Home > Residential > Lower Your Bill > Want to Learn More? > Low Flow Showerheads

Don't confuse a high pressure/low-flow showerhead with a flow restrictor. A low-flow showerhead is designed to deliver fewer gallons of water per minute but with the same pressure as a traditional showerhead. Your showers will be as good as those with your current showerhead. A flow restrictor, on the other hand, simply cuts back the flow without compensating for pressure. Quite often, inserting a flow restrictor cuts down on water use but results in an unsatisfactory shower.

If you are not sure whether you have a low-flow or water restrictor showerhead you may do the following,

• Unscrew the showerhead from the pipe and look inside. If there is a round plastic disk with small holes, you have a flow restrictor.
• Place a container under the shower and let the water flow into it for 10 seconds. To find out how much water flows from your shower in one minute, multiply the amount of water in the container by six.

It is recommended that only 2.5 gallons of water flow from your shower each minute.

A high pressure/low-flow showerhead will give you a better shower and save you more energy and water.

• Traditional Shower: 70 gallons of water
• Low-Flow Shower: 30 gallons of water
• SAVINGS: 40 gallons of water per shower PLUS your water heating costs for 20 gallons of water

Look for high pressure/low-flow showerheads that contain a shut-off valve. This lets you turn off the water flow while soaping without having to readjust the temperature.

High pressure/low-flow showerheads come in various shapes and sizes and they are easy to install and remove.

Installation
Tools needed for insulation:

• Washcloth or Nonabrasive Cloth to Protect the Chrome Finish
• Adjustable Wrench
• Teflon Tape