My hot water heater is in the basement, and the shower in the master bath is two floors above. The water pressure has never been very impressive coming out of the shower head. However, out of the faucet, the water pressure seems just fine.
Is there an easy way to create more pressure through the shower head? Is it as simple as replacing the shower head with one that narrows the pipe into the head to concentrate the water flow? Or is there a bigger problem that would require the water to get a “boost” of power on its way up from the basement?
FTR, I did look into the shower head solution with no success. That’s not to say one doesn’t exist, but I couldn’t find one that was designed to create a powerful shower spray.
Any ideas out there and/or solutions? Or is this a larger problem that would require a major fix?
I had this problem - cold water in the attic, hot water downstairs, pressurised from the attic too, but with some loss in pressure by the time it got to the shower, meaning it was a low flow and was either scalding or freezing. The faucets seemed just fine, but this might just be an illusion due to the greater surface area of egress created by the shower head.
I tried replacing the shower head with a smaller one, with minimal results. Eventually I just gave up, bit the bullet, and fitted an electric shower pump. Awesome result, and I was able to get yet another shower head - one of those big wide Victorian-style brass ones - from which I get a gorgeous and invigorating shower every morning now.
Shower heads are sold with a mechanism that restricts flow, in order to comply with water conservation standards.
Some of these restricting mechanisms are easier to defeat than others.
Mine looks like this. Hot water and cold water go into their respective inputs, and out the other side. There’s an internal pressure switch that turns it on when I hope the shower tap.
I fitted mine in the space under the bath by cutting a hole in the plasterboard in the room next to the bathroom; it’s hooked up to mains electricity, with a master switch on the wall in the spare room. I replaced the flexible piping going to the shower pipe input with four flexible pipes; I had real problems with metric vs imperial (“English”) width pipes - I live in an old house - but got round this with washing machine hose. It’s meant to be fixed down with screws, but I just wedged it in place and it works fine.
How would I know if I had a low flow shower head? Do they come apart easily?
I thought low flow shower heads were for apartment buildings and hotels… I can’t imagine a home builder would put one in unless someone specifically asked for it (or it was cheaper, which I doubt).
One possibility is that your shower head is actually designed to provide more flow, but it’s clogged with mineral deposits. When we moved into our current house, we always thought the shower had crappy water pressure, but it started to get worse, so we decided something was up. I removed the shower head and immersed it in a pitcher of vinegar (I read somewhere this would help remove mineral deposits) overnight. The next day when I put it on, the water pressure was way better than it had ever been.
If you do have a flow-restricted shower head and can’t defeat the flow restriction, or just want to get a new one, go to Ebay and look at the showerheads this guy offers.
Flow-restricted showerheads are mandated here in Orygun, so I can’t say for sure, but I hear that they really work.
Unscrew the shower head from the pipe coming out of the wall and look at the socket where it was attached. The low flow heads I’ve dealt with all had something stuck in there to restrict how much water came through. One just had a rubber washer, another had a little plate with holes drilled in it. Take a look, it could be very simple to deal with.
You unscrew the shower head and turn on the water to see if the low flow is your plumbing or your shower head. Use a watch and bucket to figure your flow rates if you need to.
I had an interesting conversation with our Well Man a couple of weeks ago, as he was replacing our well pump. Apparently Well Men and Plumbers have a long history of animosity over flow issues; plumbers want to control the flow from within the house, and well men want to drive it up from the ground with greater force.
Don’t take a Well Man and Plumber out drinkin together, it won’t end well.
OTOH, we had that problem with our shower, separate from the well issues. We have a hand-held massager, but as the whole thing was gunked up anyway I took it apart and removed the flow restrictor. It’s a little disc. Much better now!
Unfortunately as older tool dies are retired and new ones made they have been making the flow restriction as part of the valve assembly. I saw this on a couple projects. You can’t just remove a flow limiter washer in the head for those.
At one time the shower head at home started playing up and since we were planning to remodel the bathroom in the near future, I just took it off and had the equivalent of a faucet 7 feet above the floor. I loved it, the kids loved it but the wife wouldn’t use it. It was pretty rugged but it was fun. It was like showering under a warm hose.
I’d say pressures get elevated from plumbers without rural experience not really understanding wells, their pumps and the dynamics involved with the control thereof.
I am looking at the shower head right now, and there is a little black plastic piece that is inside the throat of the inlet pipe with small holes drilled into it. The problem is I cannot get the damn thing out. It’s larger than the throat opening. So, those of you thinking this is a low flow shower head may be onto something here.
City water.
Before I posted this question, I soaked the shower head in CLR for this very reason. It really didn’t make a substantial difference, at least not with the pressure.
FYI, I went to Lowes, and I didn’t see anything on the packaging for shower heads that indicated “low flow” vs. “high pressure”. Perhaps there are other code words for these characteristics, or perhaps as some have mentioned, low flow is the way to go here.
Perhaps the solution will be Mr. eBay and the Commando 450.
Can anyone recommend an over the counter shower head model that you know isn’t low flow?
This is bullshit! I should be permitted to have as powerful a shower as I please in my own house… If my township has made this a part of the building code, I’m running for office. I want water pressure that comes close to tearing my skin off my bones, not dribbling down my back like someone is peeing on me.
