Removing water saver / restrictor from Delta shower wand.....

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ih8caulk

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This is the model.........

http://www.deltafaucet.com/bath/details/75700.html

I actually like the thing. It's got the "finger clean" rubber nozzles. Good grip. Nice levered setting changing ring. Not bad.

BUT.......

The thing pretty weak in terms of water pressure. I removed the water-saver from the base of the wand itself, but I have a feeling the hose's built-in anti-siphon end (wall end) is the culprit because removing the water saver made ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER!!!!

Any suggestions???

TIA
 

WorthFlorida

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I have noticed this in the last few years that faucets and shower heads have designed elements into them to meet water use restrictions. No Longer removing a rubber washer does the trick. I replaced my kitchen faucet and when my dad visited he asked why the pressure at the kitchen facuet seem a little low. I rebuilt my master bath with four new faucets and the shower and sinks have a little lower in pressure than the original MOEN units put in in 1990.
 

STyler

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It's becoming more and more difficult to find shower heads with removable restrictors and, as WorthFlorida pointed out, those that haven't been engineered from the start with a lower flow rate. There are plenty out there still, but they aren't the big name brands so it's tough to get reliable reviews.
 

ih8caulk

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What I find reeeally funny is that they put a restrictor in at all! I quite seriously mean it made ZERO difference. Even if (as a mass plastic molded part) those suckers only cost the mfgr a nickel, why even bother?? Save a nickel & omit 'em.

There's a fat rubber washer with the screen filter at the top, but I have a feeling teflon-tape only is not gonna keep that sucker from leaking and I still truly believe the problem is at the hose itself. The wand end is a little better than the wall end, but still as a built-in (crimped in) plastic end with holes in it and the wall end has the same but with multiple itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny holes built in. They call it the "VACUUM BREAKER" (i.e. anti-siphon)

I think I see a few drill bits in this hose end's future!!!!!!! :mad:
 

Iminaquagmire

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I just put one of those in today actually and you are correct about it having a restrictor at the hose to arm connection. I drilled a half inch hole in my two regular shower heads so I don't see why you couldn't do the same thing in the hose end. I hated to do it but I'm not going to sacrifice a decent shower to save a few gallons of water; the low flow toilets, dishwasher, and front loader do that for me.
 
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I had some of those hand shower wands in a house a few years ago (not the specific model of course.) Hated 'em. Bored 'em out, etc. but they never gave a decent shower.

I much prefer standard shower arm mounts. The wands always slipped around left and right in the holder and my wife and I were spending too much time fiddling with the stupid things to adjust to our relative heights then trying to get them to stay put left to right. Really took the joy out of showering as they wouldn't stay put. Plus they broke easily.

I use 1.5/1.6 gpm fixed showerheads now and much prefer them. I've also had some 2.5 gpm heads that I really liked, but I can't stand those handshower types.
 

Jadnashua

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Not all hand showers are created equal! Mine has a nice swivel joint between the handle and the hose, so tension on the hose doesn't try to move it around - it stays where I put it. It locks into the holder and the handle swivels L-R, and you can adjust the angle up and down, and slide the whole thing up or down on the bar. WOrks fine...your results obviously differed.

The restrictor may be there to account for variations in water pressure...it would have little effect until the pressure (and therefore the volume) increased enough to actually create some restriction that meant something. This would allow the system to function and keep the max output within specs at various water pressure inputs. SO, depending on your water pressure, you may not notice a difference if you remove it. Now, run it at say 100#, and you would.
 

j1234

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Modified

I just purchased the exact same model. Prior to installing I removed the little rubber ring washer from the handpeice that is obviously a water restricter. I then drilled a hole right through the center of the water saver (anti-siphon) in the feeder hose. I then blew air through the hose in both directions to get rid of any bits of plastic from drilling that would cloug the handpeice. The anti-siphon has 6 small square holes around the outside bottom of the molded plastic (not the round holes at the top), that now leak water like crazy. I assume this is because I broke a diaphram inside the anti-siphon while drilling. I filled these holes with a generous amount of silicone and then screwed the hose tight into the swivel adapter to allow the silicone to set. Screwing the hose to the swivel adapter provides upward pressure from the screw base forcing the silicone up tight into the holes. I'll post again tomorrow after the silicone sets with the results.
 

j1234

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Works Great

The silicone set overnight and I gave it a try this morning. It works perfectly. Great water pressure and no leaks. I did teflon tape all of the threads, which was not mentioned above.
 
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