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Low-pressured shower blues

I just replaced my shurflow water pump, and am on the 3rd new 'latest and greatest' shower head, and I still cannot get a decent flow from my shower.  Water flow at both sink faucets is pretty good.  Any suggestions?
Thanks, Mike

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #1 –
Check the shower head itself, they will usually hide a restrictor inside to meet low flow requirements. If you can't remove, just drill it out. Also try flow with head off to verify problem is not in piping to the head.

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Yetch –
I just replaced my shurflow water pump, and am on the 3rd new 'latest and greatest' shower head, and I still cannot get a decent flow from my shower.  Water flow at both sink faucets is pretty good.  Any suggestions?
Thanks, Mike


My hot side has much less flow.

According to the aquahot gurus here your and my coach have lime or such built up in the coils around the tank in the system.

Seems a five gallon bucket of vinegar and some plumbing hookups and a pump can circulate the vinegar for about an hour and remove the deposits. 

There was a post about the fix.  Rudy?

If your hot and cold are the same maybe the manifold has crud built up in it.  Pull one of the lower hot side lines from the manifold and see if you have a buildup in there.  Mine does/did.

My drains were plugged with stuff also.

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #3 –
Take all hose parts apart, look for screens, these get crudded up.  Clean or replace. If you have a manifold make sure the valves are open all the way.

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #4 –
 a while ago I posted this.
To get a better flow take the head of spray apart at the hose and you will see a little plastic part under the O ring or seal. Just pull the part with small hole out with nosed pliers or ? and leave that bit out. You will be surprised at the difference in flow.
JohnH

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #5 –
If the easy fixes don't help, you may have to take the shower faucet apart and clean it as it can become blocked with mineral deposits.

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #6 –
A new hose and adapter made my shower everything I expected.  (This was after, as you have done also: new pumps and shower heads and the removal of restrictions.

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #7 –
To diagnose, remove hose and see what comes out with no hose and shower head.

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #8 –
Thanks for all of the suggestions.  Starting on the troubleshooting this morning.
Mike

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Yetch –
Thanks for all of the suggestions.  Starting on the troubleshooting this morning.
Mike

Ours is only five numbers different so any info is helpful.

Why I think the vinegar and/or manifold is that my hot flow is less at all the outlets.  Is yours?

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #10 –
Maybe a little less, but not all that remarkable.  Opened the cover on the manifold, and also inspected the hoses/plastic pipe going to  shower valve (corner cabinet in bedroom).  All looked good with no visible buildup or obstructions.  I did remove the little restricter in the shower head, and this did improve the flow somewhat, and it is an improvement, thanks for that sugestion.  I guess I just have to accept that the shower is an RV shower, and I am not going to get the kind of flow while at home.  I prefer to use my own water while 'on the road', because I know the quality is good; also using a Berkey for drinking water and cooking from my own reserve.  Generally using about 11 gallons per day.  While I am now full timing part time (every other week), I do look foreward to that first shower at home.
Mike

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #11 –
Which Shurflo pump did you use? The Shurflo 4048 high volume pump might provide the shower flow you're looking for.

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #12 –
I recently posted on a subject related to the Aquahot unit and how to maintain it properly . Every one thinks that by changing the fuel nozzle[ and filter ,and some other checks you are done .
Well I have news for you , The AH unit is probable the hardest working appliance on board .
Heating water causes precipitated minerals to settle faster and in larger quantities. As the water is heated, it becomes lighter and less dense. The naturally occurring solids, although not visible to the eye, will settle at a faster rate. The result is sediment collecting at the bottom of the tank. Routine draining maintenance will help reduce the collection of sediment. If a homeowner does not periodically drain and flush the tank, the sediment will harden on the bottom the tank. The result is a clogged drain valve and reduced efficiency of the heater, especially in gas water heaters.
Hot water is more corrosive than cold water. Water is a universal solvent and will naturally corrode (or dissolve) most materials. This corrosion is nothing more than a chemical reaction (steel + water + oxygen = rust). Chemical reactions are usually accelerated with the application of heat. This is also true of corrosion reactions in hot water. The rate of corrosion approximately doubles from 140° F to 160° F; and doubles again from 160° F to 180° F.

