A typical North American shower takes about 10 minutes and uses about 100 liters (26.5 gallons) of heated water. It’s a sobering amount when you consider that many households are made up of multiple people. The company behind RainStick aims to reduce that intensive usage.
RainStick is a new Wi-Fi enabled smart shower that allows you to save water and energy while doubling the flow. Instead of just having water flow onto you, it recycles and reuses the water while you are showering. Not only does it reuse the water, but it also removes dirt and hair and cleans the water as well.
Instead of having water flow from the grid to you to the drain, RainStick captures and circulates the water and reuses it up to 6x before letting it drain. During each passthrough, water travels through a micron barrier that removes hair and dirt. Then the water is treated with UV to eradicate viruses and bacteria. This process happens in real time and does not create a delay when washing. Also, the water from each session does not carry over to the next one, and you’re able to toggle the RainStick to traditional mode whenever you want.
You will need professional installation help to get it all set up. It’s recommended to order a RainStick when you’re doing a bathroom renovation or during a new build. It comes already assembled but will need standard water and bathroom electrical hookups. The shower will not work with bathtub inserts or a shower floor plate.
The RainStick app allows you to see how much water you’ve saved and toggle through some settings. The app will also let you know when to replace the proprietary cleaning system within the shower’s base. Using its original cleaning technology, RainStick on average saves 80% on water and energy versus a traditional shower, the company claims.
The RainStick shower is available in two colors — matte black and brushed nickel — and should only be used in tile environments. You can pre-order the RainStick now from its website for $3,495, with a $100 refundable deposit. The company is expecting to ship the completed design by mid-2022.