An end to cold showers

Dismayed at having to take cold showers at their hostel, two Simon's Town High School Grade 10 pupils have created a portable, battery-operated shower attachment.

Known as the "Hot Nozzle", the attachment heats dispersed cold water through an internal heating element in 350 seconds, saving time and energy.

Boarders Thami Hoza, 15, and Bokamoso Molale, 16, both from Welkom in the Free State, said their "junior status" at the Western Cape school hostel meant that they had limited access to hot showers.

"Winter was torture," they said.

"The idea is for everyone living with a lot of people to have their own portable showerhead to use on an [already] installed [shower] attachment," Molale said.

It takes 350 seconds and 12 volts to heat 5l of water to 20C.

This is then added to the average 16C temperature of water in the piping system - just 7C below the average 43C used to take a shower, said Hoza.

There are two 150l geysers for 34 boys, which each take two hours and 40 minutes to reach 60C.

Hoza and Molale are one of three teams of Grade 10 pupils who have reached the final stage of the HIP2B2 3M Innovation Challenge.

The competition challenged Grade 10 pupils to design a new idea or solution in one of four categories: how to stay safe; how to stay healthy; how to get from place to place; and how to make everyday tasks easier.

Best friends Philidelphia Mogagabe and Florence Monaheng, both 16, from Moletsane High School in Soweto devised an adhesive binder solution to provide an even, seamless repair to potholes.

The Philorence Filler also halts further disintegration of potholes.

Sulakhe Nhassengo and Christiaan de Jager, both 16, from Durban High School hope their Oxygen Manufacturing Apparatus will help to reduce the world's carbon footprint.

The winners will be announced in Johannesburg tonight.