Legislation on Faucet Flow Capacity? :drip drip drip:

[John17three]

hey everybody (non-members included)!

Found an interesting article on a boating website. I'll paste it below:

I just bought and installed a new kitchen sink and taps. Buying taps was always about the brand the model, but not so much any more. There is now more to this game and the rules are starting to get ugly!!!

I just got off the phone with Moen because I am not happy with the performance of the new taps the Misses picked out - Moen Solidad 87559

City folks have the luxury of city water and city water pressure, but we country folk that have only well pump pressure are in for a rude awakening!!! When I lived in the city I had 80 psi to the house on a new ¾” copper service with ¾” running to pretty much everything….I had a ton of pressure and a whole lot of volume! So it was a big adjustment moving to the country and having about 35 psi running through ½” copper.

Now for the kicker: So I have just learned legislation is putting demands on faucet manufactures to have their taps use less and less water. This legislation doesn't care if you live in the country or city. These forced changes are going to affect you, me and everyone else.

The taps I just replaced where Moen and worked very well - no complaints what so ever. With the new taps I just put in there is basically no water pressure at all coming out of the taps! And hence that is why I called Moen and why I am telling you guys about this.

Without some digging I have no clue what the gallons per minute (gpm) specs are on my old taps, I can only guess. My new taps are rated at 2.2 US gallons per minute @ 60 psi and by the way the new taps work I would say my old taps were probably about 4 to 5 US gpm @ 60 psi.

Now for the real kicker: Supposedly by the year 2014 or 2015 manufactures will be forced to cut the 2.2 US gpm @ 60 psi rating down to 1.5 US gpm @ 60 psi. and if that doesn’t spell disaster for everyone especially the county dweller there is talk of by the year 2019 manufactures will be forced to produce numbers in the .5 US gpm @ 60 psi. range. ~

Right now with my new taps running at 2.2 US gpm @ 60 psi it takes my well system 6 minutes to fill my kitchen sink. ~ ~ In the near future governments will be telling me I'll have to wait closer to 30 minutes to fill my kitchen sink…… this really blows my mind!!!!!!!!! The water will be cold long before the time it takes to fill the sink!!!!!!!!

Earlier tonight I told the Misses to get use to the idea this new set of taps we just purchased will be the last new set of taps you will ever own!


I think I have figured out how to undo Moen’s fancy engineering on my new taps and send the 2.2 number way up, but I won’t know until I talk with a buddy of mine tomorrow if he can make the adjustments I would like to do? I am not the type to let manufacturing get the best of me; if they can build it I can fix it and make it better...they will not force me into a small hole so easily. Oh, and I will be upgrading my ½” copper to 3/4'” to boost what I get at all outlets!

Side bar footnote #1: Maybe the way to beat the system today and in the future is to purchase taps outside our country from markets that do not have ceiling caps? Personally I don’t care if I have to bring taps in from Germany or some other country in the future if I can get around the 1.5 or.5 numbers.

Side bar footnote #2 - TIP: If you buy a new stainless steel sink and you want to upgrade it without costing a pretty penny; but automotive stone chip guard (for rocker panels) and spray it on the underside of your new sink before you install it. The stone guard will act like a sound deadener and your sink will sound like you paid a fortune for it! ~ You could also spray the stone guard on existing sinks if you taped and papered the area off. Another side benefit to spraying the stone guard on is the sink will hold the warmth of the water especially if you spray the stone guard up the sides of the sink. Parents still wash babies in the kitchen sink don't they? ... ~

[LogHomeFeverDan]

Nice info!! I'm thinking CL faucets might get real attractive!!

[loghousenut]

I don't think I'd like the low flow fixtures but what keeps your well pump from putting out 60 lbs.? I've got mine governed at about 45 lbs but I'm supposing it would adjust up.

[rocklock]

There is a spring (in that little black box) that can be tightened to adjust the pressure... I tried it once. Just a 1/4 turn makes a difference... I bet rod knows all about this stuff... Mine turn on the pump at 42 and turns it off at 68 psi...

Thanks for the tip...

[Timberwolf]

I don't think I'd like the low flow fixtures but what keeps your well pump from putting out 60 lbs.? I've got mine governed at about 45 lbs but I'm supposing it would adjust up.

Well installer set my pressure tank at 60psi. Nearly stands the hose on end.

Also, doesn't RESTRICTING the flow at the faucet up the pressure. Rod I believe did a thread on this, how 3/8 pex was actually much more efficient and better than 3/4 copper.

[StressMan79]

Indeed, the 3/8 pipe has ~1/4 the volume of 3/4 pipe, so you don't have to heat gallons and gallons en route to your faucet... Of note, I bought a showerhead a few years back, and it had a restrictor in it. I just dug out the restrictor, and whammo, no restriction on flow rate. The manufacturers won't change the dimensions of their parts, that costs too much. They'll just add a restrictor to get the desired (mandated) flow.

oh, and restricting ups the pressure TO the faucet. it does this at the cost of flow.

on a side note, there is no point in upsizing the pipes if there is still a large resistor in the faucet itself. I think Rod was saying that smaller pipe can still provide all the flow required (desired) with a much smaller required (latent) volume.

-Peter

[rreidnauer]

Yes, for hot water lines, smaller can be better because it's less cold water to move ahead of the water heater to the faucet.

Second, yes the pressure of your well can be increased. But at some point, you will begin loosing gpm's for additional psi. The wired small box at your pressure tank has two adjustments. One is max pressure, the other is differential pressure between pump on and pump off. If you don't have a manual to make the adjustments, have a plumber do it.

Third, most if not all faucets contain the flow restrictor directly behind the aerator. Unscrew the aerator and remove the restictor. (a disc with 6 to 8 tiny little holes in it, which btw, tend to get clogged with small fines pulled up from the well)

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[John W]

I had the same thing with a showerhead bought a couple years ago. It said the flow restrictor could be 'removed for cleaning'. You could almost see them going, 'wink, wink'.