increasing water pressure?

[Sexyredhead]

I have lousy water pressure in both my new apt\'s showers. It\'s fine in all the sinks though. Any idea on how I can increase the water pressure in the showers? I love my showers, but this is awful. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[belgareth]

Try taking off the shower head and looking for little plastic or rubber flow restrictors inside the female end. Many apartments put them in to save water. Remove it and screw it back together.

[upsidedown]

You probably need to talk to the apartment management. If the pressure\'s not there, it\'s doubtful anything can be done. You can check to see if the pressure in all the other apartments is as bad as yours, or if some have better pressure.

On the other hand, I\'ve had lousy pressure in my shower in the past because my water heater had calcium deposits that had collected, broken loose, and made their way through my pipes. When I unscrewed the shower head, I discovered that my shower head was all clogged up inside from the loose calcium deposits. I cleaned out all the calcium deposits from behind the shower head, and reattached it...and my pressure was back.

[upsidedown]

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Try taking off the shower head and looking for little plastic or rubber flow restrictors inside the female end. Many apartments put them in to save water. Remove it and screw it back together.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I didn\'t know that. That\'s a good suggestion. Guess you\'re best course of action is to take that shower head off and see what\'s in there.

[Sexyredhead]

Thanks, guys.
I just moved to a different apt in the same complex. In my old apt, I had great water pressure in one shower, but little in the other. I took the head off the lousy one to check for deposits, but found none. Could\'ve been the head though--it was a cheap one.
It might be the water heater too. I\'ll ask the landlord to look at it for me.
Think a new shower head might do the trick? These are really bad, as in I have to move around to find enough water to rinse off. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[upsidedown]

SRH,

Have you tried seeing what kind of water pressure you have with the shower head off? If you have lousy pressure without the head on then you know a new head won\'t help and you can talk to your apts. office about it.

[Sexyredhead]

Haven\'t tried taking the heads off yet. Just moved in last weekend.

Anything I can do to increase it if it\'s not mineral deposits? I seem to remember hearing there was something you could do a long time ago, but I can\'t remember what it was. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[upsidedown]

OK, I misunderstood your previous post. When you said you took off the shower head, you were talking about your old apartment.

If you\'re having to move around to find enough water to get wet, then it sounds like that cheap shower head is indeed clogged up.

Well, the apartment will have to correct that problem for you. What you\'re putting up with now is not good.

[belgareth]

You can buy a low flow shower head. They have smaller and fewer holes so the lower volume gives you more spray pressure. You mentioned that you have good pressure at the sinks so it makes me think you either have a flow restrictor or calcified pipes. Have you looked for hidden valves that might not be fully opened? Unlikely but possible.

[Elana]

SRH- You could always try my suggestion. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Andy]

Have you tried taking the head in your mouth? This increases pressure enourmously in me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

There might be something wrong with the pipe system. I had this problem in one of my houses, it was the part leading to the kitchen sinks of the apartments and it was an awful hassle to fix it.

[franki]

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I had this problem in one of my houses,

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\"> How many houses do you have? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Elana]

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I had this problem in one of my houses,

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\"> How many houses do you have? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I think he meant that he has moved around a lot. He doesn\'t have these houses at the same time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[franki]

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I had this problem in one of my houses,

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\"> How many houses do you have? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I think he meant that he has moved around a lot. He doesn\'t have these houses at the same time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Well, I remember him saying he has to choose which one of his cars he uses, so maybe he is just rich.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Mtnjim]

I think we need pictures of you in the shower (for scale) to see how bad the water presure is! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Elana]

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Well, I remember him saying he has to choose which one of his cars he uses, so maybe he is just rich....

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Oh...who wudda thunk /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[camusflage]

I have a massaging shower head with one of the flow restrictors in it. I originally was going to yank it and let the full flow through, but I found that I didn\'t mind the flow restrictor being in it, because the thing was designed to operate so well with it in.

