Water flow in modern kitchen faucets

[Stephen Tashiro]

I thought a recently installed Moen kitchen faucet had a clogged aerator because the flow seemed too weak. The aerator wasn't clogged. The apparently large spout of the faucet has a brass insert inside it that reduces the diameter of the opening to about 3/8 ths of an inch. Are there new water-saving regulations that apply to kitchen faucets ? ( the kind of kitchen faucets that don't have the sprayer at the end of the faucet.)

[Jim Becker]

It wouldn't surprise me if there is a flow restrictor in almost any faucet at this point. I can't answer about regulations, but it's plausible that they have to be manufactured that way because in many areas, water is a big concern. Personally, I remove the restrictors...

[Bill Dufour]

Last ten years or more here. been a long time since it was soemthing easy to remove or drill out. 3/8" seems big to me these days.
Bil lD.

[Kev Williams]

yeah, any hole 3/8" dia isn't restricting anything. The actual restrictor could be hiding within the aerator, or at the base of the faucet, and the hole will be only around 1/16" diameter.

And while I see the need for restrictors in showerheads and bathroom sinks, I think they're a complete nuisance in a kitchen sink. In a bathroom, the kids (and adults) will just let the water run while brushing their teeth, and why do teenagers shower until the water gets cold? Restrictors, okay. But in the kitchen, most people don't just let the kitchen faucet run at full blast, and occasionally you need to fill the sink, and that can take 15 minutes or more! If you're washing dishes the water's already getting cold before the sink is full! Either make the restrictor easily removable, or have some sort of bypass, like maybe a 2-stage spray head..?

[Lee Schierer]

All faucets with the aerators significantly restrict the flow even though it looks like a lot of water is coming out.

[Jim Koepke]

My recollection is last time a kitchen faucet was needed, the boxes at the Borg had statements printed on them that they were flow restricted to save water.

The model we purchased does this by the size of the tubing between the source and the outlet.

Search this on the internet and you will find a lot of information.

If you really want full flow from your kitchen faucet, you might want to search for older sets to rebuild.

jtk

[Mark Bolton]

There have been numerous studies over the last 30 years that "flow" is a perceived reality. Hotels have been behind a lot of the studies in that so much of it depends on the flow pattern, the visual, and the sound, and far less with how much water is actually coming out of the fixture. A faucet or a showerhead can be designed in a way that is low flow but people will think its high flow, and vice versa. As I recall most of the people in the studies that swore they could tell if it was a high or low flow fixture failed.

Perhaps a GPM test if you havent already done one.

I know we have installed a few waterfall lavatory faucets where the flow seemed pitiful but after a test they were running wide open.

[Gary Ragatz]

I looked at specs for a bunch of different "basic" (non-sprayer head) kitchen faucets on HD's web site. All of the Delta, Kohler, Glacier Bay and Pfister faucets I looked at were rated at 1.8 gpm flow rate. All of the Moens were rated at 1.5 gpm.

Building code in my area allows for flow rates > 1.8 gpm in kitchen faucets, but my understanding is that in some parts of the country, code is < 1.5 gpm.

In the kitchen, I'd prefer a higher flow rate, because most of the time, I'm filling the sink or filling a pot, and I'd like to do that quickly - I'm going to use the same amount of water, regardless of flow rate.

In the shower, on the other hand, I'm going to run the water for a more-or-less fixed amount of time, so a lower flow rate saves water. There, I think a higher-pressure spray can make up for lower water volume. I just replaced one of those "gentle rain" shower heads with a 2.5 gpm flow rate with "massage" head with a 1.8 gpm flow rate, and the new one is a big improvement.

[Bruce Page]

Last ten years or more here. been a long time since it was soemthing easy to remove or drill out. 3/8" seems big to me these days.
Bil lD.

Same here. I don't mind it with the faucets but I had to modify our shower heads so I could take a decent shower.

[Matthew Banks]

Welcome to California standards. Almost all plumbing fixtures have water saver/ restrictors now and are being built to CA specs. Most can be removed or drilled out. Remove the aerator & try to get a look up the spout (mirror or phone). Look to see if you can see a restrictor.
On your moen, if it’s what I’m picturing, chances are it’s in your aerator. At a glance this could help https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Sprin.../dp/B01MRCAYGI.
Though you might hunt for the best deal.
Good luck.

[Myk Rian]

Personally, I remove the restrictors...

So do I. Being on a well and septic, we have no need for faucets designed for municipal water systems.

[Jim Becker]

So do I. Being on a well and septic, we have no need for faucets designed for municipal water systems.

Well and septic here, too, but I remove them simply because I prefer water pressure to work with, even at the kitchen sink, not to mention in the shower.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

One of the "best" side effects of restricted flow is that it takes longer for the warm water to arrive at the sink. Still takes the same volume of water to get that warm water there so there is no savings of water in a restricted faucet. Solution to that? Instant warm water systems that use more power and cost. I think we all know who the idiots responsible for mandating this crap on the consumers are.

BTW, most of the restrictors I'm asked to remove these days are built into the valve in the faucets. Still easy enough to do but it involves taking the valve apart.

[Michael Weber]

Problem solved?

[Brian Elfert]

So do I. Being on a well and septic, we have no need for faucets designed for municipal water systems.

The whole point is conserving fresh water which is important no matter where your water comes from. I know that many people with well and septic don't care about how much water they use since they aren't paying for it. I have well and septic, but I still use water pretty ,much the same as if I had to pay for each gallon.

I have to waste a lot of water to get hot water. The water heater used to be right next to where all the pipes come together, but when I switched to a gas water heater it had to be placed 15 feet away so now hot water has to travel an extra 30 feet.