What is the Pumping Capacity in Gallons per Minute for a 1-Line

Shallow Well Jet Pump?

A one-line jet pump can typically raise water from depths of just a few feet (or "0" depth) to
about 25 feet in depth, and at water delivery rates of !pm up to as much as 25 !pm dependin!
on the variables we list below the well pump capacity tables shown"
A nice e#ample table of shallow well $-%ine &et 'ump (apacities for $)2 hp, *), and $ hp
shallow well pumps is provided in the +ater Ace &et 'ump ,nstallation -anual and e#cerpted
below to illustrate the factors that determine well pump capacity" .oth of the charts below are for
one-line jet pumps produced by +ater Ace" $-%ine jet pumps intended for shallow well use and
made by other manufacturers can be e#pected to have similar capacities"
[Click to enlarge any image or table]
/he +ater Ace charts (shown in part above) ma0e clear that the capacity of a one-line shallow
well jet pump to deliver water at a !iven flow rate varies by these factors1
$" the depth of the well (the bottom scale in the two charts)
2" the pump horsepower (the color codes indicate pump model and horsepower 2'
variation)
*" /he well pump model (the ri!ht hand table is for the company3s more powerful well
pump series of 2-line jet pumps)
" /he condition of well pipin!, includin! pipe diameter, len!th, number of bends or elbows
5" /he presumption that the entire pipin! system has no lea0s
'ermission re4uested, +ater Ace (orp" Au! 20$0 - 'entair 'ump 5roup"
Watch out: Safety warnings are throu!hout any pump manufacturer3s instructions" .ecause
some pump models are capable of developin! internal pressures of more than $00 psi, if your
buildin! pipin!, pressure relief valves, safety controls, wirin!, and plumbin! are not properly
installed, very dan!erous conditions includin! electrical shoc0, tan0 e#plosion, and lea0s or
floods can occur"
What is the Pumping Capacity in Gallons per Minute for a 2-Line eep
Well Jet Pump?
A two-line jet pump can typically raise water from depths of *0-feet to 60-feet, and at water
delivery rates of !pm (!allons per minute) (for a $)2 hp 2-line jet pump servin! an 60 foot deep
well) to $7 !pm (for a $ hp 2-line jet pump servin! a *0 foot deep well)"
A nice e#ample table of 8eep +ell 2-%ine &et 'ump (apacities for $)2 hp and $ hp deep well
pumps is provided in the +ater Ace &et 'ump ,nstallation -anual and e#cerpted below to
illustrate the factors that determine well pump capacity" .oth of the charts below are for 2-line
jet pumps produced by +ater Ace" 2-%ine jet pumps intended for deep well use and made by
other manufacturers can be e#pected to have similar capacities"
/he +ater Ace charts (shown in part above) ma0e clear that the capacity of a deep well pump to
deliver water at a !iven flow rate varies by these factors1
$" the depth of the well (the bottom scale in the two charts)
2" the pump horsepower (the color codes indicate pump model and horsepower 2'
variation)
*" /he well pump model (the ri!ht hand table is for the company3s more powerful well
pump series of 2-line jet pumps)
" /he condition of well pipin!, includin! pipe diameter, len!th, number of bends or elbows
5" /he presumption that the entire pipin! system has no lea0s
'ermission re4uested, +ater Ace (orp" Au! 20$0 - 'entair 'ump 5roup"
Watch out: Safety warnings are throu!hout any pump manufacturer3s instructions" .ecause
some pump models are capable of developin! internal pressures of more than $00 psi, if your
buildin! pipin!, pressure relief valves, safety controls, wirin!, and plumbin! are not properly
installed, very dan!erous conditions includin! electrical shoc0, tan0 e#plosion, and lea0s or
floods can occur"
What is the Pumping Capacity in Gallons per Minute for a
Su!mersi!le eep Well Pump?
