Plumbing technical help needed

Thorn

Thorn

Member
Damn Nanny government!

I recently purchased a new Kohler handheld shower head (because I cracked the fitting on the old one trying to tighten it). We live in the country, have a well, and the flow is sometimes erratic. The shower head has an internal restrictor valve that's supposed to hold down the flow of water to the head. We don't need that. We really, really don't need that.

I called the company to learn that this is a federal regulation, they are required to put this device in the shower head, and have no information on how to remove it.

Does anyone know where in the unit I'm likely to find this thing? There's a two-part fitting with an externally visible o-ring in the middle that leads from the hose to the shower head; I suspect that the restrictor valve is in there. I want to drill the sucker out, but don't want to destroy the wrong part.

Does anybody here know about these things?
 
Norman Paperman said:
You could try a search of their web site, look for a diagram of parts for your particular model.
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I did that; it was the first thing I tried. They have schematics in PDF on their site, but they don't include any info, diagrams, etc., about the flow restrictor valve. Apparently this particular part is a deep, dark secret and even their staff claim not to know anything specific about it.
 
Thorn said:
I did that; it was the first thing I tried. They have schematics in PDF on their site, but they don't include any info, diagrams, etc., about the flow restrictor valve. Apparently this particular part is a deep, dark secret and even their staff claim not to know anything specific about it.
Click to expand...

call a plumber :)
 
How to know if a ShowerStore.com shower head is better for low water pressure areas

This icon means the product is recommended for low water flow areas. In some installations, you just do not have strong water pressure. If your house's water supply is from a well, for instance, nothing you can do short of installing a booster pump will increase you water pressure. For those situations, we recommend the shower heads and hand held shower heads with this symbol. Find out more about shower heads and hand held showers that are good for low pressure areas>>


You can buy showerheads specifically designed for low-pressure areas. If you try to remove a part of a high-pressure showerhead that's built into the thing you're most likely going to destroy the thing. I doubt it was designed to be removed.
 
Remove the Flow Restrictor

All shower heads and hand held shower head sets sold in the United States contain a flow restrictor, also known as a flow controller, as required by the National Energy Act that limit water flow to 2.5 gallons per minute. This helps save water and energy, which could help you save money on your utility bill. Removing the shower head or hand held shower flow restrictor will increase your water and energy consumption. It will also increase the amount of water flowing through your shower head or hand held shower head for increased water pressure through your shower head or hand held shower.

To remove the flow restrictor, remove the shower head from the shower arm supply pipe or the hand held shower head from the hand held shower hose. If you cannot remove the shower head by hand, use a rag and a wrench – the rag will help protect your shower head's finish.

Depending on the model, you may need to remove the gasket, which is a small, black, donut-shaped piece of rubber in the shower head inlet or hand held shower's handle. Use a long skinny tool like a slotted screwdriver to carefully pull the gasket from the shower head inlet. Remove the gasket carefully so you do not damage the shower head threads. Also be careful not to tear the gasket. If you do tear it, don't reuse it. When you reinstall the shower head, use Teflon tape instead.

The flow restrictor is the piece of plastic at the inlet of the shower head or hand held shower head's handle. Sometimes it's pink and behind a star-shaped piece of metal. sometimes it's green. Other manufacturers make theirs white. Whatever the color, remove these pieces by using a long, thin tool like a slotted screwdriver. Catch an edge of the flow controller or restrictor with the corner of the screwdriver and give the piece a twist with your wrist. The flow restrictor will pop out of the shower head or hand held shower.

If you live in an area of low water pressure, removing the flow restrictor will not substantially change the pressure you get through the shower head or hand held shower head. Check our section on "shower heads and hand held showers that are good for low pressure areas."

Remember, by removing the flow restrictor your utility bill may increase. You will also be using more of our natural resources. Keep the restrictor handy in case your want to re-install in your shower head or hand held shower in the future.

support_shflow.jpg

support_hsflow.jpg

*For most shower heads and hand held showers, remove screen to access flow restrictor (see above)
 
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1. Go to Canada and buy an illegal high-flow toilet and an illegal normal shower head, hide it from the border patrol on your re-entry. You can do this by disguising it as one of your kids. For this you'll need a ball cap you can tape to the top and a pair of shoes for the bottom.

2. Install the toilet and the shower head.

3. Enjoy normal showers and the capability that your husband gains to flush on the first try.
 
BTW, I don't think that's the exact instructions for your showerhead, but it deals with the subject, and further goes into why you're wrong.
 
LOL When I was in college they had those little pisser shower heads that took ten minutes to get the soap out of my hair. I'd simply removed the head and had the 1/2" pipe rinse me off in about ten seconds. Meanwhile the guys in the next stalls would be screaming when the water pressure dropped, and they got shocked with cold water.

It was fun being an engineering student in a dorm full of accounting students. :D
 
After you pull the device out and destroy the environment tell us if you can make it whistle by blowing air through it. :lol:
 
Southern Man said:
After you pull the device out and destroy the environment tell us if you can make it whistle by blowing air through it.
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Well, I was starting to have pipe noise with the old shower head. It would disappear if I switched to the faucet and then rapidly back to shower; I'll probably have to replace the faucet again if I can't get rid of the mineral deposits on this one. Despite regular visits from the Culligan man, we have extremely hard water here, and have to undertake regular heroic steps to avoid buildup.
 
Thorn said:
Well, I was starting to have pipe noise with the old shower head. It would disappear if I switched to the faucet and then rapidly back to shower; I'll probably have to replace the faucet again if I can't get rid of the mineral deposits on this one. Despite regular visits from the Culligan man, we have extremely hard water here, and have to undertake regular heroic steps to avoid buildup.
Click to expand...

My first house was on a well and had some galvanized pipe. The builder must have found some on sale since all the plumbing from the fixtures to the basement ceiling (exposed joists) were all copper. Then the horizontal runs along the ceiling to the well were galvanized.

When you'd turn on a fixture the pressure would be high at first then slow to a trickle. So I cut out a piece of the galvanized, finding it full of rust, restricting flow.

In about two hours I replaced all the galvanized with cpvc and fixed the problem.
 
Thorn said:
Well, I was starting to have pipe noise with the old shower head. It would disappear if I switched to the faucet and then rapidly back to shower; I'll probably have to replace the faucet again if I can't get rid of the mineral deposits on this one. Despite regular visits from the Culligan man, we have extremely hard water here, and have to undertake regular heroic steps to avoid buildup.
Click to expand...
http://easywater.com
 
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