Electrical Contractor With A Plumbing Question

shadysprings

I'm a C-10 which is Electrical contractor in CA. I've been asked this question so many times that I'm trying to get to the bottom of it.

Around 10 years ago, faucet, showers, etc all started to become lower flow. Today, every faucet or even shower valve sucks. Maybe I'm not buying the right models? I've got 65lbs of pressure and lots of volume, but by the time it goes through the faucet or shower valve, it been reduced to sprinkling.

For example, before you could take off the shower head and about 12gpm would blast through that pipe. Not you take off the shower head and about 1-1.5gpm dribbles out. So it appears that even the shower/tub valves and their pressure balancing cartridge is restricting flow down below 2gpm.

So can someone either explain what's going on, or point me to where I can read up on this? Is this a CA only deal, or all of U.S.

And are the days of a good shower after a long day of work over?

BCConstruction

Open up almost any new shower valve or faucet and take a look at how small the holes are machined for water to pass through. Your lucky if you have a 2/8th's hole this def dont help with volume.

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NormW

I had the same problem. My house is 1830, plumbing is antiquated as hell. (No I don't have an outhouse, but I can see where it was).

Shower head barely drizzled on us. On a friends advice, I bought the cheapest Home Despot's shower head they offered. Wow! once in awhile cheapo depo pays off. Thing pisses water like a hydrant.

plummen

change your shower heads and aerators on faucets.

piercekiltoff

This has been one of my questions I haven't been able to get answered either. We keep getting clients with 10 to 20 GPM showers in their master baths...and I thought the fed made it so all manufacturers had to ship low flow fixtures. Are plumbers customizing these on site?

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Pierce Kiltoff, CWD/PI, JKA Well Drilling and Well Pumps & Filter Supply - Map Facebook
Monroe, Washington, (360)-794-7300
Serving the Entire Seattle Area, including King, Snohomish, & Pierce Counties, WA

cleveman

This is a giant conspiracy by the military/industrial complex to keep you Californians from sucking the rest of the country dry.

I suppose you could make your own mixer, but why waste the water?

My complaint with my cheap mixers is that I can only adjust the temperature of the water. I used to be able to adjust the rate of flow and the temperature. So you could have a very hot shower with just a drip coming out. But I think my problem is easily solved by upgrading another $20 to the next mixer set-up.

Good luck and take a shower, please. I can smell you from here.

shadysprings

Still nobody knows huh? Well, it's not a matter of wanting waste water, it's a matter of getting more B.S. rules/laws/codes forced upon us.

With the water rates increasing so fast, it really does self regulate. If you don't want a huge water bill, you'll use less. But some people don't mind paying more for water because they appreciate a good high flow shower. Or toilets that flush! or sinks that can actually wash dishes.

So my issue is getting more and more stupid rules thrown at me everyday.

Like in my trade, if people want to use more electricity, go ahead. Just be ready to pay. For the most part, there are no laws dictating how many watts an appliance can use. Well, it's coming though. TV's are starting to get regulated.

Anyway, I'm still hoping a plumber with about 20+ years can chronologically go through when these water flow restrictions started and what the gpm used to be and what they are now. And is there any evidence that this is really helping in general.

In Los Angeles, some rocket scientist passed legislation that we can only water our lawns on on Monday and Thurs. But not from 9am to 4pm, and only 10 minutes per zone. But you can water in 10 min increments as many times as you want. So not only does this not save water and everyone lawns are dying, water mains have been bursting at an all time high due to this new strange water useage pattern. Costing tax payers millions of dollars in water main repair.

wireless

There is a plastic piece in the shower head visible when unscrewed, pull it out and enjoy proper water pressure.

BCConstruction

Also removing check valves and flow reducers from the mixers can help. In the UK both items come in the box and it was your choice to fit them or not.

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