Water bills sending you through the roof? Selling your home? Evaluating your home’s efficiency? Installing a new water heater? Unsatisfied with your water pressure?

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Those are all compelling reasons to learn about your household’s water flow rate.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that showers consume 1.2 trillion gallons of water every year in the United States; kitchen and bathroom faucets account for 19% of the average home’s water usage. To keep your bills low and your home environmentally friendly, take a closer look at your faucets’ and shower heads’ flow rates to learn how you can conserve and save.

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Plus (and this is the factor that matters most to many of us), some low flow shower heads just don’t deliver that must-have water pressure.

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If you’re the person whose eyes glaze over as soon as the unfamiliar terms start rolling in, don’t leave this page – this guide is for you!

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Terms to know before you read:

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GPM: gallons per minute (units in which water flow rate is measured)

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PSI: pounds per square inch (units in which water pressure is measured)

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Aerator: a simple device that restricts the flow rate on a faucet or shower head

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The answers to your most common questions and concerns are right here, simplified so that even the least handy among us can benefit.

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How much water per minute does a faucet use?

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The average faucet flow rate depends on the age of the fixture. According to federal regulations, all kitchen and bathroom faucets should have a maximum flow rate of 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm) at 60 psi (pounds per square inch) of pressure; in California and Georgia, maximum flow rates are further restricted to 2.0 gpm (California will eventually be restricted to 1.8 gpm).

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Many bathroom faucets flow at a rate of 1.5, 1.2, 1.0, or 0.8 gpm without a noticeable reduction in what most of us refer to as “water pressure.”

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Older faucets may use more water than newer fixtures and can be fitted with an aerator for conservation.

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A Guide to Water Flow Rates

QB FAQs: Pressure Balance vs. Thermostatic Showers