So here is what you do to rectify the problem
Each AH unit has a hot and cold connection , break those and install temp fittings , get a 5 gallon bucket a circulating pump fill the bucket with 5 gallons of food grade vinegar and flush the AH for about 1 hour that will take care of the sediment build up inside the AH
Now the next step .
go to you Manabloc remove the , in this case hot shower valve , install temp fitting attach to a garden hose and bring it back to your 5 gallon bucket, and start flushing again.
I would suggest after flushing to replace the old Manabloc valve with a new one
Repeat this step for all you HOT water system
Your AH system will love you for it And so will you next time you shower
And that is today's lesson on Maintaining you AH

Rob

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #13 –
Quote from: redwing –
I recently posted on a subject related to the Aquahot unit and how to maintain it properly . Every one thinks that by changing the fuel nozzle[ and filter ,and some other checks you are done .
Well I have news for you , The AH unit is probable the hardest working appliance on board .
Heating water causes precipitated minerals to settle faster and in larger quantities. As the water is heated, it becomes lighter and less dense. The naturally occurring solids, although not visible to the eye, will settle at a faster rate. The result is sediment collecting at the bottom of the tank. Routine draining maintenance will help reduce the collection of sediment. If a homeowner does not periodically drain and flush the tank, the sediment will harden on the bottom the tank. The result is a clogged drain valve and reduced efficiency of the heater, especially in gas water heaters.
Hot water is more corrosive than cold water. Water is a universal solvent and will naturally corrode (or dissolve) most materials. This corrosion is nothing more than a chemical reaction (steel + water + oxygen = rust). Chemical reactions are usually accelerated with the application of heat. This is also true of corrosion reactions in hot water. The rate of corrosion approximately doubles from 140° F to 160° F; and doubles again from 160° F to 180° F.

So here is what you do to rectify the problem
Each AH unit has a hot and cold connection , break those and install temp fittings , get a 5 gallon bucket a circulating pump fill the bucket with 5 gallons of food grade vinegar and flush the AH for about 1 hour that will take care of the sediment build up inside the AH
Now the next step .
go to you Manabloc remove the , in this case hot shower valve , install temp fitting attach to a garden hose and bring it back to your 5 gallon bucket, and start flushing again.
I would suggest after flushing to replace the old Manabloc valve with a new one
Repeat this step for all you HOT water system
Your AH system will love you for it And so will you next time you shower
And that is today's lesson on Maintaining you AH

Rob
Are there different AH models that are designed different? The tank on my AH is full of EXT coolant and my water is in tubing wrapped around the  tank. Very hard to imagine sediment in this configuration>

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #14 –
You are correct in that statement as the tubing is rapt around the boiler '  But look at it from this point . The Tube is like a human artery that get's clocked after a while ,next you have inadequate flow ,because of mineral build up , Then you would need a bypass.
In this case it is much simple to rectify,  So I would start there ,and move on down the line to the next possible  area which in this case would be your Manabloc water centre .

Rob

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #15 –
Where is the hot and cold connection on the aqua hot?
 

Re: Low-pressured shower blues

Reply #16 –
redwing, you may have a good point and or recommendation. I have experienced the heads plugging up with a white substance. I use 3 filters with ultraviolet light and find it hard to believe contaminated or high mineral content is getting by them. This has left somewhat of a mystery. Is the substance sitting in the bottom of the freshwater tank? Drained and flushed and sanitized? Would not think so yet I have had to use a pin to clean the holes in the shower and kitchen sink spray heads more than 4 times in the last few months. Mary has suggested after being hooked up to "Mexican water" for six months, the lines must be full of it as a white substance appeared at the tap/hose connection After reading up on water softeners I'm not sure my filters would reduce "hard water" getting into the system. 

 My conclusion has to come to accept your recommendation concerning the use of vinegar to clean the water lines. Thanks for relating your experience. I have noticed drain lines for cold and hot originating at the Aquahot in the fuel/propane hold, maybe I may use them and use the maniblock in the off position to create a cleansing circuit.