A submersible deep well water pump (the pump is physically inside the well and at or close to
the bottom of the well pipin!) can typically raise water from depths of *0-feet to hundreds of
feet, and at water delivery rates of !pm 25 !pm dependin! on the variables that we list below"
9ubmersible well pumps are typically offered in horsepower ratin!s of $)2 2', *) 2', $ 2', and
$ $)2 2'"
:ated water flow rates for pumps ran!e (by horsepower and model) from a nominal 7 !pm to *5
!pm"
Watch out1 installin! a hi!her capacity well pump may indeed !ive faster water flow and hi!her
water system pressure, but if the pump is not properly matched to the well3s safe flow rate (by
pump selection or pump controls) you can pump all of the water out of your well, run dry,
dama!e the pump, etc" 9ee 8efine 9afe ;ield for a +ell
A nice e#ample table of 8eep +ell 9ubmersible +ell 'ump (apacities is provided in the +ater
Ace -inch (diameter) 9ubmersible +ell 'ump ,nstallation -anual and e#cerpted below to
illustrate the factors that determine well pump capacity" +e have sharpened the te#t and provided
a lar!er, more le!ible table (clic0 to enlar!e) than the ori!inal"
,n selectin! a well pump the well depth as well as water flow re4uirements must be considered"
+hile jet pumps have a pic0up placed typically 5-feet above the well bottom, when installin! a
submersible pump it is placed ten feet above the well bottom (ma#imum) or ten feet below the
draw down limit for the well"
[Click to enlarge any image or table]
/he +ater Ace charts (shown in part above) ma0e clear that the capacity of a deep well pump to
deliver water at a !iven flow rate varies by these factors1
$" the depth of the well (the bottom scale in the two charts) or more accurately, the pumpin!
head or lift in feet
2" the pump horsepower (the color codes indicate pump model and horsepower 2'
variation)
*" /he well pump model (the ri!ht hand table is for the company3s more powerful well
pump series of 2-line jet pumps)
" /he condition of well pipin!, includin! pipe diameter, len!th, number of bends or elbows
- friction losses in the pipin! system
5" /he presumption that the entire pipin! system has no lea0s or obstructions
- 'ermission re4uested, +ater Ace (orp" Au! 20$0 - 'entair 'ump 5roup"
+ater Ace asserts that a typical *- bedroom home re4uires a water delivery rate of 6-$2 5'-"
Watch out1 the water delivery rate at plumbin! fi#tures is determined by the water pump as well
as buildin! water supply pipin! and controls" .ut it is a number independent of the ability of the
well itself to deliver a sustained water flow - the well yield" <nless a well pump is protected by
one or more special devices to prevent the pump from runnin! without water flowin! throu!h it,
the pump can be dama!ed or destroyed"
/he water delivery rate is also independent of the total 4uantity of water that can be run before
you run out" 9ee +=%% >%?+ :A/= and see 8efine 9afe ;ield for a +ell"
Watch out: Safety warnings are throu!hout any pump manufacturer3s instructions" .ecause
some pump models are capable of developin! internal pressures of more than $00 psi, if your
buildin! pipin!, pressure relief valves, safety controls, wirin!, and plumbin! are not properly
installed, very dan!erous conditions includin! electrical shoc0, tan0 e#plosion, and lea0s or
floods can occur"
:eaders of this document should also see the water pump types described at and see our other
dia!nostic !uides for water pumps, wells, motors listed in the "-ore :eadin!" section below"
Well Pump Capacity Charts Plot Pumping "ea# $s GPM %low &ate
Cur$es $s Pump "orsepower
Reader question: what is the effect of changing from a 1/2 hp to a 1 1/2 hp
water pump ?
(urrently , have a $)2 hp water pump that will pump $00 !al in $5 min" , am thin0in! a $-$)2 hp
water pump will pump water $00 !al in 5 min" +hat will that do to the e#istin! water line" , don3t
0now if , have 5)6" or *)" - ."@" $)20)20$
Reply: factors affecting the actual water flow rate delivered by a water pump
!hec" out this e#ample chart plotting water flow in $%& against
pump motor si'e and pumping head resistance
,ndeed, ."@", the flow rate throu!h pipin! is affected by more than the pump output pressure, to
include not just line diameter (typically $" ,"8" or $ $)" ,8 from well to pressure tan0 and
pump) but also friction losses in the pipin! system which in turn are affected by the total len!th
of pipin!, the number of bends or elbows, and possibly the presence of constricted fittin!s
anywhere in the run"
[Click to enlarge any image or chart]
.ecause it is located in the well and under-water, the wor0 described by a submersible well
pump is described as "lift" rather than "buildin! pressure"" ,t is the "lift" that overcomes the head
pressure of water in the pipin! system above the pump"
/he actual effective water flow rate in !allons per minute (5'-) delivered by the water pump
throu!h well pipin! and fittin!s to the buildin! is typically described as a curve plottin! 5'-
a!ainst the pumpin! head distance in feet, for pumps of various horsepower or pumpin! capacity"
-ost water pump manufacturers provide lift capacity curves for their particular water pumps,
plottin! horsepower and flow rate and lift hei!ht as shown in our e#ample chart above" - Aational
+ells (20$)
/he sample well pump capacity chart at above left plots water pump capacity in !allons per
minute (5'-) (horiBontal a#is) a!ainst pumpin! head resistance in feet (vertical a#is) for typical
*50 rpm water pump motors in horsepower ran!in! from $)2 up to * 2'" ?ther well pump
capacity charts are in the article above" - 5rove =lectric (20$0), 5C5 =lectric (20$0), +ater Ace (20$0),
Aational +ells (20$)
/ypical residential well pumps ran!e in horsepower from $)2 2' to about 2 2'" ;ou can see in
the chart that chan!in! from a $)2 2' to a $ $)2 2' well pump, if we stay at the same pumpin!