My suggestion would be to yank the head and see what\'s up. You might want to pick up a new head anyway as a matter of course. Once you\'ve got the old one off, you\'re most of the way toward putting a new one on anyway. That and a massaging head just feels so wonderful on your.. uhh, back. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[koolking1]

I have good pressure here and the cleanest water around!!! So, you are welcome to come over anytime.

[Sexyredhead]

I couldn\'t find any valves that weren\'t turned all the way on. I\'m gonna check on the low-flow heads, and maybe the massaging ones. I love the feel of those. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

And yes, Elana, I think I\'ll go today and find the right paint color so I can make the illusion of more water coming out than there actually is. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Andy, unfortunately my mouth is not big enough to put the whole head in. However, in effort to get more out of it, I will dilligently practice stretching my mouth wider in the hopes that one day I can get it all in. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[belgareth]

Most of the shower massages are low flow as well. But some of them come wth a flow restrictor built in. Be sure to remove it.

Gee, that\'s really unfortunate that your mouth isn\'t big enough to get the whole head into it... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[Elana]

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Gee, that\'s really unfortunate that your mouth isn\'t big enough to get the whole head into it...

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I haven\'t seen you offer to help her learn.

[belgareth]

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Gee, that\'s really unfortunate that your mouth isn\'t big enough to get the whole head into it...

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">
I haven\'t seen you offer to help her learn.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I\'ve been remiss. SRH, I apologize, will you please forgive me? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Anytime you would like help with plumbing, you just give me a call. Us old folk have an obligation to teach you youngsters all we can. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Sexyredhead]

That\'s ok, Elana. I\'m sure there\'s somebody out there who\'ll help me practice. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Sexyredhead]

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Gee, that\'s really unfortunate that your mouth isn\'t big enough to get the whole head into it...

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">
I haven\'t seen you offer to help her learn.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I\'ve been remiss. SRH, I apologize, will you please forgive me? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Anytime you would like help with plumbing, you just give me a call. Us old folk have an obligation to teach you youngsters all we can. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

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JINX!!! We posted at the same time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
That\'s so sweet of you. I\'d be stupid to pass up an opportunity to learn such knowledge from one more experienced than I. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

[belgareth]

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JINX!!! We posted at the same time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
That\'s so sweet of you. I\'d be stupid to pass up an opportunity to learn such knowledge from one more experienced than I. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Ah, some many reponsibilities in my advancing years. But one must do what is needed to help the young. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Sexyredhead]

My new shower head, that is. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Went to the local WM yesterday and invested in a much-cheaper-than-I-thought-it-would-be low-flow massaging shower head.

Results: Didn\'t want to get out of the shower this morning. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I\'ve got so much water pressure now that if I don\'t watch, it might blow a hole through ME! Woohoooooo!

How many ways can I thank you guys for your suggestions? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif And can you impress me even more by explaining how it works? This is so cool. (Yes, I know I\'m getting excited over a $5 shower head, but you have no idea how much I love a good shower. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif)

BTW Elana, you were right, that faux finish on the shower wall made all the difference. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[belgareth]

It\'s simple enough. Take a water hose and turn the water on for a low flow rate. Now try to wash something with it. Not very effective. Next, put your thumb over the end of the hose to restrict the amount of water coming out of it. The resulting back pressure creates a more forceful, useful spray. Same effect, the low-flow shower head reduces the amount of water passing through creating a greater spray force. You are actually using less water at the same time.

[Sexyredhead]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
It\'s simple enough. Take a water hose and turn the water on for a low flow rate. Now try to wash something with it. Not very effective. Next, put your thumb over the end of the hose to restrict the amount of water coming out of it. The resulting back pressure creates a more forceful, useful spray. Same effect, the low-flow shower head reduces the amount of water passing through creating a greater spray force. You are actually using less water at the same time.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Thanks! That is so cool. So simple it works. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif It did say on the package that I should see a drop in my water usage as well, but we\'ll see. I don\'t use that much anyway. BTW, I also saw the same shower heads I had originally, and they were MORE expensive--almost twice as much. Makes no sense. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Elana]

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BTW Elana, you were right, that faux finish on the shower wall made all the difference.


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See! I told you that it would help. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Feel free to ask me other questions.