Examine individual changes

'{{Other uses}} [[File:Dusche-cut-w025-h025.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A typical stall shower with height-adjustable nozzle]] [[File:Badewanne fcm.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A combination shower and bathtub]] A '''shower''' is a place in which a person [[bathing|bathes]] under a [[spray (liquid drop)|spray]] of typically warm or hot water. Indoors, there is a drain in the floor. Most showers have temperature, spray pressure and adjustable showerhead nozzle settings. The simplest showers have a swivelling nozzle aiming down on the user, while more complex showers have a showerhead connected to a hose that has a mounting bracket. This allows the showerer to spray the water at different parts of their body. A shower can be installed in a small shower stall or bathtub with a plastic shower curtain or door. Showering is common in [[Western culture]] due to the efficiency of using it compared to a [[bathtub]]. Its use in [[hygiene]] is therefore common practice.{{sfn|Shove|2004|p={{page needed|date=January 2010}}}} A shower uses less water on average than a bath: 80 litres for a shower compared to 150 litres for a bath.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gillespie|first1=Ed|title=Let's talk dirty…how long do you spend in the shower?|url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2009/sep/04/power-shower-blog|website=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=9 May 2015|date=4 September 2009}}</ref> ==History== The original showers were neither indoor structures nor man-made, but were common natural formations: [[waterfall]]s.<ref name="stand-upbath">{{cite web|title=The Stand-Up Bath|url=http://theplumber.com/standup.html|publisher=theplumber.com|accessdate=5 December 2010}}</ref> The falling water rinsed the bathers completely clean and was more efficient than bathing in a traditional basin, which required manual transport of both fresh and waste water. Ancient people began to reproduce these natural phenomena by pouring [[jug (container)|jugs of water]], often very cold, over themselves after washing. There has been evidence of early upper class Egyptian and Mesopotamians having indoor shower rooms where servants would bathe them in the privacy of their own homes.{{sfn|James|Thorpe|1995|p=460}} However, these were rudimentary by modern standards, having rudimentary drainage systems and water was carried, not pumped, into the room. The [[ancient Greeks]] were the first people to have showers. Their [[aqueduct (bridge)|aqueducts]] and [[sewage system]]s made of lead pipes allowed water to be pumped both into and out of large [[communal shower]] rooms used by elites and common citizens alike.{{sfn|Humphrey|Olsen|Sherwood|1998|p=280}} These rooms have been discovered at the site of the city [[Pergamum]] and can also be found represented in pottery of the era. The depictions are very similar to modern locker room showers, and even included bars to hang up clothing.{{sfn|James|Thorpe|1995|p={{page needed|date=January 2010}}}} The ancient Romans also followed this convention; their famous [[bathhouse]]s ([[Thermae]]) can be found all around the Mediterranean and as far out as modern-day England. The Romans not only had these showers, but also believed in bathing multiple times a week, if not every day. The water and sewage systems developed by the Greeks and Romans broke down and fell out of use after the fall of the [[Roman Empire]]. ===Modern showers=== The first mechanical shower, operated by a hand pump, was patented in England in 1767 by William Feetham,<ref>{{cite web|title=A 19th Century Regency Era Shower|url=http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/tag/william-feetham/|publisher=Janeaustensworld|accessdate=30 September 2013}}</ref> a [[stove]] maker from [[Ludgate Hill]] in London. His shower contraption used a pump to force the water into a vessel above the user's head and a chain would then be pulled to release the water from the vessel. Although the system dispensed with the servant labour of filling up and pouring out buckets of water, the showers failed to catch on with the rich as a method for piping hot water through the system was not available. The system would also recycle the same dirty water through every cycle. This early start was greatly improved in the anonymously invented [[Regency era|English Regency]] shower design of circa 1810 (there is some ambiguity among the sources).<ref name="stand-upbath"/> The original design was over {{convert|10|ft|m|0}} tall, and was made of several metal pipes painted to look like [[bamboo]]. A basin suspended above the pipes fed water into a [[nozzle]] that distributed the water over the user's shoulders. The water on the ground was drained and pumped back through the pipes into the basin, where the cycle would repeat itself.