In case you didn't know about it, the federal government is watching your shower. No, it's not the Patriot Act, it's the water police. As Jeffrey Tucker so eloquently outlines, the federal government actually spends time and money monitoring the amount of water you use at one time.
No, there's no restrictions on how much water you can BUY, just how much you can USE at a given moment. In this article, it's the water flow through your shower head. I'm sure many of my readers know how little water you can get through today's newer shower heads.
Mr. Tucker suggests as an academic exercise removing the restrictor plate in the shower nozzle. There's no word on when the government will start searching through your trash to arrest you for having a shower head with too high a flow.
What I really loved about his article is the way American ingenuity took over -- since the regulations were per shower head, a company came up with a 3-headed shower head! Awesome.
So the federal government is going to investigate them. Yes, they could be forced at gunpoint to pay a fine for creating a water head that allows too much water through it. Who said government isn't too big and useless?
And yes, your toilet has that problem too -- that's why it clogs up all the time. I had a post somewhere about how to overclock a toilet, but I can't find it anywhere...but what I really want to know is why are businesses allowed to have toilets with just gallons and gallons of water, but lowly peons are not?
(H/T to Michelle Malkin).
I've long since cured any problems I have with low-flow shower heads. Years ago, i purchased an ultra-low flow shower head. It's approximately 1.5 inch wide and 3-4 inches long, and can be purchased for a few dollars in most Wal-Marts or hardware stores.
This baby does 1.5 gallons per minute, never runs the water heater out of hot water, and puts a scouring shower across my back that takes a few showers to get used to. Most people, upon first use, would describe the sensation as painful. It isn't pain, but it's much stronger than normal shower heads can spray.
http://www.neatitems.com/images/Jet_Shower_Heads_-_chrome_and_polished_brass.jpg
This appears to be a 2.5gpm version of the same head. Good stuff.
"but what I really want to know is why are businesses allowed to have toilets with just gallons and gallons of water, but lowly peons are not?"
That's an easy one Ogre. We only need a small amount of water for our crap to reach the street sewer line or septic tank, but it takes much more water in order for the corporate crap to reach Washington.
This is the second time I posted this comment. The first one seemed to have gotten lost in vapor lock, if it shows up, delete it. Thanks
But Lockjaw, I don't want pressure, I want VOLUME. I want tons of water just covering me. I want all the water that pipe can bring out of the ground!
ANd Tomslick, I hadn't really thought about it that way... ;)
Shower head problems... make your own.
Oh lordy... what's next? How much air we breath?
VW, are you using more than your share?
It's funny, my Dad and I were just discussing these low flow water toilets when he was in town. I have an awful time in this house with our commodes clogging (as you and I were discussing once). He said that people are constantly scouring old homes for their high water capacity commodes. I had no idea that you just couldn't 'buy' a high water commode. I'm so bummed.
I'm searching now, as I've gotten some tips recently. It's completely illegal, but the word is that you can get high-flow toilets in Canada and bring them down here. They're expensive, especially the shipping, but I'm headed up near Canada this summer, so I'm going to see if I can hop the border and grab a couple. Maybe I'll put them on eBay and see what I can get for them...