1951 Shower Head - Funny Story

December 18, 2017, 12:50 PM

We are still settling in and unpacking and trying to live while also chasing a VERY active 3 year old around and a clingy 7 month old in this new house.

We've been taking showers in the pristine master bath and the circa 1951 Soviet TANK of a shower head really throws the water out. In fact it was throwing out SO much water that the brand-new 50 gallon water heater we had put in could not keep up! About 3/4 of the way through a shower it would start to go lukewarm and then cold if you stayed too long.

I went and got a 1.75 GPM shower head and all is well again. I wonder how they dealt with this in the past?

December 18, 2017, 12:56 PM

Whitks

I remember those shower heads when I was a kid, but most of the time the shower had adjustable hot & cold valves, and you never ran them full-out. Ours would strip paint when turned full-on!

December 18, 2017, 01:02 PM

roarindan

quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
We are still settling in and unpacking and trying to live while also chasing a VERY active 3 year old around and a clingy 7 month old in this new house.

We've been taking showers in the pristine master bath and the circa 1951 Soviet TANK of a shower head really throws the water out. In fact it was throwing out SO much water that the brand-new 50 gallon water heater we had put in could not keep up! About 3/4 of the way through a shower it would start to go lukewarm and then cold if you stayed too long.

I went and got a 1.75 GPM shower head and all is well again. I wonder how they dealt with this in the past?

"water rations"... water on get wet.. water off... lather up... water on... rinse.

December 18, 2017, 01:11 PM

sigfreund

quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
I wonder how they dealt with this in the past?

I believe that taking half-hour showers was pretty much unknown in the 1950s. In thinking back to my family’s habits and practices, I can only shake my head in wonder when I read about what Americans commonly do today. How would they have coped with the places we lived that didn’t even have showers?

December 18, 2017, 02:20 PM

PASig

I think it was mostly baths in the 1950's too, wasn't it? Showering seems to be a much more recent thing as far as bathing goes.

December 18, 2017, 02:26 PM

old rugged cross

I would of kept it vs put a chinese deal in it. Maybe put a flow regulator in the line?

December 18, 2017, 02:27 PM

Woodman

quote:
Originally posted by PASig: I wonder how they dealt with this in the past?

That shower head is an early form of birth control. Ma went in first, used up all the hot water, pa showered after ma.

Seven gallon per flush toilets are collectors items. They have have my 3.5 gallon flush turd cutter when they drag by carcass from this house.

Bush #1 signed the water conservation stuff into law in the '90s, but other countries had been doing it for much longer.

December 18, 2017, 02:54 PM

Gustofer

If you're looking to get rid of it, I'll take it off your hands. I much prefer taking showers in a waterfall vs. the mist that comes out of most shower heads nowadays.

December 18, 2017, 04:15 PM

Vanwall

Seinfeld episode. The shower head

Kramer and Newman scheme to buy black market shower heads when the building switches to low-flow ones.

December 18, 2017, 04:16 PM

cparktd

quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
I wonder how they dealt with this in the past?

Like I have stated here before in other threads...
Water heaters used to come set to a higher temperature so you had to dial back the hot and dial up the cold. (if you have an automatic control it does this for you) You used a MUCH less percentage of hot water vs cold per minute. Your shower could be much longer.

Now, for safety reasons (especially small kids and the elderly) and the resulting liability concerns of the manufacturers, plus the energy savings of less heat loss from the tank, they come set where they are just what I would call warm not hot. Some even come with non adjustable thermostats now.

December 18, 2017, 05:25 PM

1flynDO

I will buy that off you if you want to get rid of it

December 18, 2017, 07:08 PM

cas

They dealt with it by taking a shower. Getting in, washing and getting out. Not taking the half hour, forty five minute (and more) spa treatment modern papered people have turned it into.

December 18, 2017, 07:30 PM

ElToro

quote:
Originally posted by cas:
They dealt with it by taking a shower. Getting in, washing and getting out. Not taking the half hour, forty five minute (and more) spa treatment modern papered people have turned it into.

So you know my wife ? She can take a 1 hour+ shower. Water running entire time. I like to get in and get out. I do admit I have removed the flow restriction on my shower head becuse i like a fire hose, not a squirt gun.

December 19, 2017, 10:22 PM

jimmy123x

Just buy a delta and unscrew the water restrictor and they flow a ton of water. All it takes is a phillips screwdriver and 10 seconds.

December 19, 2017, 10:43 PM

preten2b

Most of the water heaters are set up at lowest setting. Here, now that its cold again that means you'll use more volume of the hot.

You can improve the supply of your hot water by turning up the thermostats by 1/3 to 1/2 way up, and need less of it per minute. Not a good idea to use hottest setting.

I'm gonna turn mine back down when the water coming into the house gets warmer in the spring.

December 19, 2017, 11:12 PM

ensigmatic

quote:
Originally posted by roarindan:
"water rations"... water on get wet.. water off... lather up... water on... rinse.

To heck with "rationing." That just makes sense. Why people leave water running while they're not actually using water is a mystery to me.

"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher

December 19, 2017, 11:25 PM

jimmy123x

quote:
Originally posted by Woodman:
quote:
Originally posted by PASig: I wonder how they dealt with this in the past?

That shower head is an early form of birth control. Ma went in first, used up all the hot water, pa showered after ma.

Seven gallon per flush toilets are collectors items. They have have my 3.5 gallon flush turd cutter when they drag by carcass from this house.

Bush #1 signed the water conservation stuff into law in the '90s, but other countries had been doing it for much longer.

Ummmm why? I have a 1.6 GPF Kohler toilet that is both comfort height and elongated bowl, and I am confident it would flush a 5lb sack of potatoes down the drain if you put it in there.

December 19, 2017, 11:34 PM

Green Highlander

quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
I wonder how they dealt with this in the past?

Try showering with a partner. Cuts down on water usage.

"You know, Scotland has its own martial arts. Yeah, it's called Fuck You. It's mostly just head butting and then kicking people when they're on the ground." - Charlie MacKenzie (Mike Myers in "So I Married an Axe Murderer")

December 20, 2017, 07:58 AM

ensigmatic

quote:
Originally posted by Green Highlander:
quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
I wonder how they dealt with this in the past?

Try showering with a partner. Cuts down on water usage.

Then you're doing it wrong

December 20, 2017, 08:38 AM

BurtonRW

quote:
Originally posted by cparktd:
Some even come with non adjustable thermostats now.

The hell you say! I'll be damned if I'm not going to have the option of setting my tank to scalding.

What communist crap is this?!

-Rob