Best Showerhead Without Restrictor

[Nukeman7]

Both I guess. Obviously not looking to stand under a hose but over the years I have been in showers that you really get a lot of water with great pressure. So a mix of the 2. Is the hotel one that much more powerful?

I can't say if it is more powerful, but it has some kind of internal venturi path that aerates and increases the output pressure of the water stream at the jet orifices. My wife says it appears to be audibly "louder" than other showerheads we've tried.

Ill try that one out. by the way the one you linked is the 2.0 GPM they have the same model in 2.5 GPM

My oversight, I have the 2.5 GPM model which COSTCO sold a few years ago.

However, if you can find a discontinued MOEN 21777 Inspire showerhead, it is the epitome of the perfect showerhead.

 

[Delta]

If you're on city water, I see no issue with something that can do 3gpm+

For people like me on a well, ya gotta be careful. I drilled out the restrictor on a spare head I had. The pressure was nice, but man the well pump cycled (everything was functioning before you say it) a whole lot more. Nah, my well doesn't yield that much and not gonna risk it.

 

[johnmyster]

You considered the cost per gallon of water but neglected to consider cost to heat that water. Guess your fuel is free.

First principles of plumbing is that flow and pressure always move opposite one another. It takes pressure to produce flow through a pipe/fixture. The max flow that you measure with the head removed means that 100% of line pressure has to be consumed/lost by your plumbing (meter, pipes, fittings/transitions, valves, pressure reducing valve, thermostatic mixing valve, etc.) in order to produce that flow rate. Adding a head and expecting it to mimic that flow with any sort of meaningful jet (force/feel) is nonsense. The head needs backpressure, which means flow on the total fixture circuit must be reduced. Backpressure is a requirement to accelerate a stream of water per Mr. Bernoulli.

Or I guess you could install larger feed lines or a booster pump and bladder tank.

Buy a good modern 2.5 gpm head with a thoughtful pattern and you'll be used to it in a week vs your high flow speakman water dribbler 5000s.

We have 85 psi city and one of my hose bibs (1/2" pex supplied straight from 1" trunk) will supply 9.5 gpm. Meaning, the supply circuit (including 3/4" meter/main line) has 85 psi of drop at 9.5 gpm. Expecting it to do 9.5 gpm with a nozzle attached would be silly.

 

[nomas]

I used to travel a lot for work . Hotels are notorious for using water saving shower heads . I went to Walmart and bought a cheap shower head and removed the restrictor . I kept it in my bag along with a pair of 8 inch Channel lock pliers .

 

[B6_Dolphin]

Ill try that one out. by the way the one you linked is the 2.0 GPM they have the same model in 2.5 GPM

Another vote for the Speakman S-2005. I have two of them in both full bathrooms installed for many years with no issues.

 

[Omaha111]

You considered the cost per gallon of water but neglected to consider cost to heat that water. Guess your fuel is free.

First principles of plumbing is that flow and pressure always move opposite one another. It takes pressure to produce flow through a pipe/fixture. The max flow that you measure with the head removed means that 100% of line pressure has to be consumed/lost by your plumbing (meter, pipes, fittings/transitions, valves, pressure reducing valve, thermostatic mixing valve, etc.) in order to produce that flow rate. Adding a head and expecting it to mimic that flow with any sort of meaningful jet (force/feel) is nonsense. The head needs backpressure, which means flow on the total fixture circuit must be reduced. Backpressure is a requirement to accelerate a stream of water per Mr. Bernoulli.

Or I guess you could install larger feed lines or a booster pump and bladder tank.

Buy a good modern 2.5 gpm head with a thoughtful pattern and you'll be used to it in a week vs your high flow speakman water dribbler 5000s.

We have 85 psi city and one of my hose bibs (1/2" pex supplied straight from 1" trunk) will supply 9.5 gpm. Meaning, the supply circuit (including 3/4" meter/main line) has 85 psi of drop at 9.5 gpm. Expecting it to do 9.5 gpm with a nozzle attached would be silly.

I can calculate the cost for fuel but its the same argument. Comfortable showers the way I like them are worth a fewhundred a yr to me while to others streaming spors vacations etc etc may be where they choose to spend extra cash. Thanks for your synapsis on the plumbing.

 

[DBMaster]

I'm a fan of this type. I cobbled together two of them, for both bathrooms, with flex hoses and pipe nipples to make them handheld. They're awesome and have outlasted any other handheld shower head I've had. I've been in the handheld camp for nearly 50 years, but could never find exactly what I wanted - so I built it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3811870672...s+mini+shower+head&sacat=0&relatedSearch=true

 

[DBMaster]

Editorial addition: The showerheads I used are 2.5 GPM. That was considered low flow about a decade ago when I got them. They do a very respectable job, with high pressure, for such a low flow. I get positive feedback from guests when they use the one in the guest bath.

 

[mr_boring]

I bought one of these style (I think its this exact one) and pulled the restrictor out. So what if my water bill goes up 5 bucks a month and I'm out 2 bucks in gas to heat said water. It's my 7 bucks, and I'll spend more than that for a nice shower that feels good to me. Sounds like some of you would give up using toilet paper to save a buck. And don't talk to me about a bidet, I know you wouldn't spend the money on one of them plus the water they use and the electricity if it's a heated bidet. I do not know how much GPM it puts out. I don't care. I get way more pressure with the restrictor removed.

EDIT: I tried it without removing the restrictor. It was, well, it was a rain showerhead. Not known for blowing off gunk like a pressure washer. It's nowhere near pressure washer now, but it has force and a YUGE pattern/spray.

 

[paulo57509]

We have Water Pic shower heads in the bathrooms. The restrictors essentially disabled the massage functions; they somehow got lost.

 

[Hohn]

Just remember that when it comes to shower heads, they are an orifice, so the higher the pressure is, the less flow.

If you want maximum flow, you don’t want the water coming out as a strong jet. Just as putting your thumb over the end of the hose raises the pressure and velocity coming out of the hose, it REDUCES the flow rate.

Max flow as at zero pressure. Max pressure it as zero flow.