Showerhead Water Limits Rescinded as Trump Targets Household Appliances

Key TakeawaysPresident Donald Trump signed an order removing water limits for showerheadsBoth houses of Congress, meanwhile, voted to cancel energy rules for gas tankless water heatersSome people had pushback, saying this may raise energy use and bills over time.FRIDAY, April 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — President Donald Trump signed an order this week removing limits on how much water can come out of showerheads. He said the change will help Americans enjoy better showers and joked it would “make America’s showers great again,” The Washington Post reported.Just one day later, the Senate voted 53-44 to cancel a planned energy-saving rule for gas tankless water heaters — repeating action taken earlier in the House of Representatives.Together, these moves show how Trump and congressional Republicans are pushing back on energy-efficiency standards for everyday household things.Trump has long criticized these rules, even blaming them for messing up his hair, The Post said.“I like to take a nice shower to take care of my beautiful hair,” Trump said Wednesday before signing the executive order at the White House. “I have to stand in the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet. It’s ridiculous.”In a fact sheet sent to The Post, the White House said the order “frees Americans from excessive regulations that turned a basic household item into a bureaucratic nightmare,” adding that Trump would “end the Obama-Biden war on water pressure and make America’s showers great again.”The now-canceled showerhead rule — first put in place under President Barack Obama and later brought back by President Joe Biden — said each showerhead could only use 2.5 gallons of water per minute.Trump’s earlier change in 2020 created a loophole, letting each nozzle on multi-nozzle fixtures use that amount, rather than the whole showerhead being limited.“There were some lousy showerheads back in the 1990s, but today, review after review finds there are countless models that provide a great drenching,” Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, said in a statement Wednesday.Groups like the American Gas Association, meanwhile, pushed back on energy-efficiency standards for tankless gas water heaters.The rule, set to begin in 2029, would have required these water heaters to use 13% less energy. Most units — about 60% — already meet that goal. Supporters said the rule would save households an average of $112 on energy bills and save Americans $3.1 billion overall.But makers of tankless gas water heaters, including Rinnai, pushed back. Rinnai said updating their Georgia plant to meet the new rules could cost as much as $15 million.Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) led the repeal using the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers to nullify a recent regulation with a simple majority vote. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Alabama) led the same repeal in the House. The repeal now goes to Trump for his signature.Trump’s dislike of appliance rules is nothing new. He’s also spoken out against energy standards for toilets, dishwashers and other appliances, The Post reported.“So showerheads — you take a shower, the water doesn’t come out,” Trump said at a White House event in 2020. “You want to wash your hands, the water doesn’t come out. So what do you do? You just stand there longer or you take a shower longer? Because my hair — I don’t know about you, but it has to be perfect. Perfect.”More informationThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has more on how we use water.SOURCE: The Washington Post, April 9, 2025 .What This Means For YouLooser shower and water heater rules may mean more water and energy use — but it also means higher bills..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Showerhead Water Limits Rescinded as Trump Targets Household Appliances

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