© 2024 New Atlas
Around The Home

Tim Cook backs water saving shower head

By Adam Williams
August 12, 2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
View 6 Images
Rather than pushing out large water droplets like a standard shower head, the Nebia Shower atomizes the water into tiny droplets
Nebia
San Francisco-based startup Nebia has produced a prototype shower that it says offers a better, more immersive experience
Nebia
The Nebia Shower promises up to a 70 percent reduction in water use compared to a typical household shower head
Nebia
According to Nebia, a typical person in the US showers for eight minutes on average and uses around 20 gallons of water
Nebia
Its head is built from a high-density polymer, while the bracket is made from anodized aluminum
Nebia
Rather than pushing out large water droplets like a standard shower head, the Nebia Shower atomizes the water into tiny droplets
Nebia
The design team reports that the Nebia Shower is easy to install, without the need of a plumber
Nebia
View gallery - 6 images

San Francisco-based startup Nebia recently produced a prototype shower that it says offers a better, more immersive showering experience. The Nebia Shower is also claimed to reduce water use by up to 70 percent, compared to a typical household shower.

According to Nebia, the average person in the US uses around 20 gallons (75 l) of water during a shower, but with its shower, this would be reduced to just six gallons (22 l). Indeed, the firm reckons the money saved on water would ensure the shower pays for itself within two years in an average US home.

Rather than pushing out large water droplets like a standard shower head, the Nebia Shower atomizes the water into tiny droplets, which the team says will leave you clean and hydrated while using nowhere near as much water. It's still essentially the same system you're used to (i.e. water going through the head and soaking you), and mist showers aren't anything new either. However, this head looks very well engineered, with multiple nozzles designed using the kind of software used to study jet engines to produce the efficient mist.

The design team reports that the Nebia Shower is easy to install, without the need of a plumber
Nebia

The firm reports that installing a Nebia Shower is easy, and that no plumber is needed. The unit's head is constructed from a high-density polymer and rotates up to 45 degrees, while its bracket is made from anodized aluminum and can be adjusted to alter the shower's height. A handheld wand is also included.

Nebia has tested its shower head at the premises of both Apple and Google, at Stanford University, and at Equinox Gyms. It also reportedly boasts Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet executive Eric Schmidt as early investors. That said, the team turned to Kickstarter to raise more funds to bring it into production.

As of writing, you'll need to stump up a pledge of US$299 to hopefully snag a Nebia Shower. Assuming all goes well, delivery is estimated for May, 2016. If and when it hits the general market, the Nebia Shower is expected to cost $399.

Check out the pitch video below for more information.

Sources: Nebia, Kickstarter

Read more...

View gallery - 6 images

Tags

Around The HomeShowerKickstarter
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
Adam Williams
Adam scours the globe from his home in Spain in order to bring the best of innovative architecture and sustainable design to the pages of New Atlas. Most of his spare time is spent dabbling in music, tinkering with old Macintosh computers and trying to keep his even older VW bus on the road.
17 comments
Bob Flint
Can the mist really clean off and rinse away the dirt as a larger drop has more mass. I have seen a problem with hard water while trying to rinse of just plain soap using a restrictive low-flow head.
AGO
Helix shower head uses .5 gpm and only costs about 30 bucks! It works very well at 60 psi. Thats 4 gallons as compared to the 6 gallons this over priced gizmo does!
NickKnatterton
I'm just curious on the long term effect on such a shower, will the atomized water enter the lungs in due time and introduce a fungal affliction? I trust I'm wrong, yet it should be mentioned.
Erg
Whats on the persons left big toe at 2:16?
mgb
$399 for a shower-head? Good grief! I think I'll stick to my Japanese-style bowl-and-tub bathing where I use around 20-30 litres to get myself squeaking clean.
Koko02
This is much better and cheaper:
http://www.5litres.com/
amazed W1
The finer the droplets, the greater the chance of catching legionnaires or other bacterial disease from an infected water source. At the moment the incidence of such infected sources in homes has never been studied fully because (a) one gets used to ones own source and becomes semi-immune and (b) there is no money in suing yourself but there is M$ (M£) in suing a commercial enterprise.
Bob809
I don't understand this 'blasting off the dirt,' stuff mentioned here. For me, the shower head wets you, you use soap -your own choice of cleaning material, liquid soap, whatever- and then as you apply it and rinse it off, off comes the dirt. Otherwise, use a jet wash. Surely this is about saving water isn't it? So if there are other more efficient shower heads -re GPM- then why has, lets say in San Francisco where I know there are issues with water use, it not been made compulsory, or at least sold with a no government tax -or any other tax- discount to encourage people to have them fitted, for free. I realise you can't force people to change, so dangle the carrot and less of the stick. By the way, I live in the rainy UK.
Zachary E. Mohrmann
As a retired Mechanical Engineer who specialized in hydro-mechanical engineering I have to say great job gentlemen ....! It is one thing to make a better shower head which most engineers in this particular field envisions mostly the outer aesthetics or looks of the shower head by either using a chrome finish on some new bell type looking head with a handle or just going with a brushed finish on what ever type metal avail able at lower cost to manufacture so as to pass on the savings to the customer and little or no emphasis on innovation... I believe the last time I have seen any innovation in the field of new shower heads was the shower message head and how many different ways the water comes out with no thought to the savings of water...! And they gave them selves a new title as designer.. I believe the only thought that went into water saving was the little washer with a smaller inner diameter that a few water company's supplying water to the general public gave out with no cost to the public back in the late 70's.. The idea was to restrict water flow in order to save water but no thought to comfort of water as it sprays the body.. I remember a shower head with a device of that nature that restricted water flow but was well lacking in comfort by letting the water spray feel as though you where targeted with a million little needles.. Well it sure got me out of the shower quicker so I guess it worked...! But bravo gentlemen it seems you covered both aspects necessary to make a new leap in technology of the shower head...
Most Viewed