Do you shower while using the washing machine? Maybe, after reading this, you will stop doing it… This is done by many people because it’s seen as a practical idea: you use the time you are showering to use the washing machine, so that your clothes are clean when you leave the shower. However, this is not well seen by plumbers because it can be more expensive than you can imagine, and it can ruin your shower moment.
Even though you don’t notice, the shower and the washing machine tend to be connected to the same pipes and the same water heater. This means they share the same source of hot water and pressure. So, when both things are working at the same time, it’s when trouble shows up. Let’s see more about this and some tips you can do at home.
Hot water issue
The first negative thing you may experience is water temperature. If your washing machine is using hot water at the same time as you are showering, the water heater has to divide the resource between both the shower and the washing machine. So, what do you think happens? Exactly, your relaxing warm shower moment will turn into a freezing cold shower or, in some cases, the temperature will be boiling hot.
This is very uncomfortable, but it’s also dangerous. A drastic change of temperature can provoke accidents, mainly in children and elderly people because they tend to have sensitive skin.
Low pressure
Another issue you might experience is low pressure. When the washing machine is full, it uses a great amount of water from the same pipe as the shower. What does this mean? The stream that normally is strong and constant, it will turn into a weak or intermittent dripping.
Maybe you have already experienced this, and it’s really frustrating, right? So, now you know what could be the cause.
Energy and electricity consumption
Here’s the most worrying aspect of using the washing machine and the shower at the same time: the electricity bill. The water heater functions at its maximum to provide energy to both the shower and the washing machine. As the water heater is being forced a lot, there are some consequences:
- It consumes more energy, which increases the price of your electricity bill.
- It loses efficiency since it doesn’t work in an ideal way.
- Its useful life is shorter, which means you will have to buy a new one or fix it before it should.
Tips from plumbers
Plumbers have some tips for you to avoid these issues, so let’s see what they have to say:
- Update the water heater: If your water heater has little capacity (between 110 and 150 liters), it’s normal it doesn’t properly work when the shower and the washing machine are being used at the same time. So, what you should do is change it for a bigger one or install a water heater without a tank, which heats the water at the moment with no need of storing it.
- Install a thermostatic mixer. If you don’t know what this is, it’s placed in the shower and it allows the temperature to be stable even when someone turns another faucet or the washing machine on.
- Use a pressure-balancing valve, which will help make the pressure of your water in the shower to be constant. This will avoid those annoying changes when the washing machine is functioning.
- Have a schedule. This is the simplest and most affordable option: program the washing machine so that it washes your clothes when nobody is in the shower. Nowadays, modern washing machines have a timer, which allows you to leave it ready to function when you are out.
I’m sure next time you take a shower you will remember all of this, and will make sure your washing machine is off. I hope these tips are useful for you!