I’ve noticed that there aren’t too many instructions posted about how to measure water pressure for a shower, so I’ll quote the instructions that I received from Bricor .

“You can get your own inexpensive water gauge to make the measurement yourself by going to an Ace Hardware or Home Depot and simply tell them that you want a gauge that you can screw down onto the shower pipe in your shower stall, after you have removed your existing showerhead and put the gauge on the pipe in it’s place. When you turn on the water with the gauge in place, no water will come out, but the gauge will then give you a psi readout.”

I ended up with a water pressure gauge used to measure pressure in garden hoses and the like. Unfortunately, my local Home Depot did not have the adaptor that would convert this gauge to fit a shower arm. I ended up at a plumbing supply store (the kind that caters to plumbers) where I picked up the gauge and the adapter. You might call ahead to determine if your local store has the necessary parts.

After that, measuring the water pressure is exactly as described in the Bricor instructions.

http://www.water-energy-savings.com/shower-heads.html

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The Hot Water Lobster was developed and is manufactured in the United States. The Lobster is designed according to strict manufacturing standards to ensure easy installation and long maintenance free operation.

Check it out at:
http://www.hotwaterlobster.com

1) The comparison with Oxgenics at this blog site
2) Bricor offered a wide range of showerheads with different flow rates including some as low as 0.5 gpm
3) They match their showerhead to the water pressure in your shower.

That third point is the reason why I speculate that some low-flow showerheads produce an “annoying mist” as I read on other blogs.

I contacted the company. Response was prompt and efficient. They only sell directly to the public.
I received instructions on how to measure the water pressure in my shower. It seemed to be a step that no other showerhead manufacturer required but I went ahead. I was quite glad I did despite the extra investment in purchasing a water pressure meter (about $16). Turns out the pressure was 30 psi. Apparently, 45 psi is considered low and performance is heavily affected. Since, I am trying to conserve water, I’d enquired about the 0.5 gpm model but the Bricor engineering department advised firmly against this. I was quoted a price of $69.95 for the Bricor 100 SuperMax with a 1.25 gpm. Other Bricor showerheads were similarly priced but not recommended for me.

Given my abnormally low water pressure, I decided to go ahead with the Bricor in spite of the high price. The other showerheads may not have been engineered to perform at pressure so far from normal. There is no obvious indication on the packaging or the websites from other manufacturers that water pressure should be matched to showerheads.

The Bricor 100 SuperMax arrived right on time and was trivially easy to install. There is no on/off soap up button but there is a lever used to control the spray pattern and force. I chose the chrome version. There is a brass colored version as well.

My old showerhead is the Water Pik. From the looks of it, it may be an original Water Pik. Because of the low water pressure, this Water Pik was operating at 2.5 gpm.

By comparison, the Bricor has the same shower “feel’ as the Water Pik. The spray pattern covers similar area and seems to hit with similar force. My shoulder-length hair wets down and rinses off in the same amount of time. Since, I’m already taking 6 minute showers, I think that’s pretty efficient rinsing.

Please note the Bricor and the Water Pik both have a very “soft” spray because of the low water pressure at my place. I’ve used water piks with higher pressures and they are much more vigorous. Apparently, no amount of engineering can convert wimpy water pressure into something a little peppier.

This is an aerating showerhead and I did notice the lower water temperature. I had to increase the hot water just a tad to compensate.

The noise level is about the same as the Water Pik.

The price is high. I don’t think I would have gone ahead if I hadn’t already been suspicious about the abnormally low water pressure.

The B100MAX is $37.95 for one unit (100+= $34.95).

The B150CH-E Elite is $44.95 for one unit ($39.95= 100+).

Hand Held units are $49.95