Other flow restrictors...

[Glenn9643]

I guess Pete's broken pipe got me to thinking about plumbing this morning.
A “bah humbug sort of post not really suitable for Christmas, but sometimes I think the powers that be have completely lost it!
Two things that really aggravate me every day are 1.6 gpf toilets and 2.5gpm flow restrictors in showerheads.
I realize that water is precious and generally favor conservation measures within reason, but do we save water if we have to flush the toilet twice for it to go down? Doesn’t seem rational to me.
And as for showers, I recently had to replace the hardware on our bathroom tub/shower. Went for a good name brand because I didn’t want to have to replace it anytime soon. The showerhead was terrible. I’ve sweated more water many times during our hot summers.... Then I started shopping for an aftermarket showerhead and quickly realized that none of the plumbing supply places were set up to demonstrate the flow in their offerings. I bought one anyway, hoping for the best but it was not better. Then I did a little searching on the net and discovered why. The powers that be have proclaimed that we can only have 2.5 gallons per minute flowing through our showers!
In about 15 minutes I had removed all the flow restrictors and drilled that sucker out. Now I have a good shower. Please don’t report me to the shower police.
I haven’t figured out what to do with the toilet tank yet though. Any suggestions?

 

[Cliff_Johns]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( In about 15 minutes I had removed all the flow restrictors and drilled that sucker out. Now I have a good shower. Please don’t report me to the shower police. )</font>

I did the same thing. Before I did that, it just took too long to get wet. In the end, I doubt I use more water because a shower takes much less time. On the other hand, I never water the lawn except when I've just planted something, so I figure I'm way ahead over all.

They restrict flush and shower water, but they're willing to let you spray hundreds of gallons of water all over a lawn which would be healthier in the long run if you didn't water it (roots get deeper).

It is strange.

Cliff

 

[v8dave]

Amen, I have fixed my shower heads too!
Regarding toilets. Assuming you have gravity feed and not a pressure tank. Take a look inside the tank(s), changing the weight of the flapper valve (water/air in flapper) by changing the length of the pull chain will change the volume of water per flush. Make the chain shorter, it will pull the flapper higher. Less captured water in the flapper trap will make it float longer and the water will flow more.

 

[PineRidge]

I'm with you on the commode problem. Two flushes, beats a straight flush any day even though it kinda defeats the purpose of a water saver toilet. Unfortunately if you don't flush twice most of the time it plugs up anyway.

And the worst part about it is you can't buy the old style toilets any longer as none of the manufacturers make them.

It has alyays bugged me as to why you need to conserve water if you had your own well anyway? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Some of this conservation stuff is way out in left field.

 

[Freds]

I'm not sure if this applies to your toilet, Glenn, but the one in my house is a cheapie and constantly requires either two flushes or holding the handle down longer so the water coming in also runs down the toilet. The one I bought for my business is also a water saver, but it was on the pricey side and flushes MUCH better. There's definitely a difference between the way a better quality toilet flushes.

There is also some kind of air pressure gizmo you can purchase for the tank that allows a toilet more pressure with the same amount of water. I don't remember what they're called, but I think they run about $300. Ouch.

 

[GerardC]

I believe that American Standard has a new toilet out that WILL flush 11 golf balls. Don't know the cost though. G

 

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I believe that American Standard has a new toilet out that WILL flush 11 golf balls. Don't know the cost though. G )</font>

I don't know what you have been eating, but if you are putting 11 golf balls into your toilet, please don't invite me to your home for any meals......

I believe that the toilets sold in Canada use more water per flush than there American counter parts. There is also a good market in used toilets that were made before the 1.6 GPF law went into effect. One of our toilets has holes drilled in the back of the tank so you can't over fill the tank by raising the float level. Those engineers thought of everything to keep my cousin Rube Goldberg from finding a way to defeat what they have designed.
We have a shower valve by American Standard that has the flow restriction inside of the mechanism, but I wasn't able to see how to defeat it. I looked it over very closely, but there was no way to get at the innards that I could see without destroying the valve itself. I let the wife use that shower and I still use the one that was installed in 1980. I use an old fender propped up against one wall and a spare tire on the other to keep her out. It is known as Junkman ingenuity. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I got one of those refrigerated toilet seats that makes strange sounds to keep her from using my 3 gallon per flush toilet. A man has to have a few things that he doesn't share with the Lil woman.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[GoodGuy]

<ul type="square"> <font color="blue"> </font> I believe that the toilets sold in Canada use more water per flush than there American counter parts [/list]
Junk....
Are you saying that we're more full of it here in Canada ??
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Junkman]

I wouldn't say that, but I will say that your Canadian sanitary engineers knew that it would take more than 1.6 gallons to flush what you put into the toilet down the drain. Who better to know how much **** comes out of a Canadian than another Canadian, and what it takes to get rid of it....... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Come to think of it, your Imperial gallon is larger than our U.S. gallon....... You folks up North must use one heck of a lot of water per flush.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif ROFLMAO...

 

[GoodGuy]

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif