The average American shower uses 17.2 gallons (65.1 liters) and lasts for 8.2 minutes at average flow rate of 2.1 gallons per minute (gpm) (7.9 lpm)." Based on data like this, states like California, Colorado and New York have recently changed the Maximum Flow Rate from 2.5 GPM to 1.8 GPM!
Absolutely. Many low-flow shower heads still deliver a powerful, satisfying shower even with a reduced flow rate. If you're looking for a better showering experience that also helps you save water, we recommend checking out the 1.8-GPM shower head model from hai.
A low-flow 1.8 GPM shower head uses 1.8 gallons of water each minute. That's only 18 gallons for a 10-minute shower.
Standard shower heads use 2.5 gpm, but to earn the WaterSense label, a product must use no more than 2 gpm and still meet strict performance requirements.
GPM means Gallons Per Minute. Also known as “flow rate”, GPM is a measure of how many gallons of water flow out of your shower head each minute. Since 1992, a maximum of 2.5 GPM is the federally mandated flow rate for new shower heads. This means no more than 2.5 gallons of water should flow out each minute.
When it comes to Shower Heads, you'll typically find 2.5 GPM, 2.0 GPM, 1.8 GPM and 1.5 GPM. If you're looking for the most pressure, go for the 2.5 GPM Flow Rate, unless you are restricted because you reside in California, Colorado or New York. Again, this has been the Maximum Flow Rate since 1992.
1.8 GPM means 1.8 gallons of water and so on. Typical household water pressure in the US is between 50 psi~ 80 psi, therefore often times the actual flow rate out of the shower head would be less than the flow rate rating because they are rated at 80 psi and your house setting is likely not.
That's a common misconception. A lower flow rate does not mean that your shower will have less pressure. Water flow (gpm) refers to how much water is coming out, not how fast or how hard it's coming out.
A low-flow shower head is commonly regarded as a shower head that has flow rates lower than 1.5 gpm. The standard way to measure shower head flow rate is to measure at 80 psi in coming pressure so we can compare between different brands and models.
But when it comes to upgrading your shower routine to make it feel a bit more special, think beyond just the products you're using — like changing out the hardware in the shower itself. Swapping out a run-of-the-mill shower head can make a huge difference when it comes to your time spent under the spray.
Switching to a 2.0 GPM shower head saves more than 1,825 gallons of water and $25 per year in water and energy costs. Those numbers jump to 7,300 gallons and $100 in savings for a family of four. Know the Features. A lower flow rate doesn't have to mean wimpy showers.
While it is possible to remove flow restrictors from shower heads, we strongly advise against it for several reasons. Flow restrictors for faucets are an integral part of most aerators and it is generally not possible or desirable to remove them.
Many modern shower heads are designed specifically to increase the pressure of the water coming out of the showerhead itself. So, while they can't increase the actual water pressure of the home, they do improve the showering experience.
Benefits: Low flow shower heads can decrease water consumption by 40% or more! This not only conserves water, but it cuts down on your monthly water bill providing significant end-of-year savings. Showers take energy to heat the water, thus cutting down on water usage also cuts down on energy usage.
The best low-flow showerheads: our top picks. High Sierra All Metal 1.5 GPM High Efficiency Low Flow Showerhead. Bricor UltraMax. Signature Hardware Lambert Rainfall Shower Head. Bricor Rain$aver®
If your showerhead is labeled 2.5 GPM or less, you have a low-flow showerhead. Any showerhead labeled 2.6 GPM or above is a high-flow showerhead. If your showerhead doesn't have a label, try this trick to determine the flow rate. Place a bucket or container with a 1-gallon marker under the showerhead.
Higher GPM will help you get the job done faster. For most homeowners, identifying your ideal PSI (whether low or high) is a good start. Once you have the PSI you need, then look for higher GPM numbers to get better efficiency.
The Water Well Board suggests that a minimum water supply capacity for domestic internal household use should be at least 600 gallons of water within a two-hour period once each day. This is equivalent to a flow rate of 5 gallons per minute (gpm) for two hours.
Unfortunately, there is no firm definition of low-flow, but it's generally accepted that anything using 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) or less is considered “ultra low flow,” while anything using 2.5 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per minute is considered “low flow.” Nowadays, thanks to standards set by the government ...
Current rules, established in 1994 at the federal level, allow a maximum flow of 2.5 gallons per minute from a shower head. Effective next July, the limit will fall to 2.0 gallons per minute and will be reduced again in July 2018, to 1.8 gallons, giving California the toughest standard of any U.S. state.
The average flow rate for faucets is between 1.0 gpm and 2.2 gpm. In the US, the maximum flow rate for kitchen and bathroom faucets is 2.2 gpm at 60 psi. In more environmentally regulated areas, the maximum flow rates are further restricted. For example, Georgia is down to 2.0 gpm and California is at 1.8 gpm.