head resistance and usin! a *00 ft" head resistance e#ample, we would see a theoretical 5'-
flow rate chan!e from 5'- up to around D 5'- if all other factors remained the same" /o
read this chart, follow the *00 2ead horiBontal line in the chart across from where it crosses the
5'- line on the $)2 2' pump curve over further to the ri!ht to see the $ $)2 2' pump (two
models) touchin! or close to the *00 2ead :esistance line at D 5'-"
,f for theoretical ar!ument we e#clude other snafus li0e clo!!ed pipin! or a low-flow-rate well,
the lift distance or head a!ainst which the pump has to wor0 is the most si!nificant factor as
pump lift capacity varies by pump horsepower and type and location"
Water %ump Si'e Requirement !alculation ( )efinition of head pressure or
*otal )ynamic +ead ,*)+-. /ertical Rise. 0 1riction 2osses in %iping
;ou have not specified if your well pump is a submersible or is an above-!round unit, nor amon!
above !round units did you specify if this is a $ line or 2-line jet pump - or a different pump type"
As we don3t 0now any of that data, nor the well pipin! diameter of your installation, its len!th,
bends, etc" a fi#ed answer would be mere arm-wavin! speculation"
A well pump needs to be matched to the flow rate capacity of the well itself - lest the pump
simply run out of available water, a condition that ris0s pump dama!e as well as loss of buildin!
water supply"
/he well pump also needs to be matched a!ainst the lift re4uired - how far water must be lifted
from the bottom of the submersible pump in the well to the water pressure tan0 and controls in
the buildin!" +ater pump lift can be defined as the force re4uired to overcome the "head
pressure" measured in feet" /o accurately compute head pressure, e#pressed as /otal 8ynamic
2ead or /82, the desi!ner adds the pumpin! level or hei!ht that water is moved inside the well,
the additional vertical rise from water top to final destination, and the friction losses in the pipin!
system"
,n the article above we show tables and charts helpful in determinin! the re4uired siBe in 2'
re4uired for a water pump in a !iven installation" , recommend a!ainst choosin! pump siBe
arbitrarily for reasons , cite below1 cost, operatin! life, as well as capacity re4uirements"
:ecappin!, calculations of re4uired water pump siBe consider
*he vertical rise that the pump has to move water
*he hori'ontal pumping distance that water must be moved
*he friction losses in the piping system - a function of pipe diameter, number of fittin!s
or elbows, and possibly other more subtle factors" >riction losses also include losses as
water flows throu!h valves or controls, chec0 valves, tees, couplin!s" =n!ineers C other
well and pump e#perts use tables that e#press the effect of valves and fittin!s on water
flow as e4uivalent len!th of pipin! in feet" >or e#ample the resistance imparted by a $-
inch diameter plastic or steel E0 de!ree pipe elbow is e4uivalent to about three feet of
pipe"
*he water quantity usage rate - ma#imum - anticipated in the buildin! (see +A/=:
F<AA/,/; <9A5= 5<,8=)
Watch out1 none of the topics listed in your messa!e or in pump 5'- capacity above address
the potentially controllin! effects on water flow rate at a !iven fi#ture caused by in-buildin!
