Modifying shower heads

[dukedogg]

I'm an ace mechanic when working on exotic sports cars and own the repair shop, so I figured I could apply some similar logic. 1st - I replaced the water pressure regulator on the main water line coming into the house since it was old and clogged anyway. I also installed a pressure gauge before the regulator so I'd know water pressure coming from the city's main to my house and then another pressure gauge after the regulator so I'd know what water pressure was initially running into the pipes in my house, 'cause if I didn't have decent water pressure to begin with, it probably wouldn't matter what the hell the type of shower head or shower control handle was. Plus, I made sure I set the pressure correctly so I didn't over-burden the house water lines with too much water pressure, by checking various faucets, etc in the house to see what they read. 2nd - I had to shop around for older model shower handles since they have restrictors just like the shower heads. For me, I found that the older Kholer and Moen models were the easier one's to dismantle, absent destroying the body of the shower control handle itself and since they still had some eye appeal and since the newer models are made by the manufacturers so you can't really dismantle them, if at all. Not that everyone has a machine shop, but I had to drill and machine some of the inner parts to bypass the damn restrictors. 3rd - I also shopped around for shower heads and used the same logic as before, finding and older model shower head(s) with eye appeal and then getting to work on dismantling them. I also drilled out the holes in the shower spray head slightly larger for more flow. In the end, I've gotten around the stupid govt. restrictor regulations and have real nice water pressure. I have 1 over head, 3 wall mounts and 3 body sprays and a hand-held, so its like a car wash in the shower room now... Again, I made sure I didn't over-burden the pipes with too much water pressure. So, the plummer's who responded were spot-on, there's just no easy way around the restrictor issues. You just have to get over the aggravations, get creative, put in the dismantling and modification work and get 'er done. Hope that helps...

 

[mtoMA2AZ]

I am NOT smart - at least when it comes to plumbing. So I do NOT know the answer. And I THOROUGHLY agree with Mabu & Willie as to what I see here on the attitude. Although what it really seems to be is FEAR, great FEAR - I've asked some local contractors to remove that thing from the shower head for me, and they acted as though I was trying to hire them as a contract killer (I think that would actually be easier, at least here in AZ). I came on here to ask the same question, since my contractor will not tell me. I run my dishwasher maybe once a week, do 2 or 3 washing machine loads a week, AND I have low-water-use-landscaping, so I really think I can spare the extra water. I mean, people here grow roses and lawns - in the freakin' desert! - that's gotta use a LOT more water than a little almost-old lady taking a shower. Yet THEY don't seem to get villified. I'm going to use the SAME amount of water either way - I haven't gotten any smaller, so it's going to take the SAME amount of water to get the soap off me, and the shampoo out of my hair - the difference is that now it takes me a HALF HOUR to take a shower, rather than the 15 minutes it used to take me.

PS - everyone here in AZ is so willing to give the Federal Govt the proverbial finger, as it were, yet they are SO afraid of the state AND Federal Govt that they live in fear of being discovered having taken out a piece of metal?-plastic?-something? - from a shower head? Weird. Guess next time I go back home, I'll have to find some elderly plumber back in Live-Free-Then-Die-Land, and ask him, and maybe he'll be brave enough to tell me.

Or maybe someone on here can post under a pseudonym to protect their identity?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Runs with Bison]

Depends on the particular shower head design as to where the restriction is taking place. I've got ultra low flow showerheads that work well, but both of the manufacturers had problem with pressure compensation above about 60 psig supply, so instead of running 1.5-1.6 gpm they were running 1.2-1.3 gpm. I was able to help the manufacturer test and redesign one of them to address the problem. (Sorry, I can't give you details of the cause or fix due to the proprietary nature of the changes.)

I was able to modify the other one myself, tackling the problem differently by adding a single small diameter bore hole to an existing pattern. It was more of an increase than I targeted (about 1.7 gpm) but was the smallest bit I had at the time. A replacement head from that outfit also worked properly (and hit the 1.5-1.6 gpm target) so they apparently addressed their problem as well.

The usual problem with showerheads isn't the flow, but the quality of the pattern. My 1.5 gpm showerheads work as well or better than an old 5 gpm head I used to have and far better than some cheap 2.5 gpm (current "low flow") that were in place before. Typical shower for me is 7 minutes.

 

[Jadnashua]

I don't know if this is true, but if so, then I could easily understand why a licensed plumber would not consider modifying a device. The way car emission control laws used to be, YOU could modify things, but a licensed mechanic couldn't. If he did, he was subject to a BIG fine and could lose his license. Today, where many states have emission testing, if you did modify things, you wouldn't be able to reregister the thing, so it isn't as big a thing.

A licensed plumber has to abide by the laws and is held accountable for his work. You, as a homeowner, have more leaway and probably fewer ramifications, at least legally for making modifications. So, my guess is, no plumber with a license is likely willing to perform this work. Since each showerhead differs some in construction and design, there is no one universal way to achieve what you want. Since they can't do it legally, they don't necessarily know.

Some shower heads do a much better job than others AND stay within the federal guidelines.

 

[hj]

The Federal GOvernment is preparing to issue a mandate that there can only be ONE shower device in any shower stall. If it passes, it, like the 2.5 gpm requirement, WILL be mandatory EVERYWHERE in the U.S.A.