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INNOVATION RESOURCES

Showerdome

Breakthrough:
A dome-shaped piece of plastic that is fitted over a shower to eliminate bathroom condensation.

Inventor:
Ken Evans, New Zealand

Financial reward:
$4 million +

The Story:

A boiling kettle and a cup of tea were the inspiration for Ken Evans’ mould-busting condensation-beating invention the Showerdome - a clear plastic dome that can be cut to fit most shower units in a matter of minutes, and promises to make bathroom condensation a thing of the past.

Tea and Inspiration

In 2004 Evans was enjoying a night in front of the TV watching rugby at his home in Tauranga, New Zealand. At half time he got up to make himself a cup of tea, and noticed that while there was steam billowing out of the nozzle, there was none inside the kettle above the waterline. It suddenly occurred to him that steam is only created when the hot moist air collides with the cooler air outside the kettle.

His brain went into overdrive as he realized the same principle could apply to his bathroom shower. So he rushed to his basement, located a piece of material and placed it on top of the shower. Then he turned the hot tap on and left the water running for thirty minutes. The Result? No steam.

Attempting to Make Steam Vanish

For years he had been trying make the problem of bathroom steam evaporate and had used heated mirrors, extractor fans and heaters, but now there was no need for these expensive appliances as he had found a solution – no steam in the first place.

Condensation forms when water changes from a vapor back into a liquid, and it occurs when warm air is cooled. In a bathroom this happens as the warm, moist air from the shower meets the cooler bathroom air.

Showerdome traps the warm, moist air inside the shower cubicle, preventing it from mixing with the cooler air circling the bathroom.

A close friend immediately saw the commercial opportunity in Evans’ idea and sourced financial support, including funds provided by an angel investor.

Product Development

Meanwhile Evans spent about a year refining his invention and many prototypes were made and fitted over showers. Numerous materials were also tested, and he eventually settled on a high-quality acrylic as its properties fulfilled the necessary criteria. It was: -

1) UV stable (many showers in New Zealand have skylights)
2) Moisture resistant
3) Robust enough to extend across a shower
4) Of sufficient flexibility to fit all the different shapes and sizes of showers

Evans formed a company called Showerdome Ltd to market his innovation, and to stop it from being copied he invested money in obtaining trademarks and copyrights.

Initially the bathroom trade did not want to know about his idea. It was a new product that no one had heard of, and industry professionals could see no reason why it should replace the conventional condensation fix – fitting an extractor fan.

Market Potential

So instead of trying to impress and sell to the trade Evans made the decision to target the consumer at home shows across New Zealand. Word of mouth spread quickly and soon there was enough money from sales to start advertising. In the fourth year revenue was sufficiently buoyant to fund TV advertising, and then the company managed to place its product in two major stores – Mitre 10 and Plumbing World.

In the beginning Showerdome was only available in Tauranga, but the company has since cast its net wider to cover New Zealand and Australia. It’s also sold in Ireland as a Kiwi living in that country approached Showerdome Ltd wanting to sell the product there. In addition there have been numerous inquiries from overseas markets such as South Africa and north America.

Evans sees great potential in his innovation. According to the company’s estimates New Zealand has around 7 million showers, and 120,000 new units are installed every year. As of January 2010 more than 20,000 showers have now been fitted with the bathroom brainwave.

[NEXT STORY]Article by: Paul Arnold

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