Shower Head Flow Limiting Washer

thingiverse

We reside in a dwelling with truly exceptional water pressure. Recently, we replaced our shower head with one that permitted an alarming amount of water to flow through, rendering it extremely painful to stand under the shower's intense stream. Our shower water valve, however, fails to control the flow rate, prompting me to design and install this ingenious flow limiting washer to drastically reduce the pressure to a tolerable level. It boasts a conveniently sized slot for a slender screwdriver and features threading designed to be securely screwed into the back of the shower head. As seen in the final photograph illustrating the installation process, one simply screws it into place while employing a screwdriver (visible within the image). I produced my model using PLA. For those who are concerned that the intense heat from their water heater may distort the part, rest assured that ABS is an alternative option; still, I strongly believe that at 120F (48C), PLA should pose no difficulties whatsoever. The model was printed with an extremely thin layer thickness of .1mm, accompanied by a generous infill level of 25%, four perimeter layers, and judiciously omitted support structures to guarantee maximum stability and performance.