Lowtech Graph lists low-tech options for every need of a home. Here you can compare them, find tutorials to build them, and link them together into a circular system. Why low-tech?

Gravity-fed shower

Passive

One of 4 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.

What your site needs

Elevated storage above the shower for adequate gravity pressure

A shower fed from a water tank placed above it, so the water falls to the shower head by its own weight. There is no pump. The pressure is gentler than mains water, but it keeps working when the power is cut.

Cost

Low

Upkeep

Occasional

Skill to build

Basic

Lifespan

Fixture/plumbing: 20-30 years, no pump to wear out

Embodied carbon

Low

Space / material use

Medium

Output timing

Continuous process

Skill to repair

Basic

Inputs

• Heated water
• Potable water

Outputs

• Greywater

Compare the 4 ways to meet this need

Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.

• Gravity-fed shower (This page)
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes
  Choose it if you want a shower fed from your own tank that works with no pump.
• Pressurised mains-fed shower/bath
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: Intermediate · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes
  Choose it if you want the ordinary shower or bath, at full pressure.
• Closed-loop recirculating shower
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: High · Skill to build: Specialist · Upkeep: Heavy · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: No
  Choose it if you want to cut each shower’s water and heat sharply without changing how you shower.
• Misting shower
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes
  Choose it if you want the least water and energy of any shower, for little money.

Sources

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Limitations of this page

We don’t list sizing or quantities, as the yield of each technique depends on the quality of its build. The catalogue compares options but doesn’t dimension them. Regulatory notes are indicative, with a French example, and need to be confirmed locally.