Allison – all High Sierra products are now available with the 1.25 gpm option. I couldn’t decide between the 1.5 and 1.25 when I bought the first shower head.

There’s a site wide sale through Monday – 20% off (LaborDay20) – just ordered the 1.25 to check it out. I think it’ll be fine.

Christopher: Yes, you do need to be careful with sizing the pipe. If you don’t have good starting pressure or if the pipe is long and has significant pressure drop, you need to increase the size. The two I wrote about in this article were short and my pressure is 60+ psi. I’ve done the kitchen pipe since then and used 3/8″ there because it’s a longer run.

Here’s what I wrote at the end of my previous article about this kind of retrofit:

Caution: Prescriptive plumbing codes don’t allow pipes as small as 1/4″ so you may need an engineer to help if you want to go that small. You need to know the flow rate required at the end of the line. To use 1/4″ PEX tubing, it should be about 1.8 gallons per minute or less. Also, if you need to run the PEX more than 25 feet, you’ll need to go to a larger size, too. To get a better handle on what you need, use this plastic pipe design calculator.

The full article is here:

A Hot Water System Retrofit for an Old House

For retrofit, I’m of the opinion that if a decent demand recirc system can be engineered and installed at a reasonable cost, it is the best solution.

I’d love to see better building code for new home construction. Better design, as you’ve mentioned, with a more centrally located DHW system overall, both in source and point of use. If an architect wants to spread it out, then code should require demand recirc.

My house was built 50 years ago with every point of use as far from the water heater as it possibly could be. Human nature… it’s just not *really* a concern until it’s a full on crisis.

For outdoor irrigation, I switched from water to tequila. Big reduction in water consumption. Although, anecdotally there has been an uptick in the volume of bird fights. I’m not sure if it’s related. More data will have to be collected.

Jim: I think the 1.25 gallon per minute model of the High Sierra showerhead must be new. When I bought mine last year, I’m pretty sure 1.5 gpm was the lowest flow rate they had. I remember hesitating about whether or not to go with the 1.8 gpm model because I didn’t know if I’d be happy with it or not, but I did buy it and it works great.

Thanks for the kind words, Jim!

Robert: I didn’t use any sealants on the PEX. They’re connected with Sharkbite push fittings. Checking sealant compatibility is always a good idea, though.

Gene: No, the flow is the same. I was getting 1.4 gallons per minute from the shower before and am getting the same now. I have lots of pressure: 60 psi and I probably could get more by adjusting the regulator. Yes, I could done both the shower and lavatory on the same run, but I would have gone to 3/8″ tubing if I had just to keep anyone from getting a cold blast in the shower if another person turned on the hot water at the lavatory.

Donald: Yes, a demand recirculation system is an excellent option, and I may do that with my house, too.

Greg: Yes, a demand recirculation system would give me nearly instant hot water, and that might be the better overall solution for my house. I had some talks with Gary Klein, and that’s what he recommended. But I wanted to do the PEX bypasses to see how much improvement I could get without adding a pump. When I gut and remodel the basement, I may redo the whole plumbing system so I have the option to go that route then.