety of finishes such as steel, platinum or white.