pipin!, valves, clo!s, etc" 9omethin! as simple as a clo!!ed faucet strainer will si!nificantly cut
water flow rate there - a problem for which the trouble and e#pense of chan!in! to a lar!er
horsepower water pump would be very much the wron! "fi#""
+hat you can infer is that you are triplin! the pump horsepower - which is a bi! jump, so it
would be reasonable to e#pect a si!nificantly increased water flow rate - all other components
bein! e4ual"
Watch out1 in some cases of a poor flow-rate well it is the well3s recovery rate or flow rate that
limits the water flow rate at the buildin! (unless a lar!e buffer stora!e tan0 of water is also
installed)" ,n such cases, installin! a more powerful pump will simply e#haust the well more
4uic0ly, leadin! to loss of water supply entirely"
And a final warnin!1
Watch out1 as well that you have an accurate idea of the trouble and costs involved in triplin!
the well pump horsepower" A chan!e from a smaller $)2 hp pump to a $ $)2 hp model may
re4uire electrical wirin! chan!es of wire siBe or !au!e and possibly a chan!e from $20G to 20G
service alon! with appropriate chan!es in pump controls and switches - all addin! to the cost of
installation of the new pump"
,n sum, ,3d want to have a more accurate description of the water flow problem in your buildin!
and of the causes of any poor water flow complaints before hoppin! to install a new lar!er well
pump"
3umber of submersible well pump stages determine pump lift capacity
>or submersible well pumps, typically hi!her 2' pumps also are desi!ned with a !reater number
of pumpin! sta!es - mechanical impellers that increase the lift capacity of the pump" .elow are
some submersible pump desi!n sta!es and horsepower ratin!s1
*able of Submersible %ump Stages vs +% vs *otal )ynamic +ead vs $%& 1low Rate
!apacity
Water %ump +% 3r of %ump Stages *)+ !apacity
$%& 1low Rate
!apacity
1 +% 6 0 - 200 >t"
- 0 5'- (varies by
/82)
1 1/2 +% $$ 0 - *EE >t"
- 0 5'- (varies by
/82)
2 +% $ 0 - *50 >t"
- 2 5'- (varies by
/82)
4 +% $E 0 - 500 >t"
- * 5'- (varies by
/82)
5 +% 26 0 - D00 >t"
- * 5'- (varies by
/82)
Aotes1
/he data in this table is for e#ample purposes" Actual pump capacities vary by model,
manufacturer, desi!n, and installation details"
9ource1 adapted from A";" -c8onald (o" -f!" (20$)
Reader 6uestion on head total
(Apr E, 20$) Awais Fadir said1
, have a centrifu!al pump with under mentioned data
>low H $*5 us" !pm, 8ynamic 2ead H D5 ft", 'ipe ,"8 H 7 ,nch, 8elivery %en!th H $6000 ft",
.ends Aos"
+hat would be total head" 'lease mention with any e#ample"
:eply1
Awais
(alculation of total head and dynamic head or /82 is detailed in the article above"
"ow to Measure 'uil#ing Water Pressure( efinitions of Static
'uil#ing Water Pressure ) ynamic Water Pressure
8istin!uishin! between static water pressure, dynamic water pressure, and water flow rate can
help dia!nose water problems in a buildin!" 2ere we e#plain these concepts and we describe
how to measure water pressure and flow at a property where either municipal water supply or a
private well and pump water supply is in use"
)efinition of Static Water %ressure
Static water pressure is the pressure shown anywhere on the water supply pipin! system when
no plumbin! fi#tures are runnin!"
/ypically on a municipal water supply the static water pressure in the buildin! will be *0-70 psi,
dependin! only on the settin! of the water pressure re!ulator - the re!ulator determines static
water pressure in the buildin!"
?n a private well and pump water supply system water pressure varies between 20-0 psi or *0-
50 psi dependin! on the e4uipment installed and the pump pressure control switch settin!s"
(9ee +A/=: '<-' ':=99<:= (?A/:?% A8&<9/-=A/)"
?ur photo (left) shows a simple and ine#pensive home-made water pressure measurin! !au!e
that we attached to the cold water faucet for a washin! machine hoo0up" .uildin! suppliers also
sell water pressure !au!es with the same fittin!s to attach the !au!e to a hose or faucet hoo0up
(see our pa!e top photo)"
/o measure static water pressure, attach a pressure !au!e anywhere in the buildin! on water
supply pipin!" -a0e sure that no plumbin! fi#tures are runnin!, and if the buildin! is served by a
well and pump system, ma0e sure that you have run water until the pump starts runnin!, then
turn water off" /he pressure read on the !au!e with all fi#tures "off" is the ma#imum static water
pressure at the buildin!"
