Is there some kind of switch I can put on my shower so it only runs a certain amount of time then turns off and won't start again for a while, I am trying to limit the length of showers the 3 women in my house take so I don't burn out my septic system, they all like to take long long hot showers, and to tell them they shouldn't just gets you a deer in the headlight look as if to say what do you mean I can't take extremely long hot showers.

It would be very very unusual for excessive showers to over load a septic. Shower water passes right through the top of the septic out into the junction box and field tiles. There it soaks in and also evaporates a little. I would not worry. Maybe mess with their heads a bit and lower your water heater temp to a very low setting. They will not like a luke warm shower. Its hard to control 3 ladyies, they know where you live.

... or install super-low-flow shower heads. They have 1 gln/m flow... They are true water saving heads. See the pic...

Hi all...

Sjnowak, I agree with these guys... turning the temp. down to 120F at the heater and installing a low flow shower head is probably the best option, but if you are still determined to install a shower timer check out the article links below:

Best Way - Can You Put a Timer on Your Shower? | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/way_6175760_can-put-timer-shower_.html)

How to Save Water with a Shower Timer | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_4806662_save-water-shower-timer.html)

Here is a link to the shower manager... I've read that these fail sometimes:

Shower Manager - Shower Timer - Stops Long Showering (http://www.showermanager.com/)

Here's a link to shower timer:

Shower Timer // Aquaflow Distributors // Home (http://www.showertimer.com.au/)

This one looks best but requires an electrician to install.

There is a couple options... I'm sure that they make more.

Good luck with the women in your house after installing one of these!! :D

Mark

PS: DO NOT turn your water heating source below 115F as this can promote growth of bacteria. Here is one article on this fact: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/turning-down-water-heater-safe.php



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When my kids would run the shower too long I would go to the basement and cut the water supply to the heater off. That way they only got cold water. Worked every time!

... or use a sign - just like the one I saw in my hotel bathroom in La Paz during my trim to Bolivia... Of course, hot water ran longer than 3 minutes - but for first few days we complied and took showers under the posted time limit :D