Flow restrictors, are designed to reduce the water flow in a shower head to 2.5 gallons per minute. State legislation requires that shower head manufacturers install a flow restrictor in shower heads. It’s intended to save people money on water and energy bills and also to preserve this precious and dwindling resource.
If you live in an area with low water pressure, though, the flow restrictor can reduce your shower to a disappointing dribble. Removing the water restrictor will improve your shower pressure to normal, but it may also increase your water bills.
The higher the shower pressure, the more additional water you’ll use but it’s not easily quantifiable. The US government calculates that a residential home uses 80-100 gallons of water per day.