WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF: flow restrictors?

Bob · **Posted:** Tue May 27, 2008 3:20 pm

The main benefit of installing a flow restrictor or aerator is a reduction in water use and savings on your water bill.

Can you think of any other benefits?

Gemma · **Posted:** Thu May 29, 2008 7:35 pm

If you have an instantaneous hot water system you would also save on your gas bill too, wouldn't you?

aandrew · **Joined:** Fri May 30, 2008 10:53 am **Posts:** 1

There is a problem with flow restrictors on showers - if you have an instant gas hotwater system, it must have a flow of around 9 litres per minute to make it work. I had a dreadful time with hot water going cold in the middle of guests' showers, until I realised that the flow restrictor was the problem, and reluctantly had to remove the flow restrictors.

Stephen · **Joined:** Wed Jun 04, 2008 10:42 am **Posts:** 1

Instantaneous hot water systems are only more efficient below a certain level. It all depends on the amount of hot water being used and how many people are using it. For a small unit with one or two people, then they are quite efficient. Above that, then storage tanks use less energy.

Manufacturers of hot water systems provide detailed specifications with each system.

The most energy efficient Hot water systems are heat exchange, but the downside is the initial cost of the tank and system

liam.henderson · **Joined:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 12:35 pm **Posts:** 51

There are three main reasons why you might be experienceing problems (ie low water pressure or temperature fluctuations) with your low flow shower head.

1) You have an instantaneous water-heating unit or gravity-fed hot water unit which isn't delivering enough water pressure for your shower head.
2) You have a shower head with a flow rate less than 9L p/m. Heads with flow rates below 9L p/min are less suitable for the above mentioned hot-water systems.
3) Your Stop-Taps are not open wide enough therefore hot and cold water is coming in at different rates and pressures. (A stop-tap is where the water comes into your building. It controls the water flow into the building - in homes it is often located under the kitchen sink)

To help stabilize temperature fluctuations and increase water pressure:

1) Adjust your stop-taps. It appears the best setting is to make sure the hot and the cold stop-taps are both open in full.
2) Install shower heads with a flow rate of 9L p/m to improve water pressure.

Hope these ideas prove helpful.

michellejane · **Joined:** Thu Jun 17, 2010 2:21 pm **Posts:** 4

Informative discussion after read this I learned many new thing that I never know before here . I heard about this Flow restrictors, also known as trickle flow meters .

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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF: flow restrictors?

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