If the water flow is very powerful for your shower, then it’s a very good idea to install a flow restrictor.
Understanding what it is in a shower head is very important.
It will help you ensure that you have the desired water flow, without having to deal with any problems.
Yes, you can restrict the water flow if you want, even if your shower head has a high GPM value.
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Understanding what it is
This type of device is a valve that can be used to restrict the water flow that leads to your showerhead.
It helps restrict the RO reject water flow.
It basically retains the high pressure within a dedicated RO membrane.
It creates back pressure on it, and then it controls the recovery ratio for the purifier.
In case the restrictor isn’t used, then the water pressure will be very high, and in the end that can be problematic since you’re wasting a lot of water.
The thing to note about RO membrane capacity is that it has a value found in gallons per day.
As a rule, the value of it has to be around 4 times the membrane capacity or production rating.
Is it OK to use with a lower or higher capacity?
It’s extremely important to match the restrictor capacity with the RO membrane GPD.
This helps you purify the water and avoid water wastage.
In case you use it with a higher capacity, then your RO membrane will have lower pressure and you will lose a lot of water.
The purification quality is also very low.
On the other hand, if you use a lower capacity restrictor, the RO membrane deals with early choking.
That means the membrane life is reduced, and then the purified water will have a higher TDS value.
Do you need to change it often?
You will want to replace it each time an RO membrane is replaced.
In time, the restrictor can have scale build-up, and that can become an issue as time goes by.
Addressing that properly can make a huge difference.
Yes, you do need to change it, but it’s important to work closely with a plumber.
Doing this on your own without the right tools can be problematic.
Conclusion
We recommend you understand what it is first and how it works since it can help you a lot.
For starters, it will make it easier to stick to lower GPM values required by the law.
On top of that, it can make your showering experience a lot more versatile and impressive.
In addition, it can help you prevent high water pressure, which is something a lot of people dislike.
Sure, it might malfunction or accumulate unwanted compounds in time, and that’s why you want to clean it up or even replace it once every few years.
Always check it and see how it works, since proper maintenance can help it stay running for the long term.
Last Updated on May 17, 2021 by Kaalimbar Vazentini
