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January 15, 2008
Chase woman uses dime, bread clip to cut hot water costs
Mary Sennwald is a self-confessed “habitual light turner offer” whose bid to cut hot water consumption is a nice example of necessity being the mother of invention.
Mary’s Water Flow Restriction Adventure began nearly two decades ago when, living in a small Ontario town, she did not have enough water to allow for showers in her home more than once a week. The problem was twofold – she was caring for six troubled teens in a local corrections program, and the appetite of a neighbouring industrial plant was limiting her access to water.
A turn on, turn off, lather up, turn on again directive to her troops didn’t work. So on the suggestion of a visiting plumber, she inserted a dime next to the screen in her showerhead. Water flow was limited, and everyone got to shower more often.
But that’s just the beginning of the story.
Fast-forward 18-plus years to Chase, B.C. and Mary’s new home near Little Shuswap Lake. Now a widow living alone on a fixed income, Mary discovered that the dime that worked in Ontario would not work with her updated, narrower copper plumbing. Her solution? She got out the scissors and trimmed one of those small, plastic bread bag clips to a size that would allow for just enough water to reach her showerhead.
“I’ve found that you need something like seven-eighths of a centimetre,” says Sennwald. “I think it not only helps with cutting my hot water costs, it also allows my hot water heater more time to heat up the water.”
It’s not that Sennwald isn’t aware of low-flow showerheads, which are the most convenient, effective way to cut hot water consumption and your electricity costs.
“A lot of us on disability and in other situations can’t afford to spend $15 on a new shower head, but we can afford a bread tag,” said Sennwald, who is spreading the word to neighbours.
“If you look at my Hydro bill, I think you’ll find it’s pretty low.”
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