Shower Plumbing help please?

[gwstang]

Are the new shower manifolds (where the hot/cold water is mixed and turn handles to get it out) some kind of low flow stuff? I replaced the old manifold when I put in a new tub, the new "Caulk-less snap together type unit". The flow is just ridiculously slower than before. Of course the spousal unit complains that she can barely get the shampoo out of her hair. Red heads get really ill about such things....well most things anyway...lol

I've gotten weary with her whining on this. How do I rectify this situation and get more water flow?
Thanks for any help. :confused2:

 

[bcp]

I've heard all household valves are now low flow. Our new ones are.

WaterSense Standards Bring Low-Flow Faucets, Showerheads

Bruce

 

[Tractor Seabee]

The greenies are at it again. You may find one of the older ones it you look around especially the old time hardware stores. Remember the toilet process we have all learned to live with. Maybe she will have to fill a bucket and dunk her head in it. :cool2: Maybe a booster pump in the shower HW supply line. :hissyfit:

Ron

 

[4570Man]

It's been a long time since I had a shower valve apart, but could you drill the hole out bigger? If that doesn't work is a more efficient shower head an option?

 

[RNeumann]

NO! You plugged something with debris. I’d pull the shower head first and hope it’s in there. Otherwise it’s in the valve itself. If that’s the case you will need to disassemble the valve and find the chunk/chunks. If it’s a cartridge type (like a Moan) you may need a new cartridge since those aren’t serviceable.
No valve is (low flow) it’s all done in the shower head....that would be a cruel joke if a manufacturer did that.

What type of valve did you buy?

BTW- some “hi end” shower valves have little shut offs built in so they can be serviced without shutting water off to the building (think commercial setting like a hotel). Make sure you don’t have something like that that may be mostly closed.

 

[bcp]

In my post 2, I should have said "fixtures (?)" instead of "valves." I don't know which part has the restriction.

Bruce

 

[thepumpguysc]

I feel your pain!!!!
I put in a new shower head.. the type that has abunch of joints in it inorder to get it up higher.. I'm 6'1" & the wife is 5'2"..
& I have to adjust the shower head EVERYTIME I get in it.. so I installed a "rain shower" head..UP HI..
The water coming out of IT wasn't enough to put out a cigarette..
I took it apart & found 2 "PLASTIC" orifices.. Grabbed my trusty Dewalt & went to town on'm..
In 10 minutes had enough water pressure to wash the both of us at the same time..
So to answer your question.. YES .. "IF" you can get it apart, drill out the orifices.. it'll probably be in the main line..??

 

[Gunny]

I replaced the shower valves and head in the downstairs bath a few months ago, had the same problem, hardly enough water coming out to get wet. When I took the shower head off, there was a white plastic disc with a very small hole in it, right past the threads in the coupling. I first drilled the hole a bit larger and that still didn't suit me, so I just took the darned thing completely out.

It now puts out so much more water that you don't even want to open that valve wide open.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

The valve is not usually restricted. Often a valve can be used for either tub or shower and there's no reason to restrict flow on the tub, it uses the same amount of water either way. The head is required to be restricted, better models give good performance anyway, and often the restriction can be defeated. It's very common when doing plumbing to dislodge debris that clogs the valve or the head.

A quick test is to take off the shower head and see how long it takes to fill a five gallon bucket. A normal shower head is 2.5 gallons per minute, or two minutes to fill a bucket. With the head off you should get several times that.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Re Plastic flow restriction disc's - I've found those in faucets as well. Simple solution is to simply pull it out of your shower head, and toss it. More than likely that'll fix your problem...

 

[turnkey4099]

No need to take most fixtures apart. All that I have seen have a screw in "aerator" at the output end. That will probably have the little plastic restrictor disc.

They have gone from reasonable flow rate to 'unuseable flow rate'. Takeing out that restrictor results in "high flow".

 

[Walt 2002]

"Upscale" showers have 3 to 5 or more shower heads that way they can comply with the flow rate per shower head but still get a good shower.

Walt Conner

 

[gwstang]

So right..Ya'll are. I took the new shower head off and it had this blue disc in the back end. I screwed a screw into it and yanked it out and now it will knock her down. Maybe she will get off my arse now....well, maybe not...lol :confused2:

Thanks to everyone!

 

[Walt 2002]

I'd be careful about what and where I said some things - you never know who is looking - Fed. regs. prohibit.

Walt Conner

 

[gwstang]

There were a couple of black helicopters circling around here, a few days ago.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

There were a couple of black helicopters circling around here, a few days ago.

Did you get your mattress tags sewn back on in time?

 

[gwstang]

Did you get your mattress tags sewn back on in time?

I just snatched the ones off the pillows for a temp. fix.

 

[kcflhrc]

The new Jacuzzi valve I just put in our shower had flow rate adjusters on the hot and cold side. The one I just installed upstairs, a Home Depot Brand did not have adjusters. But sounds like you found your issue with the shower head.

 

[turnkey4099]

There were a couple of black helicopters circling around here, a few days ago.

He'll be alright as long as he wears the tinfoil cap.

 

[teejk]

So right..Ya'll are. I took the new shower head off and it had this blue disc in the back end. I screwed a screw into it and yanked it out and now it will knock her down. Maybe she will get off my arse now....well, maybe not...lol :confused2:

Thanks to everyone!

You know that she'll find something else to replace the water flow now that's fixed! Btw, somewhat related, apparently Canada (as goofy as they seem to have become lately) still sells proper flushing toilets and the theft rate on old American toilets is high.