Here’s a surprise: people hate federally mandated low-flow shower heads. And the nannies are planning to make them worse.
The quest to reduce shower-water consumption started more than a decade ago. In 1992, federal regulations capped shower-head spray for the first time. The rules said shower-heads couldn’t pump out more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute — less than half the flow that was common until then.
In response, many manufacturers took their existing shower heads and choked their flow. The typical tactic was to insert a small washer called a “flow restrictor” into the shower head. That slashed water use.
It also made for some feeble showers — a point memorialized in a 1996 episode of “Seinfeld.” After low-flow shower heads are installed in their New York apartment building, the characters can’t rinse the shampoo from their hair. After a few days of matted locks, they buy full-flow shower heads from a black-market dealer in an unmarked van.
12 Comments
November 13, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Commies tend to smell bad
They must shower weekly, not daily, to be green
November 13, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Well, I think we’re safe for a while down here. We may have low flow for sale around here but it sure isn’t for lack of water. When you can use the Mississippi River, your concerns are more about quality than quantity. When I was in old San Antone a little while back, the shower did seem kind of crummy. On a related note, a dealer in rural MS is advertising (in N.O.) that it’s the largest dealer in the world for “walk-in” tubs. I’m not sure what’s going on with that.
November 13, 2009 at 11:51 pm
The initial change to chocking off shower heads did produce some problem products. These days, the shower heads you buy are designed for the lower water requirements and are very effective.
You may not like government regulations, but they can spur innovation and change.
November 14, 2009 at 12:05 am
[...] federally mandated low-flow shower heads. And the nannies are planning to make them worse.” [For What It's Worth on this WSJ [...]
November 14, 2009 at 1:25 am
Perhaps I have found the secret to weathering the tough real estate markets, Christopher. I am cornering the market on old fashioned lightbulbs.
I have spotlights, 40 watt, 60 watt, 75 watt – all with a lovely, warm, incandscent glow. If I happen to drop one, I just get out a broom; I needn’t call 911 for some sort of remedial do-over of my home. People will come from all over the nation to purchase the bulbs I have been hoarding.
My favorite idiotic feature of all this is the fact that I’m not even sure they really save energy. When I’m in a hotel with them, I keep my lights on all the time…. I don’t like coming into my room, and having to wait 2 to 3 minutes to be able to see. I want light immediately! So – if they run all day long – they’re ready to go when I get back to my room.
Please. Someone transport me back to 1991 or thereabouts…..
November 14, 2009 at 2:13 am
So, now I’m going to be living in a cave by candle light and washing in the stream? Wonderful!
November 14, 2009 at 9:39 am
[...] hate federally mandated low-flow shower heads. And the nannies are planning to make them worse.” [For What It's Worth on this WSJ [...]
November 14, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Peg-
Your light bulbs could be objects to barter with in the near future.
November 14, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I’ll gladly give you a light bulb on Tuesday for a hamburger today.
November 14, 2009 at 3:47 pm
KC – I am counting on my GE babies to keep the wolf from the door!
November 15, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I’m still trying to figure out the need for walk-in tubs in the deep south. Maybe I misunderstood the claim or something else is going on . . . When they take away shower nozzles, I guess we’ll all have to figure out alternative bathing.
November 15, 2009 at 4:56 pm
the Russian mob and the Taliban control the opium trade out of Afghanistan.
the Mexicans and central Americans control a large and lucrative drug trade into the U.S.
who will control the future smuggling trade in illicit traditional incandescent light bulbs?
pssst…. psssst… hey buddy! want some 60 watt soft lights?
the nanny state is run by retards.