Edumacate me on these new-fangled low flow kitchen spigots

[LoneRanger]

Don't like 'em. This house we bought, my new wife and I, had a kitchen remodel done in 2015 or so, has one of the swank looking stainless steel high rise curved kitchen sink faucets with the sprayer built right into the main spigot at the end that you pull out to use. Problem is low flow when it's on full blast.

Had the master plumber we use look into it. He checked everything to make sure there were not obstructions or hard water scale build-up causing the issue, or too small of supply lines and all that. He checked and then advised it's likely just low flow model. Only way to solve the matter would be a replacement that has a higher flow rating or whatever (he rattled off some series of letters I think.... 1.8, 2.0 something like that). He wasn't trying to get the job since we'd just paid him $3800 for a shower remodel, he literally said "you probably want to swap this out yourself..."

Anyhow, what is the deal? What do we need to look for in a new swank designer look kitchen faucet that will flow a decent amount of water that you can fill a pot with normally or spray off dirty dishes with some semblance of gusto? Is there a flow rating?

 

[Rand]

some have a setting for more flow

for example mine is 1.5gpm on sprayer, 1.5 normal and 2.2gpm on power setting


normal faucets max at 1.8gpm.

the aerator part could be clogged too which will result in low flow.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

We have had a Hansgrohe Cento faucet for more than a year. Its published capability is 1.75 GPM, and does fine for us.

 

[Dave9]

Usually you just take the take the hose off and take the flow restrictor out. If it's integrated into another essential coupling piece then you just drill out the hole(s) larger.

The odd thing is that you claim a master plumber looked into this. It is very very hard to believe a master plumber would not realize this. There's really no 2 ways about it, take out the restrictions and the flow can't help but increase. Even in the most crude and basic of designs (which doesn't seem to be the case with yours since you wrote stainless, high rise, curverd, sprayer built in, etc, all you'd need to do if the head nozzles themselves were the only restriction is to shove a needle in each hole to slightly enlarge them.

However, the first thing to do is take it apart and check for mineral buildup including the nozzles.

 

[SZR48207]

 

[PimTac]

Low flow faucets are new fangled? Where have you been the past two to three decades?

 

[Skippy722]

I felt the same way about my shower head... 3 seconds with a drill and if you crank it to the message setting it actually kind of hurts lol

 

[edwardh1]

we redid our kitchen in 16, put in Moen.
Plenty of water flow, you have another problem / blockage.

 

[Bud]

First thing I do with a new faucet or shower head is remove the flow restrictor.

 

[Dinoburner]

ECO faucets, water savers etc were meant to save water in areas of short supply. Problem is people with low pressure or well systems suffer. Typical gov`t boondogle. We always drill out restrictors. IT`s humorous that plumbing supply houses demo installations with 3 or more shower heads to be used.

 

[das_peikko]

I had to buy a genuine Moen to get 2.2 GPM. It was 5 times the cost of an off brand water saver version. Buy once cry once I guess.

 

[StevieC]

When our friends moved into their new subdivision a few years back they were complaining about low water pressure and were going to buy a booster pump and a bladder tank on advise of the Home Depot guy.

I explained about the the flow restrictors for water savings and to try taking these out. Not being handy they had me come over and take them out.
I pulled them out of all their faucets and shower heads and the problem was solved.

They have ~ 60 PSI-ish water pressure at the tap so I'm not sure how high the pressure must be for these things to work with decent outflow.

 

[Cujet]

For some of us, saving water is a completely meaningless term. My well pump is a 2HP, 3 stage pump. Feeds my 6 showerheads.

The water goes right back into the ground via the drainfield on the other side of the property.

 

[ecotourist]

Originally Posted by Bud
First thing I do with a new faucet or shower head is remove the flow restrictor.

We mentioned to our plumber how good the flow was in our new showers and taps in spite of being "low flow" models. Turns out he removed the flow restrictors.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Low flow faucets are new fangled? Where have you been the past two to three decades?


Lol, +1.

I will say our Moen and Koehler items flow better than other brands.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

Drill out or remove the restrictors. There isn't any shortage. Construction never stops.

 

[billt460]

I have replaced all of my kitchen and bathroom faucets, as well as my shower heads in both bathrooms at one time or another. Some more than once. I have yet to come across one that didn't have a flow restrictor in them. All of them were as the posted photo above shows. 30 seconds with a 1/4" drill, and they come right out. Usually I've found when the drill breaks through, it grabs and yanks the whole washer completely out.

That said, they could very well have models now that regulate the flow in a way that is much more difficult, if not impossible to modify. This is just more government being shoved down our throats in the products we buy. Just like toilets. You can't find one that uses more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Because the government won't allow it. So now you have to flush twice or three times to accomplish what one flush did in the past. Or else risk clogging the bowl. Big "improvement".

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted by billt460
Because the government won't allow it. So now you have to flush twice or three times to accomplish what one flush did in the past. Or else risk clogging the bowl. Big "improvement".


I reckon that you've always had to flush more than once...

 

[LoneRanger]

Going to time filling a gallon container. Bet it takes around 1 - 2 minutes.

Yes, the plumber installed our bathroom remodel, cut out a combo tub/shower that'd been installed back when house built. They they then installed a shower only setup including re-route of drain to accomodate the new shower pan, and they had to elevate the supply outlet slightly. Had an apprentice with him. Drywall guy followed-up with drywalling the new shower in. Perhaps this plumber left the faucet inspection to the apprentice? But there were boot prints (rainy day last day of the job) around floor in front of the kitchen sink and such so I'm confident one of them was there doing something. And I was told they'd looked it over and that pressure was good at the supply under the sink and they couldn't find what might be causing it to run at a low rate as it is.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by billt460
I have replaced all of my kitchen and bathroom faucets, as well as my shower heads in both bathrooms at one time or another. Some more than once. I have yet to come across one that didn't have a flow restrictor in them. All of them were as the posted photo above shows. 30 seconds with a 1/4" drill, and they come right out. Usually I've found when the drill breaks through, it grabs and yanks the whole washer completely out.

That said, they could very well have models now that regulate the flow in a way that is much more difficult, if not impossible to modify. This is just more government being shoved down our throats in the products we buy. Just like toilets. You can't find one that uses more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Because the government won't allow it. So now you have to flush twice or three times to accomplish what one flush did in the past. Or else risk clogging the bowl. Big "improvement".




Not sure why a drill is needed. I just unscrew the nozzle cap and remove the restrictor parts.