Is your shower curtain a stage five clinger? Does it push in on your personal space every time you fire up your faucet? Smother your skin when all you want is a little alone time? You’re not the only one! In fact, there’s even a name for this everyday annoyance: “the shower curtain effect.
Even more mind-blowing is what’s behind your clingy curtain: A miniature cyclone. No, seriously.
According to research by University of Massachusetts Amherst professor David Schmidt, the spray from your shower creates a vortex, like a cyclone, that rotates on an axis perpendicular to your hanging shower curtain. The low pressure area at this vortex’s center is what brings the shower curtain inward.
Schmidt’s research complements the long-held belief that the shower curtain effect is caused by what scientists call Bernoulli’s principle, the idea that as fluid velocity increases (like the water from your shower head), pressure decreases (in your shower), and the higher pressure air outside your shower pushes the curtain inward, as equilibrium tries to reassert itself.
So that’s what causes your shower curtain to crash your party. Now for the more important question: How do you stop it?
Because this pressure vacuum is unavoidable, your best recourse, according to Schmidt, is to weigh down or replace your shower curtain and liner. Sew weights or magnets into the bottom of your liner; shell out a little more for a heavier, thicker curtain; or replace your current set-up with a glass door or curved shower curtain rod, which may give you more room to maneuver.
What other weird bathroom quirks are giving you trouble? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter, and you might see us discuss your problem here on the blog in a future post!
And whether you’re dealing with a clingy curtain, a confounding shower head, or a major plumbing emergency, Combat Plumbing is here to help, day or night! Drop us a line for service or an estimate today.
