What is the average flow rate of shower water?

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In the United States, new shower heads are limited to 2.2 Gallons Per Minute (8.33 Liters Per Minute). The applicable law went into effect in 1992, so older heads might use more. Low-Flow heads also will use less.



An average flow rate cannot be determined as there are many different shower heads and each house in every country has different water pressure and not everyone may use full pressure when taking a shower. In California water lines are tested by filling all pipes with compressed air at 15 psi for 15 min. If it holds then you pass inspection and the plumbing is said to be sound. So we can assume an average pressure is around 15 psi before the shower head. What happens to it after is up to the type of shower head you have. This Question can be answered for a home by placing a water tight seal around your shower head and attaching a water pressure gauge which should be available at a local commercial plumbing store. It is important to note that it is not the same gauge used to test the line when using compressed air.

This answer is terrible, for one thing residential water pressure typically ranges from 40 to 70 psi. Flow rates on residential plumbing are typically measured in gallons per minute(gpm).

First answer by ID1272148117. Last edit by HeavyD14. Contributor trust: 1 [recommend contributorrecommended]. Question popularity: 23 [recommend question].