Repeal 2.5GPM shower head law, now!

[FelixDeCat]

Baths make you cleaner than showers. Yea I went there.

Yeah, no. I took baths when I was under 20. Very relaxing. Now it would seem creepy to stew in my own used water.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Your username seems to match this reply. The person I responded to said something about warming up. I suggested a 500 gallon hot tub, not a 500 gallon bathtub. Apparently, you've never heard of them.

Lots of jets of water pulsating, lots of bubbling - very relaxing. And, at 104 degrees, even more relaxing when it's well below freezing outside.

I would hit that, but not when there is snow outside. D:

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I would hit that, but not when there is snow outside. D:

Don't know what you're missing.

 

[WelshBloke]

Yeah, no. I took baths when I was under 20. Very relaxing. Now it would seem creepy to stew in my own used water.

Bathing is creepy but YouTube stalking single mothers and commenting on their baby videos isn't?

 

[WackyDan]

I'd say much like low flow toilets, it has less to do with the restriction and more to do with people buying the cheapest shower heads they can find.

We actually replaced our old toilets with low flow ones. The new ones actually flush better and we haven't had to use a plunger in years.

So, yeah... The initial low flow models of shower heads and toilets sucked, but anything new on the market works remarkably well.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

All I got from the OP was that he is morbidly obese.

 

[Paratus]

I love ATOT.

 

[dainthomas]

Most water is used by industry and commercial, IIRC.

This. It's like people who buy hybrid cars to save the earth or something. The percentage of total CO2 output by cars is so small it's laughable. Way less than 20%.

 

[Eug]

I was under the impression the 2.5 gpm limit applied here in Canada too, and indeed, the regular shower heads I purchased 5 years ago were 2.5 gpm or less. For example, this one:

At first I noticed the decreased flow, but after a while I got used to it and didn't mind. It still washed just as well overall.

However, my last two shower head purchases I made (in the last three years) were rain-shower heads and they sure don't feel like low flow heads. When I'm under them, it's like a torrential downpour. One is a 8" circular rain head, and the other is a huge 8x12" rain head that looks like this one.

Do rain shower heads get a free pass or something? These were no-name store-brand shower heads. They were purchased at a higher end bathroom fixture store. They sell a lot of stuff like Grohe or Kohler or what not, but if you want to decrease package pricing they include their own shower arms and shower heads. So, instead of spending $300 on a shower head, it's under $100. Yes, name brand rain shower heads really do cost that much.

I hate those regular shower heads with the stupid adjustable massage settings or whatever, like this one:

I had my last two removed today - came with the house. The plumber had to use a blow torch to remove one, it was stuck on so tightly.

[EDIT]

Holy crap! I was looking for some new shower heads since I want to add a rain shower head to one of those showers, and it's $2300 for this 14" Kohler rain shower head, locally at Home Depot Canada:

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/14-contemporary-round-rain-showerhead/997973

[/EDIT]

 

[Eug]

Bah, I just had a Grohe K4 kitchen faucet installed, and the flow seemed mediocre. I just found out it is limited to 1.75 gpm.

http://www.grohe.com/ca-en/6444/kit...roduct=32071-G141&color=000&material=32071000

I measured the flow and got 2.2 L in 20 seconds, or 6.6 L/min... which works out to almost exactly 1.75 gpm.

Had I known in advance I would have looked harder for 2.2 gpm kitchen faucet. Mind you, many of the mid-range faucets around here seem to be even lower flow, at 1.5 gpm.

P.S. I'm going to go shopping this weekend for that no-name showerhead for my last shower. I'm still thinking that thing doesn't have a flow restrictor, because it feels like our old ~4 gpm shower head. Maybe because it's a noname brand they cheat. Who knows?

 

[master_shake_]

I am tired of the ninny nanny government, sticking its nose where it does not belong. Its been 20+ years of nonsense. The law can be skirted but why do we have to bother? Now multiple shower head flows are gone and new homes have the crap in the plumbing! WTF?

You go somewhere and the showers suck. Bunch of piss poor stupid weak showers. You buy something new and everything is screwed with. The lights are dim because you cant see with 20 watt bulbs with too many shadows.

You have to use the toilet and flush 20 times. WTF?

Who came up with all these stupid ideas?

the road to hell...

 

[Eug]

BTW, our 1.6 gallon per flush toilet works as well as our old 3.4 gallon per flush toilet. However, I paid $$$ for that Toto Drake, which is rated to work way better than the el cheapo 1.6 gallon per flush toilets.

 

[FelixDeCat]

I hate those regular shower heads with the stupid adjustable massage settings or whatever, like this one:

[/EDIT]

pssst....hey buddy....want to ship to Texas? :sneaky:

 

[Eug]

I went to my local bath fixture shop and got their house brand square 8" rain showerhead.

http://www.tubs.com/products/view/17177

The unit is all metal, except for the nozzles, which are rubbery (silicone?). This makes calcium buildup easy to manage. This is the unit assembled.

I don't see the usual type of flow restrictor that you see in other models like you find at Home Depot.

Below is the ball joint removed. You can see the metal strainer, but that doesn't seem to be a significant flow restrictor in itself.

The ball of the ball joint is bigger than the width of the screw collar for the inlet.

The ball has a smaller hole, but it's actually not that small. However it would restrict somewhat unless you drilled it.

And here is the receiving end of the ball joint on the actual "can". I suppose its structure could restrict flow somewhat too.

I have not measured the flow but I'd guess it is more than 2.5 gpm, that is compared to my supposedly 2.5 gpm cheap Kohler. However I wouldnt be surprised if the Kohler were less than 2.5 gpm.

pssst....hey buddy....want to ship to Texas? :sneaky:

Heh, what, do you mean for my old higher flow massaging showerheads? You wouldn't want them anyway. They've got a dozen years of calcium buildup in them.

 

[IronWing]

When the calcium clogs the nozzles on my showerhead, I just drill them back out.

 

[Brainonska511]

I've never had a problem with the 'lower-flow' shower heads in getting myself clean in a timely fashion. What do you folks want, a fire hose in the shower?

This. It's like people who buy hybrid cars to save the earth or something. The percentage of total CO2 output by cars is so small it's laughable. Way less than 20%.

That logic is terrible. We should cut back where we can - just because something else is more wasteful doesn't mean you should also be more wasteful. Also, according to this: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/co2.html transportation accounts for closer to 30% of total CO2 output in the US.

 

[IronWing]

What do you folks want, a fire hose in the shower?

Yes. A fire hose with fine temperature control, thank you.

 

[Eug]

When the calcium clogs the nozzles on my showerhead, I just drill them back out.

With the ones with silicone nozzles, you just pull off the calcium with your fingers. Doesn't stick. In my master ensuite bathroom, I have an 8x12 rain showerhead with 160 nozzles, and it takes less than 2 minutes every year to clean it.

 

[FelixDeCat]

I've never had a problem with the 'lower-flow' shower heads in getting myself clean in a timely fashion. What do you folks want, a fire hose in the shower?

Damn straight. I want to relax when I wake up and relax just before bed, and get clean too. A nice powerful hot shower does both. :thumbsup:

 

[TheSlamma]

There is a first world problem thread close by intended for this EXACT type of topic.