Save water, shower with a timer

At a time of eco-awareness, low-flow showerheads seem like a no-brainer: Less hot water means less waste and lower bills. Unless, as I learned while researching showerheads for the October issue of This Old House, you are a teenager. In that case you will make up for lost water with increased time. (How else to take off all that hair product you just put on?) Denver entrepreneur Don Brunkhardt says he has a better way. His patented, American-made invention combines a timer and a flow restrictor, allowing a full flow before a beep signals. That means you're about to hit your preset 5, 8, or 11 minutes, when the flow will drop by two-thirds. Brrrr! Parents hold the key to the timer, and don't even think about trying outsmart it by turning the shower off and on: The thing keeps track. Someone should tell Governor Schwarzenegger, who last heard was yelling at his kids to get the heck outta there. Shower Manager "gives the bather the best of both worlds—a full flow, and a reasonable amount of time," Brunkhardt says. And at $130, it ought to. Order one before Oct. 31, and he'll knock off $30. For buying information and some rosy projections about how much money you'll save over time, go to showermanager.com.