Is there any environmental difference between showering at home vs at the gym?

[burritos]

It helps with my bill a little, but I'm assuming it makes no environmental difference. The gym is .5 mile from my place and I bike there if that makes a difference.

[icarus]

How does your gym or how do you heat your water? What kind of showerhead/flow rate does either have? Probably most importantly, does the gym launder the towel after just one use? Do you?

Icarus

[Shawn Clark]

What Icarus said. There is a chance that a gym would use some sort of low flow showerhead to keep their operating costs down. That is true of many institutional facilities and hotels.

[burritos]

Originally Posted by icarus

How does your gym or how do you heat your water? What kind of showerhead/flow rate does either have? Probably most importantly, does the gym launder the towel after just one use? Do you?

Icarus

Didn't think about that. Theirs is low flow. Our shower isn't low flow. I use my own towel which I launder maybe once a month.

I was thinking that there might be a energy difference to keep a bigger water heater heated than a smaller water heater. When I shower at home, I take cold showers 80% of the time. At the gym, I splurge and take warm showers on their dime(well, actually, my dime since I pay $80 a month).

[icarus]

Heat is heat, the gym probably has a bit of an edge in water heating all technologies being equal. I suspect the biggest issue is that people (like yourself) are more likely to "splurge" when it is on someone else's dime.

Icarus

[KK6PD]

Oh yeah, to save $0.03, I really do not want to shower with a bunch of sweaty guys......

Now if it's co-ed.......

[patsparks]

Which location is most conducive to sharing the shower with another person?

Preferably one you find good company while naked.

[hill]

I save a BOAT LOAD! I jump in the electric boat (recharged by PV panels) down to the other end of the lake where the clubhouse pools/showers are located. Jacuzzi / swim & shower on their dime. The jacuzzi seats 25, and is heated regardless whether any one is in it or not. So by being in it, the gas / electricity is at least being used by (me) someone. The outdoor showers (grey watter) runoff runs into the lake, rather than the sewer, whereas if I jacuzzi at home / shower at home, our runoff would go into the sewer. So the association has to use 500 millionth less to keep the lake level. Hey ... I'm a giver ~

[Rae Vynn]

Which location has the best acoustics for singing in the shower?

[skruse]

Inquire about how hot water is delivered:
1. Hot water on demand or constantly heated standing tank.
2. Insulated pipes and tank vs. noninsulated.
3. Low flow vs. high flow or multiple shower heads.
4. Timer vs. open pipe.
5. Solar vs. natural gas, propane or electric heating.

Make a choice that is the most cost effective for you and the gym. Suggest an energy audit for the gym (conservation & efficiency are the most cost effective). Think and act "least cost, end use" (long term), for hot water, towels, transportation, etc. As we continue to enter Peak Everything, we will continuously examine energy costs.