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}} The original prototype was steadily improved upon in the following decades, until it began to approximate the shower of today in its mode of operation. Hand-pumped models became fashionable at one point as well as the use of adjustable sprayers for different water flow. The reinvention of reliable [[indoor plumbing]] around 1850<ref>{{Cite journal|title=History of Plumbing in America|journal=Plumbing & Mechanical magazine|date=July 1987|issn=8750-6041|url=http://www.plumbingworld.com/historyamerica.html|accessdate=6 January 2011|quote=by 1845, the installation of sanitary sewers began to pay off ... In 1874, ... an unknown plumber solved the problem of venting.|postscript=<!--none-->}}</ref> allowed free-standing showers to be connected to a running [[water source]], supplying a renewable flow of water. Modern showers were installed in the barracks of the [[French army]] in the 1870s as an economic hygiene measure, under the guidance of [[François Merry Delabost]], a French doctor and inventor.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Biot|first1=Roger|title=Fameux Rouennais, Rouennais fameux|date=2005|publisher=PTC-Normandie|location=Rouen|isbn=9782350380117}}</ref>As surgeon-general at Bonne Nouvelle prison in [[Rouen]], Delabost had previously replaced individual baths with mandatory communal showers for use by prisoners, arguing that they were more economical and hygienic.<ref>Hervé Dajon, ''La douche, une invention d’un médecin des prisons, le docteur Merry Delabost'', Criminocorpus, 2010 [http://www.criminocorpus.cnrs.fr/article420.html Online text - in French]</ref> First six, then eight shower stalls were installed. The water was heated by a steam engine and in less than five minutes, up to eight prisoners could wash simultaneously with only twenty liters of water. The French system of communal showers was adopted by other armies, the first being that of Prussia in 1879, and by prisons in other jurisdictions. They were also adopted by boarding schools, before being installed in public bathhouses. The first shower in a public bathhouse was in 1887 in [[Vienna]], Austria. In France, public bathhouses and showers were established by Charles Cazalet, firstly in [[Bordeaux]] in 1893 and then in [[Paris]] in 1899.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www3.chu-rouen.fr/NR/rdonlyres/A49A08FD-BA50-4B11-AA92-ECE9492BC247/0/2000_feltgen.pdf|title=Dr. Merry Delabost, inventor of the shower? |first=Dr. |last=Feltgen |date=8 November 2000|publisher=Hopitaux de Rouen |accessdate=30 September 2012}}</ref> ==Types== [[File:Outdoor Poolside Shower.jpg|thumb|left|Many public swimming areas offer poolside showers]] ===Domestic=== Domestic showers are most commonly stall showers or showers over a bathtub. A stall shower is a dedicated shower area which uses a door or curtain to contain water spray. The shower over a bathtub saves bathroom space and enables the area to be used for either a bath or a shower and commonly uses a sliding shower curtain to contain the water spray. Showers may also be in a wet room, in which there is no contained shower area, or in a dedicated shower room, which does not require containment of water spray. Most domestic showers have a single overhead shower head, which may be adjustable. ===Public=== Many modern athletic and aquatic facilities provide showers for use by patrons, commonly in [[sex segregation|gender segregated]] [[changing room]]s. These can be in the form of individual stalls shielded by curtains or a door or communal shower rooms. The latter are generally large open rooms with any number of shower heads installed either directly into the walls or on posts throughout the shower area. Open showers are often provided at public swimming pools and at popular beaches. Military forces around the world set up [[field shower]]s to enable the washing away of dangerous residue from modern weapons such as caustic chemicals, deadly biological agents, and radioactive materials, which can harm forces on both sides of a conflict.{{sfn|Jones|2004}} ===Wet room=== A wet room is a bathroom without internal dedicated or raised areas which has an open shower. Structurally, a wet room requires the bathroom to have a gradient or slope towards a drain hole, and a foul air trap connecting the floor to the waste pipes. ===Other=== [[File:Rib shower 1.JPG|thumb|Rib shower]] [[File:Chuveiro eletrico brasileiro.jpg|thumb|Brazilian electric shower]] * [[Air shower (room)|Air shower]], a type of bathing where high pressure air is used to blow off excess dust particles from cleanroom personnel. * Digital shower, a shower system that works in a similar way to mixer or power showers, but provides more control over the temperature of the water with the use of a digital control panel. * Eco shower, a shower system that comes in mixer or electric variations, but also features a regulator to regulate the flow of water with a view to saving water. * [[Electric shower]], a shower stall device to locally heat shower water with electrical power. * Emergency showers, installed in [[laboratories]] and other facilities that use hazardous chemicals, and are required by law in the United States;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9806|title=1910.151: Occupational Safety and Health Standards&nbsp;— Medical services and first aid|date=18 June 1998|work=Regulations (Standards - 29 CFR)|publisher=Occupational Safety and Health Administration|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref> designed to deluge continuously at around {{convert|30|–|60|usgal|l}} per minute {{sfn|Mayer|1995|p=155}} for at least 15 minutes {{sfn|Vincoli|2000|p=343}} and should be located at most 10 seconds away from potential users.