increase shower water pressure

[patperry2766]

I had to replace the shower hose and I noticed that the connection for the water faucet only had a small hole to let water pass. The faucet has never had great pressure, so I was wondering if I could drill out a larger hole, if that would allow more water to pass, thus increasing the pressure?

[anaro]

Oxygenics shower head gave us great pressure and was a very easy relatively inexpensive mod. Most come with a water switch off valve but older models didn't so we added one of those from home depot. Oxygenics is designed to give higher pressure while using less water give it a try before drilling anything.

[Aluminum_Siding]

enblethen wrote:
The small disk is a flow restrictor. Designed so you use less water. I would take it out! Don't bother trying to drill larger hole.

X2. I do the same. I put it back in when dry camping however.

[patperry2766]

I agree with the part of restricting flow to create more pressure, but in addition to increasing pressure that way, wont adequate water volume help as well?

The way I see it, they are both dependent on each other to work at maximum effectiveness.

[Huntindog]

Part of the reason you are getting so many different responses is that the problem varies from one TT to the next.

I'm on my third TT now.
I have solved this problem on all of them, but the solution wasn't the same for all of them.
The restriction can be in one spot, such as the one you are questioning, or in several spots. The TT I have now had very small passages molded into the fixture. I had to carefully drill them out to fix it. It also had the disc in the shower head.

So start with the easy one. The one you are asking about. If that doesn't fix it, keep looking until you find it.

[wanderingbob]

If you put your finger half over a flowing hose you will increase the pressure , do you think you also increase volume , no .
More volume might feel like more pressure but it is still only more volume .
A firetruck using tank capacity only will increase the pressure to make the water last longer , friction and pressure are your friend .

[stus__family]

I have replaced the shower head with an Oxygenics unit, removed the restrictor, keep the hot water tank on both gas and electric and use only 5/8” not ½” hose at the supply hook up outside. We have a six gallon tank in our Rockwood and with the tank on both electric and gas have been able to take lengthy comfortable showers without running out of hot water.

[patperry2766]

It's mainly the outside showerhead that I have issues with. I replaced the inside showerhead with the Oxygenics, and moved the old one to the outside...mainly because I broke the outside one and needed to replace it anyway.

I have noticed when I use a outside water hose, if I go from a 1/2 dia to a 3/4 dia hose, I have more volume and the water will shoot farther from the nozzle. Shouldn't this reasoning hold true with a showerhead, or will a smaller diameter nozzle opening increase the spray strength irregardless of water flow?

[lbrjet]

That's exactly what I did: drilled my hole bigger using a 1/8th inch bit. Increased water flow dramatically and have not felt the need to spend money on a new shower head.

[wmoses]

patperry2766 wrote:
I replaced the shower head in the bathroom with a Oxygenics but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. Doesn't more volume beget more pressure to a certain extent?

I think that the Oxygenics shower head is the answer to your question. It is an automatic upgrade for any RV I get. I got mine even before picking up my current RV and made the installation the first setup afterwards. I also installed them in my house after using it in the previous RV.

Pressure is force per unit area so increasing the hole diameter downstream of the water pressure regulator will result in a loss of pressure at the shower head.

[seaeagle2]

I'm new to RV's but I've worked in HVAC for 26 years, I'm assuming you have a 6 gallon hot water tank. In a house those restrictors cut the flow down to 2 to 3 gallons a minute, I don't know what they cut it down to in an RV, but with 6 gallon water heater, (80% is useable) you're going to run out of hot water fairly quick with the flow restrictor, and amazingly fast without it.

[jauguston]

If your shower head is mounted on a flex hose you will find that hose also has a very small diameter.

[fla-gypsy]

If you can get more volume upstream of the shower head you will get more pressure at the shower head. If you increase volume by removing flow restrictors at the shower head you may not get a pressure increase. Are you using a pressure regulator? What pressure is it set at if you are?

[patperry2766]

I replaced the shower head in the bathroom with a Oxygenics but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. Doesn't more volume beget more pressure to a certain extent?

[wanderingbob]

A larger hole will increase volume not pressure . Is more water what you want or higher pressure ?