Speakman Anystream Carries the day

[gansky1]

I have a Speakman Anystream, bought it after using one at friend's or hotel (?)

Mine is like the ebay model with the plastic and o-ring restrictor. I pulled the o-ring and broke away the plastic ring, so it's a full-flow model now. I've tried others, including a cool vintage Water Pik massaging head and always go back to the Speakman. We have 70+ pounds of pressure in the house most times and you almost cannot stand to open the valve completely, it's too strong.

Some of the ebay prices are astounding. Wow.

 

[tolivac]

The Speakman all metal showerhead I bought didn't have the plastic or rubber flow restrictor ring you could remove-I had to drill out the restrictor on the shop drill press-Much better-I like "firehose" showers!I HATE watering can sprinkle showerheads!

 

[gansky1]

I was afraid mine would have to be drilled, too, but it was just the plastic and that o-ring. I think only the outside case of my Speakman is metal, the rest is plastic. I have the pull-on Moen shower valve so can control the pressure completely. The new Moen tub/shower valve we put in the main bathroom when we remodeled is a turn-to-temp valve so it's probably limited flow as well. The Moen shower head that came with it is a restricted flow but it's not terrible. Not a firehose (lol) but adequate.

 

[jetcone]

I think the

interior mechanisms of the Speakman shifted in the 1950's from brass to nylon. I saw a catalog about then.

Today might be delrin for all I know.

 

[cathyzie2000]

Vintage speakman help

Hi, I was so happy to see your post. I was hoping you could look up some info in your book about the mixometer. Mine is too cold and we have to run the tub cold water pretty hard to get hot water from the shower. I was hoping to get some info on what’s inside the mixer to see of it can be reworked, The shower wall is solid marble and backs into a bedroom. Only one pipe shows, the other must be behind the walls.

 

[rp2813]

Cathy,

After many decades,  the hot side of the mixometer is likely suffering from serious mineral deposits.   The valve probably just needs a good cleaning.

 

There's a 1950s catalog for downloading on the Ephemera site which might contain similar information to the 1939 catalog pictured above.  Here's the link:

https://www.automatice.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi?showdoc~1279~Speakman~