{{sfn|Brauer|2006|p=533}} * Mixer shower, a shower system that takes water from existing hot and cold water supplies and combines them within the unit. * [[Navy shower]], a method of showering that allows for significant conservation of water and energy * Power shower, a shower stall device that works similarly to a mixer shower by mixing existing hot and cold water feeds, but locally increases the water pressure available to the shower head by means of an electric booster pump. * [[Roman shower]], a shower that does not use a door or curtain. * [[Steam shower]], a type of bathing where a humidifying steam generator produces steam that is dispersed around a person's body. * [[Vichy shower]], a shower where large quantities of warm water are poured over a spa patron while the user lies within a shallow (wet) bed, similar to a massage table, but with drainage for the water. ==Types of shower heads== * Fixed shower heads—Traditional fixed shower-heads are mostly common shower-faucets because as they can easily connect to the plumbing fixtures with-out any additional hardware. * Shower handsets—Hand-set shower-faucets are connected by a flexible hose, and can also mounted and used like the a fixed shower-head. * Ceiling-mounted faucets—Ceiling-mounted shower-faucets are typically rain-drop shower-heads mounted in one shower ceiling. Water-rains down, at low or medium pressure, using the gravity to shower on one from directly above.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rowan|first1=Gerald|last2=Sanford|first2=Steve|title=Compact Houses: 50 Creative Floor Plans for Efficient, Well-Designed Small Homes|location=North Adams, Mass.|publisher=Storey Publishing|date=2013|isbn=9781612121024|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WUGrAQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false|page=10}}</ref> * Adjustable shower heads—Adjustable shower faucets are often have numerous settings, including the pulsating massage settings and high-pressure. * Shower panels—Unlike a single showerhead, these are wall-mounted with sprayers aimed horizontally at various parts of the body. ==Use and ecology== [[File:Jugadušš (šarko) Moinaki limaani kõrgsoolase veega..jpg|thumb|250px|left|Hydro-massage on Lake Moynaki, [[Yevpatoria]], [[Crimea]]]] Shower usage in the latter half of the 20th century has sky-rocketed. Personal hygiene became a primary concern, and bathing every day or multiple times a day is common among Western cultures.{{sfn|Shove|2004|p={{page needed|date=January 2010}}}} Showering is generally faster than bathing and can use less water.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shower vs. Bath |work=Consumer Energy Center |url=http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/myths/shower_vs_bath.html |publisher=[[California Energy Commission]] |accessdate=5 December 2010 }}</ref> Showering, as opposed to taking a bath, is recommended for older people because it reduces the risk of injury related to falling.{{sfn|Mullick|2005}} When a person takes a shower may indicate their social position. Blue collar workers have been found to be more likely to take a shower in the evening after work, whereas white collar workers have been found to shower in the morning before work.<ref>[http://silverbearcafe.com/private/07.09/underclass.html Look Out, Are You About to Join the White Underclass?], Joe Bageant, The Silver Bear Cafe</ref> An equal number of reasons can be offered for showering at night as for showering in the morning.<ref>[http://www.menshealth.com/grooming/ask-mh-shower-morning-vs-night Showering morning vs night]</ref> Contrary to myth, there are no adverse health effects from showering at night.<ref>[http://kpdnkk.bernama.com/news.php?id=639074 Is Taking A Shower At Night Bad For Health?], [[Malaysian News Agency]]<!--very slow link as of 18 Feb 2013--didn't time out but got sick of waiting after a few minutes--></ref> Some people take more than one shower each day: in the morning, after working out, and at night. People also shower to cool off in hot weather.<ref>[http://www.energywatcher.com/2009/06/take-cold-shower-to-cool-off-this.html Take A Cold Shower To Cool Off This Summer], John Westenhaver, Energy Watcher, 20 June 2009</ref>{{Better source|date=April 2014}} According to science, the ideal amount of showering may be less frequently than daily.