)efinition of )ynamic Water %ressure
Dynamic water pressure is the pressure shown anywhere on the water supply pipin! system
when one or more plumbin! fi#tures is drawin! water" ;ou can see that the more fi#tures that are
runnin!, the lower the dynamic water pressure will be"
?n a municipal water supply system the dynamic water pressure and flow seen in a buildin! will
drop to a number lower than the static water pressure but will normally remain steady when you
turn on one or more plumbin! fi#tures"
?n a pump and well water supply system the dynamic water pressure and flow seen in the
buildin! will drop to a lower number than the static water pressure, and will also vary as the
pump cycles on and off"
=#ample of variation in buildin! water pressure1
,ncomin! buildin! water pressure is 60 psi at the street-side of the pressure re!ulator"
/he pressure re!ulator is set to 70 psi and installed on $)2" diameter buildin! water
supply pipin!
/he buildin! has four apartments and in each apartment simultaneously people are
runnin! multiple plumbin! fi#tures, drawin! water out of the system so fast that """
/he dynamic buildin! water pressure drops to 20 psi when all of these fi#tures are
operatin!" =ven thou!h the pressure re!ulator is set to 70 psi, when water flow in the
buildin! e#ceeds the capacity of the incomin! water main to deliver water at that
pressure, the in-buildin! water pressure will drop to a lower number"
A solution to this problem may be the installation of a +A/=: ':=99<:= .??9/=:
'<-'"
?n a pump and well water supply system when multiple plumbin! fi#tures are operatin!, the
dynamic water pressure will fall to a lower number and will hover there once the 4uantity of
water bein! drawn causes the pump to turn on and stay on - that is, when you are runnin! water
fast enou!h that the pump cannot "!et ahead" of the water draw out rate"
Reader question: how much pressure is e#erted by water per vertical foot of pipe
or lift or rise?
*)*)20$ :ob (unnin!ham said1 +hat is the water pressure per foot, , 0now it is 2"III per foot
but , don3t remember the the formula"
Reply: basic data about water weight. volume. pressure relationships
2ere are some water wei!ht C pressure basics1
The weight of a cubic foot of water: cubic foot of water weights about 62.42 poun!s (at *2 J>)
The weight of a liter of water is 2.2"4 poun!s
The number of gallons [of water or anything else] in a cubic foot: a cubic foot of water is about
.4# $.%. gallons
2ow much does a !allon of water wei!hI
& $.%. gallon of water weighs about #.2' poun!s
/he actual wei!ht of water varies by temperature as its density varies by temperature and
possibly also by the effect of impurities in the water" <sin! our wei!ht of a cubic foot of water
data above, or 72"2D pounds, that3s for water at *2 J>" ,f warm the water up it will wei!h a little
less and at 70J> a cubic foot of (pure) water wei!hs about 72"*D pounds"
The pressure of a column of water is about ".4(4 psi per foot of column height
2.(& ft of water pro!uces & psi of pressure at the bottom of that column.
,f we had a $2"#$2"#$2" cube of water the pressure per s4uare foot at its base would be about 72
pounds psf"
/o convert that to pounds per s4uare inch divide by $ to !et about 0"* psi" 9o the formula
for the psi pressure of a column of water is
PSI of water pressure at the base of a 1-inch square column of water of height H in feet = H x
0.44

+ow to convert the weight of water to pressures per foot in a well pipe or
inside the well casing
At 9/A/,( 2=A8, +=%% 8=>,A,/,?A we show how to calculate the volume of water in a
cylinder of various diameters" /here we showed that
?ne linear foot of 7-inch well casin! filled with water contains **E cubic inches or 0"$E7 cubic
feet of water or $"7 !allons of water"
& $.%. gallon of water weighs about #.2' poun!s
+ei!ht of the water fillin! one foot of 7-inch well casin! H 6"25 # $"7 H $2"05 pounds
Area of a 7-inch well casin! cross section in s4uare inches H pi # r
2
H *"$ # E H 26"27 s4" in"
(onvert wei!ht of the water in a vertical foot of water in a 7-inch well casin! to '9, H $2"05 )
26"27 H 0"27 psi
+hy is this number different than our previous s4uare foot '9, calculationI .ecause we3re
calculatin! the area of a $-inch round column of water which will have less total volume than a
$-inch s4uare column of water"
PSI of water pressure at the base of a 1-inch roun! column of water of height H in feet = H x
0.4"#

7ther water conversions weights 0 measures converting a 8S gallon
& )allon *$.%.+ , (.#'-&".
