Low flow rate from shower head

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joeydyi80

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My master bathroom shower head has very low flow rate. I've change several heads and still the flow is low. I took off the shower handle and the back plate to see if I could adjust the hot and cold water that is coming into the handle. However, there seems to be no set screw that controls the hot or cold water on either side. I've seen videos online where there should be screws on either side to control temp/flow rate for the cold and hot water coming into the shower and you can adjust it using a screwdriver. But, it seems mine is not setup like that. So what are my options to increase flow rate? Should change the cartridge then to see if that helps? By the way home was built in 2005.20220819_091940.jpg20220819_091949.jpg
 
Twowaxhack said:
If your hot and cold water pressure is good at other fixtures then I e we puke start by replacing the cartridge.

You need the Delta cartridge I’m with the blue bottom.

https://www.amazon.com/Delta-RP1980...ocphy=9012990&hvtargid=pla-274509861779&psc=1
Click to expand...

I just a did test and the master shower takes about 5.5 minutes to fill a 5 gallon container with no shower head attached while the other shower that is in the middle of our upstairs takes about 4 minutes to fill a 5 gallon container. I did not test the 3rd shower that is downstairs. The master shower is the furthest from where the boiler (located in the garage). What do you think of the numbers?
 
Seems low flow to me. How do you get your water ? Well or utility provider?
 
Twowaxhack said:
Seems low flow to me. How do you get your water ? Well or utility provider?
Click to expand...
Utility. Seems the flow is around only 1 GPM from bare pipe instead of being standard 2 - 2.5 GPM. Plumber last time checked and water pressure was fine to the house so I don't know how else to fix this low flow issue.
 
Disconnect the hot hose to your washing machine and time it to fill a 5 gal bucket.

Do same for the cold.

Measure your water pressure at the washing machine also.

I’m trying to determine if you have low flow everywhere or just at the showers, which I assume are all pressure balanced.

With pressure balanced valves the flow from the hot and cold are dependent on each other. When either is low, the other side will also be low to match. That’s pressure balanced.
 
You could replace the cartridge in the shower with the lowest flow and see if that restores normal operation.

But from what you’re telling me you may have additional issues with either pressure or a volume restriction.

For example, I have the same shower valve and if I removed my shower head Id probably get 6 + GPM (gallons per minute) ……..you’re saying it takes yours 5 minutes to flow 5-6 gallons. That’s horrible…….that’s like a gallon per minute.
 
Twowaxhack said:
You could replace the cartridge in the shower with the lowest flow and see if that restores normal operation.

But from what you’re telling me you may have additional issues with either pressure or a volume restriction.

For example, I have the same shower valve and if I removed my shower head Id probably get 6 + GPM (gallons per minute) ……..you’re saying it takes yours 5 minutes to flow 5-6 gallons. That’s horrible…….that’s like a gallon per minute.
Click to expand...
I checked the downstairs shower and without any shower head it is at about 2 GPM. About double than what I have upstairs.
 
Get a pressure gauge that goes on a hose bib, and either connected to a hose bib outside or an equivalent fitting (clothes washer) inside, you may have really low water pressure from the utility, in which case you need to talk to them about it.
 
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