<ref><nowiki>https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelwmiller/how-often-you-really-need-to-shower?utm_term=.wf8ZR3gkQQ#.wwp3rkW8ll</nowiki> How Often You Really Need To Shower (According To Science)], Rachel Wilkerson Miller 12 January 2015</ref> Used shower water can be employed as [[greywater]]. ==Cultural significance== Showering is mostly part of a daily routine primarily to promote cleanliness and prevent odour, disease and infection. Advances in science and medicine in the 19th century began to realize the benefit of regular bathing to an individual's health. As a result, most modern cultures encourage a daily personal hygiene regimen. Showering has also developed the reputation as a relaxing and generally therapeutic activity.{{sfn|Shove|2004|p={{page needed|date=January 2010}}}} ==Structure and design== [[File:Repairing shower stall with grout applicator.jpg|thumb|Repairing damaged tile in a shower stall with a [[caulking gun]]]] Designs for shower facilities vary by location and purpose. There are free-standing showers, but also showers which are integrated into a bathtub. Showers are separated from the surrounding area through watertight curtains ([[#Shower curtain|shower curtain]]), [[sliding door]]s, or [[folding door]]s, in order to protect the space from spraying water. Showers with a level entry [[#Wet room|wet room]] are becoming very popular, especially due to improvements in waterproofing systems and prefabricated components. Places such as a [[swimming pool]], a [[locker room]], or a military facility have multiple showers. There may be communal shower rooms without divisions, or shower stalls (typically open at the top.) Many types of showers are available, including complete shower units which are all encompassing showers that include the pan, walls, and often the shower head, as well as pieced together units in which the pan, shower head, and doors are purchased separately. Each type of shower poses different installation issues. ===Installation=== Though the installation requirements of each of shower will differ, in general the installation of a shower requires the laying of several [[Plumbing|water transportation pipes]], including a pipe for hot water and for cold water, and a drainage pipe. It is important that the wet areas of a bathroom be waterproof, and multiple layers of waterproofing can be employed. [[Grout]] is used to fill gaps between tiles, but grout and tile setting materials are generally porous. Tiles are generally waterproof. Thus small mosaic tiles offer less of a defense than large format tiles. Sub-tile waterproofing is important when tiles are being used. Best practice requires a waterproofing material to cover the walls and floor of the shower area that are then covered with tile, or in some countries with a sheet material like vinyl. ===Drainage=== [[File:Shower Repair.jpg|thumb|Shower repair showing drain piping with trap]] [[File:Shower project new diverter valve with connector about to be added.jpg|thumb|This diverter valve about to be installed behind a shower mixes hot and cold water.]] Some shower areas utilize a second emergency drain outside of the shower in case of overflow. In Australia and some European countries plumbing codes require this second emergency drain (but not in the United Kingdom nor North America). {{citation needed|date=August 2012}} ===Shower head=== [[File:Showerhead.JPG|thumb|A shower head.]] A shower head is a perforated [[nozzle]] that distributes water over [[solid angle]] a focal point of use, generally overhead the bather. A shower uses less water than a full immersion in a bath. Some shower heads can be adjusted to spray different patterns of water, such as massage, gentle spray, strong spray, and intermittent pulse or combination modes. [[Hard water]] may result in [[calcium]] and [[magnesium]] deposits clogging the head, reducing the flow and changing the spray pattern. For [[descaling]], various acidic chemicals or brushes can be used or some heads have rubber-like jets that can be manually descaled. A homemade remedy is to immerse it in a solution of water and vinegar for a while, since the vinegar is able to dissolve limescale. Some governments around the world set standards for water usage and regulate shower heads. For example, in the United States, residential and most commercial shower heads must flow no more than 9.5 liters per minute (2.5 gallons per minute) per the [[United States Department of Energy|Department of Energy]] ruling 10 CFR 430. Low-flow shower heads, less than or equal 7.6 liters per minute (2.0 gallons per minute), can use water more efficiently by [[aerating]] the water stream, altering nozzles through advanced flow principles or by high-speed [[oscillation]] of the spray stream. USEPA administers a voluntary water saving program, WaterSense, which can certify low-flow shower heads. ===Shower curtain=== {{Redirect|Shower curtain|the physical phenomenon|shower-curtain effect}} Shower curtains are [[curtain]]s used in [[bathtub]]s with a shower or shower enclosures. They are usually made from vinyl, cloth or plastic. The shower curtain has two main purposes: to provide privacy and to prevent water from flooding or