(
m
(
, (.#' !m
(
*liter+ , ".&((6# ft
(
, 4./'&-&".
(
y!
(
, ".#(2
0mp. gal *$1+
At **-feet of water (say divin! under the ocean) at sea level, you3ve e4ualed $ A/- of pressure"
/hat3s because at sea level the pressure of the whole atmosphere of air above you e#erts pressure
or "wei!hs" about $"D pounds per s4uare inch"
8ivin! down just ** feet below the surface of the ocean e#poses the 9(<.A diver to a second
atmosphere3s worth of pressure, referred to in 9(<.A trainin! as $ A/- (since we start countin!
at 0 at sea level)" .ut of course you3re now under water, so you3re e#periencin! water pressure,
not air pressure, on the outside of your body"
"ow to Measure Municipal Water Pressure
Static municipal water pressure may vary at different times of the day dependin! on what
pressure is bein! delivered by the municipal supplier" ,n some communities municipal water
pressure varies little while in others the variation can be si!nificant"
/o measure municipal water pressure in a buildin!, use a water pressure test !au!e li0e the home
made water pressure test !au!e shown above or the store-bou!ht water pressure !au!e shown at
pa!e top"
,nstall the water pressure !au!e at a convenient outside hose bibb or to the drain connection on a
water heater, or at a washin! machine hot or cold water hose connection point"
9f the building water pressure gauge reading is below :; psi, leave the !au!e in place for two
days, chec0in! it fre4uently for different pressure readin!s, because water pressure may vary by
time of day or by the plumbin! fi#tures in use in the buildin!"
An advanta!e of the store-bou!ht +atts water pressure test !au!e over the home-made version is
that the special +atts test !au!e includes a hi!h-point red indicator needle that will record the
hi!hest water pressure sensed by the !au!e durin! the test period, even if you did not happen to
be loo0in! at the !au!e when that condition occurred"
9ince your water pressure measurement itself could be inaccurate,
see +A/=: ':=99<:= 5A<5= A((<:A(; where we e#plain causes of false hi!h water
pressure readin!s and false low water pressure readin!s"
>or pressure !au!e repair or replacement
see +A/=: /AA@ ':=99<:= 5A<5="
+ow to 9nterpret <our &unicipal or !ity Water %ressure 0 1low &easurements
9f your dynamic water pressure is too low on a municipal water supply system you can boost
buildin! water pressure by installin! a pressure booster pump and water tan0"
9ee +A/=: ':=99<:= .??9/=: '<-'"
Also see our discussion of parallel water pressure reducin! valves found at +A/=: ':=99<:=
:=8<(=: ) :=5<%A/?:"
9f your municipal or city water pressure is always too low, perhaps below *0 psi, see +A/=:
':=99<:= %?99 8,A5A?9,9 C :='A,:"
>or more help fi!urin! out why your municipal water pressure is too wea0,
see -<A,(,'A% +A/=: ':=99<:= 8,A5A?9,9 and
then see -<A,(,'A% +A/=: ':=99<:= ,-':?G=-=A/9"
Also see +A/=: ':=99<:= GA:,A/,?A (A<9=9"
Watch out: 9f the building water pressure gauge reading is ever found at =; psi or higher,
you will want to install a water pressure re!ulator at the point where water supply enters the
buildin!" +atts produces a +atts 5overnor 60K used for this purpose, but other manufacturers
also produce a wide variety of water pressure re!ulators"
,f your buildin! already has a water pressure !au!e installed, it may be defective or it may be set
too hi!h" ,f your static water pressure is too hi!h on a municipal supply,
see +A/=: ':=99<:= :=8<(=: ) :=5<%A/?:"
Also see
+A/=: '<-' ':=99<:= (?A/:?% A8&<9/-=A/
At 2?/ +A/=: ':=99<:= =L'AA9,?A :A/= we discuss how we measure water pressure
and how temperature chan!es affect water pressure in a closed water heater tan0 or heatin!
