Posted on 12/22/2021 7:50:11 PM PST by Jamestown1630
I have a question - it's probably 'dumb' to those who know about these things, but I once received a lot of good information on modern lightbulbs, here; so I'll try.
We bought a new shower head today. I have long hair, and need a higher-pressure one to wash it. We usually remove the 'flow restrictor' (so, arrest me!) but this one claims to have a 'flow regulator'. What, if anything, is the difference between a regulator and restrictor?
Thanks for any help.
P.S.: We saw a really nice Christmas movie tonight - 'The Christmas Candle':
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Christmas_Candle
It's nothing that a drill can't fix.
Yeah. That’s the violence I’m afraid my husband might do :-)
The swivel heads on a ball restrictor of small bore; I took those of off, placed in a padded vise and drilled out to a larger bore.
Well, thanks for that.
A restrictor has small hole in it and a regulator has a spring the diaphragm that is moved to the pressure you would like to have the head use.
Not an expert, but the last shower head had instructions that, if in a low water pressure environment, the flow restrict or could be removed.
Which I did.
get a haircut, Hippy
Thank you.
The pictures on the instructions to this gizmo do show a spring-like rubber thing as the ‘regulator’.
We’ve seen a restrictor before, so I guess we’ll pull that out first - if there is one - and see what happens.
You like all your women shorn?
That’s sort of different from what I’ve always heard from men...
My flow control then became the water faucet knob.
I’m not sure we’d know how to do that, but thanks for the info.
In the past, just removing the flow restrictor has worked fine.
(Why doesn’t the word-processor on FR like the word ‘restrictor’? It keeps underlining it in red in my drafts...)
Just an FYI, but as an engineering answer, once the water comes out of the spray head, there is no pressure. The pressure only exists in the pipe/conduit that the water is delivered through.
But I would follow the advice of the others to drill it out
Plumbing has changed in the last 20(?) years of living with restrictors.
First designed only to lower water flow, without regard to temperature or pressure, modern plumbing can regulate excessive changes in temperature and still provide enough pressure for a strong shower.
If you are just replacing the shower head, then look for a plate with holes in it that limit the amount of water that can pass.
If all you see is a spring loaded diaphragm, try to install it and see how you like the pressure.
If too low then start pulling pieces out slowly so you don’t break the shower head itself. There can be springs used to keep the head in place verses springs used to move the regulator.
Look up the brand and model on YT and see if someone has already made a video on how to remove it.
It’s a washer with a smaller hole than preferred.
Aka ‘flow restrictor’
I’ve never left them in place. However, fluid dynamics 101:
Greater flow = less pressure.
Try it with and them without. If neither suffice, you’ll unfortunately need to try a different head.
I had an awesome one years ago and have never found a suitable replacement (my wife also has long hair).
Thanks to all of you. We’re off now for a couple of weeks, and we’ll experiment tomorrow.
I replaced the shower head with a lawn sprinkler.
Now there is grass growing in the bathroom.
A flow restrictor reduces the amount of volume of water you get. A regulator controls the force or pressure of the water jet hitting you.
Thanks. I thought they were different, but I guess we’ll have to take it apart and see what’s inside.
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