spraying outside the shower area. Shower curtains usually surround the bath inside the tub or shower area, and are held up with railings or [[curtain rod]]s on the ceiling. To accommodate the different types of bathtub shapes, railings can come in different sizes and are flexible in their design. Some people use two shower curtains: one that is inside the tub, which is mainly functional or decorative as well, and an outer shower curtain, which is purely decorative. The bottom portion of the inner curtain often comes with magnetic discs or suction cups which adhere to the bathtub itself. ===Shower door=== [[File:Raisable shower door.JPG|thumb|225px|[[Up-N-Away (down-sliding shower door)|Raisable shower door.]]]] Shower doors are [[door]]s used in [[bathroom]]s that help keep water inside a shower or bathtub and are alternatives to shower curtains. They are available in many different styles such as framed or frameless, sliding or swing. They are usually constructed of aluminium, clear glass, plexi-glass or [[tempered glass]]. Shower doors can come in many different hardware finishes and glass patterns that can match other bathroom hardware such as faucets and shower heads. There are also shower doors that are in a neo angle design for use on shower pans that have the neo design as well. The design of the shower pan is extremely important as the shower door must be the type required for the pan in order to work. A shower door requires plastic lining along the edges of the door to protect against water [[leaking]] out. ==Equipment== * [[Pressure balanced valve]], a device to provide constant shower water pressure and prevent temperature fluctuations * [[Shower cap]], a cap worn while showering or bathing, to protect hair from becoming wet * [[Shower radio]], a radio that is waterproofed to allow it to be used in a bathroom or other wet environment * [[Sunshower (commercial product)|Sunshower]], a device to locally heat shower water with solar power * [[Soap]] * [[Shampoo]] * [[Washing mitt]], a tool for applying soap to the body * [[Water heat recycling]] units to reclaim much of the waste water's heat and recycle it to the shower head and minimize heat lost to the drain * Shower Caddy, a storage system inside the shower, typically for shampoo and conditioner ==See also== [[File:Senegalese bush bathroom shower.JPG|thumb|Senegalese bush shower]] {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * [[Bathing]] * [[Bathroom]] * [[Bathtub]] * [[Navy shower]] * [[Solar water heating|Solar heated shower]] * [[Steam shower]] * [[Transfer bench]] {{div col|colwidth=30em}} ==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==Citations== {{Refbegin}} ;Books *{{Cite book |last=Brauer |first=Roger L B |year=2006 |title=Safety and health for engineers |chapter=Personal protective equipment |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |edition=2nd |isbn=978-0-471-29189-3 |ref=harv }} *{{Cite book |last1=Humphrey |first1=John W |last2=Olsen |first2=John P |last3=Sherwood |first3=Andrew N |year=1998 |title=Greek and Roman Technology: A Sourcebook |location=New York |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-06136-0 |ref=harv }} *{{Cite book |last1=James |first1=Peter |last2=Thorpe |first2=Nick |year=1995 |title=Ancient Inventions |location=New York |publisher=Ballantine |isbn=978-0-345-40102-1 |ref=harv }} *{{Cite book |last=Mayer |first=Leonard |year=1995 |title=Design and planning of research and clinical laboratory facilities |chapter=Emergency systems |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |isbn=978-0-471-30623-8 |ref=harv }} *{{Cite encyclopedia |editor=Oxford University Press |year=2009 |encyclopedia=Oxford New Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus |publisher=Berkley |edition=3rd |isbn=978-0-425-22862-3 |ref={{harvid|OUP|2009}} }} *{{Cite book |last=Shove |first=Elizabeth |year=2004 |title=Comfort, Cleanliness and Convenience The Social Organization of Normality (New Technologies/New Cultures) |location=New York |publisher=Berg |isbn=978-1-85973-630-2 |ref=harv }} *{{Cite book |last=Vincoli |first=Jeffrey W |year=2000 |title=Lewis' dictionary of occupational and environmental safety and health |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-56670-399-4 |ref=harv }} ;Web pages *{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Jerry |date=29 October 2004 |title=Decontamination shower system revamped |work=Reporter |url=http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=3590 |location=Nashville, TN |publisher=Vanderbilt University Medical Center |accessdate=5 December 2010 |ref=harv }} *{{Cite web |last=Mullick |first=Abir |year=2005 |title=Bathing for Older people with Disabilities |url=http://www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea/Publications/Bathing%20for%20Older%20People.htm |publisher=UB School of Architecture and Planning |accessdate=5 December 2010 |ref=harv }} {{Refend}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Bathing]] [[Category:Bathrooms]] [[Category:Hygiene]] [[Category:Plumbing]]'