I hear you on the overhyped “pressure boosting” claims—marketing always makes it sound like you’re getting a car wash in your bathroom. I’ve swapped out plenty of fixtures over the years, and honestly, some of those early eco models were just plain bad. But you’re right, the newer ones are a step up. I still test everything before putting it in a rental, just to avoid tenant complaints. At the end of the day, if it keeps water bills down and doesn’t annoy people, that’s a win. Sometimes you’ve gotta try a couple before finding one that actually works for your setup.
At the end of the day, if it keeps water bills down and doesn’t annoy people, that’s a win.
Yeah, I get that. I’ve seen some “eco” showerheads that barely rinse shampoo out—just not worth the complaints. Curious, do you ever run into local code issues with low-flow stuff? Some places are strict about what you can install, but others don’t seem to care. Wondering if that’s ever tripped you up.
Had a similar issue last year swapping out a toilet—local code wanted a specific low-flow model, but honestly, it barely flushed anything. Ended up replacing it twice. Some of these rules just don’t match up with real-world use, in my experience.
Yeah, I hear you on that. Those low-flow toilets can be a real pain sometimes. You said:
Some of these rules just don’t match up with real-world use, in my experience.
Couldn’t agree more. I get why the codes are there, but half the time it feels like whoever wrote them never actually had to use the stuff themselves. I’ve installed a few of those “approved” models and ended up getting calls back because they just didn’t do the job. It’s frustrating when you’re trying to do things by the book but the end result is folks having to flush two or three times anyway.
Honestly, I try to stick to code as much as possible, but if something’s not working for the homeowner, I’ll look for alternatives that still meet the requirements but actually function. Sometimes you gotta get creative within the rules. Not everything that looks good on paper works out in real life, that’s for sure.
I hear you about the codes. I’ve had a few jobs where I followed every rule, but the “approved” low-flow toilet just couldn’t handle a normal load. Like you said,
I always double-check for leaks and make sure the install is safe, but sometimes you have to tweak things a bit to get it working right. Safety first, but practicality matters too.“Not everything that looks good on paper works out in real life.”
