The United States Department of Energy says that water heating “accounts for about 20% of your home’s energy use.” With that in mind, it makes sense that many American civilians have adopted the technique of the “navy shower”, also known as the “military shower.” The technique originated on naval ships in an effort to conserve scarce reserves of water. By turning on the water only to wet the body before applying soap and afterward to rinse, a significant amount of water is conserved, as the water is turned off during the soap application and lathering phase.
Another method of showering and bathing popular among those of the warrior mindset is the cold shower. Popularized by Dutch motivational speaker Wim Hof, also known as The Iceman, cold therapy is reported to be mentally and physically beneficial.
A small trial by Virginia Commonwealth University found that a cold shower could relieve symptoms of depression, boosting norepinephrine and beta-endorphin, which reduce the sensation of pain. By activating the sympathetic nervous system, the cold also reduces cytokines, which contribute to inflammation. Cold showers activate white blood cells which fight against illnesses caused by infections — so much so that people who take cold showers are less likely to take time off work or school due to illness.
For personal health and fitness, cold showers are beneficial for boosting resilience, metabolism, post-workout testosterone levels, and muscular recovery. During cold therapy, vasoconstriction reduces inflammation and lactic acid buildup, and when the body warms up, vasodilation draws nutrient and oxygen-dense blood into the muscular tissues. Muscle soreness is perceived to be significantly reduced.
Ultimately, the best technique for showering depends on the individual. And while there are plenty of benefits to cold showers, few can resist the comfort of a warm or hot shower after a long day.
Water heating is extremely important for various tasks and appliances around the home. Many homeowners are repairing their water heaters or replacing their existing units with tankless water heaters through the services of professional plumbing here.
Read David G.‘s review of California Plumbing on YelpTank water heaters store dozens of gallons of hot water in tanks. Also known as demand-type or instantaneous water heaters, tankless water heaters have become popular due to the fact that they heat water on demand. Instead of storing water in tanks, which require energy to keep the water at the set temperature, tankless water heaters heat the water as it flows to be used. Tank water heaters are measured by their gallon size, whereas tankless water heaters are measured by their flow rate.
“For homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, demand water heaters can be 24%–34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They can be 8%–14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water — around 86 gallons per day. In some cases you may be able to achieve even greater energy savings if you install a demand water heater at each hot water outlet.”
— Energy.gov
If you are ready to upgrade or simply replace your water heater, you can give California Plumbing a call today.
California Plumbing
455 Willowcrest Way, Chula Vista, CA 91910