Speed up the tap.

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tufguy

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We say, speed up or slow down the AC, fan or cooler.

Can we also use it for taps or showers. Like speed up the tap or shower.

Do we also say, open or close the "tap" or "shower"?

Please check.
 

GoesStation

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Speed up works for things whose velocity you might measure. When you open the faucet (AmE; I think "tap" works in BrE), you let more water out but it flows at the same speed. You can't open or close the shower unless you're thinking of its door.
 

Matthew Wai

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Turn on/off/up/down the faucet.
 

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GoesStation

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We say [no comma] "speed up" or "slow down" the AC, fan or cooler.

Can we also use it for taps or showers? Like "speed up the tap" or "speed up the shower"?

Note my corrections above. Remember to separate the text you're discussing from other text by surrounding it in quotation marks or writing it in italics. Can you see how the quotation marks make it easier to understand your question?
 
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GoesStation

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Here's a better version of the last two sentences in my correction above:

Can we also use it for taps or showers, like "speed up the tap" or "speed up the shower"?
 

tufguy

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Here's a better version of the last two sentences in my correction above:

Can we also use it for taps or showers, like "speed up the tap" or "speed up the shower"?

Turn "on" or "off" the "faucet" or "shower".

Turn "up" or "down" the "faucet" or "shower".

I would like you to suppose I am washing hands and a lot of water is flowing out but I want less water. My hands are covered in soap leather and I want my friend to help me who is standing beside me. What I need to say in this situation?

We let "more" or "less" water out of "faucet" or "shower" by rotating their valves.
 

Matthew Wai

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Please turn down the faucet for me.
 

GoesStation

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"Turn up" or "Turn down" is used to refer to the speed of a fan, cooler or AC. Am I correct?

Yes. Think of it as talking about the intensity of something, rather than the speed. For example, you don't make your air conditioner run faster (though its fan may do so); you make it work harder to produce cooler air.
 

tufguy

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The flow will slow down when you turn down the faucet.

Okay so we say "Turn on" or "Turn off" the faucet and "Turn up" or "Turn down" the faucet for the flow.
 

JMurray

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not a teacher

If I'm asking someone to increase or decrease the flow from a tap, I would probably say something like, "turn it on a bit more", "turn it off a bit/little". That sort of thing.
Turning a tap up or down doesn't seem natural to me, although others may disagree.
 
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