boiler"
"ow to Measure Pri$ate Pump ) Well Water Pressure
Static well water pressure depends on the settin! of the pump controls" ;ou can try readin! the
water pressure shown on the pressure !au!e that is usually installed at the pressure tan0 or near
the pump pressure control switch"
Watch out1 dirt or debris in the small diameter pressure switch mountin! pipe at your water
pressure tan0, or a failin! pressure !au!e itself can !ive inaccurate water pressure readin!s"
'articularly if your water pressure !au!e readin! does not rise and fall smoothly as the water
pump turns on and off, you may want to replace the !au!e and)or ma0e an independent water
pressure readin! usin! the water pressure test !au!e we have described just above"
9ince your water pressure measurement itself could be inaccurate, see +A/=: ':=99<:=
5A<5= A((<:A(; where we e#plain causes of false hi!h water pressure readin!s and false
low water pressure readin!s"
>or pressure !au!e repair or replacement see +A/=: /AA@ ':=99<:= 5A<5="
+ow to 9nterpret <our %rivate Well Water %ressure 0 1low &easurements
9f your well water pressure is always too low. perhaps below *0 psi, see +A/=: ':=99<:=
%?99 8,A5A?9,9 C :='A,:" Also see +A/=: ':=99<:= GA:,A/,?A (A<9=9"
9f your dynamic well water pressure is too low on a private pump and well system you may
be able to boost water pressure by adjustin! the pump pressure control switch" 9ee +A/=:
'<-' ':=99<:= (?A/:?% A8&<9/-=A/" Also, because poor water flow rate from a
private well system is often due to a limitation of the well3s flow rate, see +A/=: ':=99<:=
%?99 8,A5A?9,9 C :='A,:"
Watch out: 9f your well water pressure is too high, see +A/=: '<-' (?A/:?%9 C
9+,/(2=9 and see +A/=: /AA@ 9A>=/;"
)iagnosis of private water well problems divides roughly into these areas
+A/=: '<-' (?A/:?%9 C 9+,/(2=9
+A/=: '<-' ':?.%=- 8,A5A?9/,( /A.%=
+A/=: /AA@ :='A,:9
+=%%9 (,9/=:A9 C 9':,A59
"ow to Measure Water %low &ate in a 'uil#ing - 'uc*et ) Stopwatch
?ur photo (left) shows water runnin! into a five-!allon plastic buc0et" ,f this is the only fi#ture
runnin! water in the buildin! we can time the number of seconds or minutes needed to fill the
buc0et"
>or e#ample, if the time re4uired to fill the five !allon buc0et is one minute, then the water flow
rate at this plumbin! fi#ture is 5-!allons per minute or 5 !pm"
?ne can purchase "flow meters" that connect to various plumbin! fi#tures to pretend to ma0e
this measurement, but remember that we are measurin! the flow rate at the particular fi#ture - to
obtain a number that does not necessarily describe the water flow rate capability of the water
supply system"
/he measurement of water flow rate at a particular plumbin! fi#ture does not accurately measure
the true water flow rate of the plumbin! system because1
8ifferent flow rates will be found at individual fi#tures dependin! on the water flow
restriction of the fi#ture itself, its3 faucet strainer or even a dis0 that has been inserted into
the faucet or shower head (for e#ample) to deliberately restrict the water flow rate"
+ater pipin! supplyin! a particular fi#ture may restrict flow rate dependin! on the len!th
and diameter of pipin! as well as possible hidden errors in the plumbin! system such as a
partial pipe bloc0a!e by solder at a copper joint, or bloc0a!e in the water supply pipin! if
it is clo!!ed by minerals or rust"
+ater flow on a well pump and tan0 system will vary durin! the measurement period
dependin! on just when the water pressure drop turns the well pump on or off"
?n a pump and well system when we turned on water at just the 0itchen sin0 (8ynamic +ater
'ressure photo above) the flow rate dropped slowly until the pump turned on" /hen the water
pressure rose slowly until the pump turned off" +ater pressure varied between *6 psi (pump off)
and 25 psi (pump on)"
+hen we turned on water at a bath tub faucet (photo just above) water pressure dropped to about
26 psi and stayed there as the well pump ran continuously, deliverin! water to the buildin! at that
rate" ;ou can see our pressure !au!e readin! 26 psi"
Also see +A/=: ':=99<:= :=8<(=: ) :=5<%A/?: for a discussion of how we reduce
buildin! water pressure to a safe level and how we assure uniform buildin! water pressure and
flow usin! a pressure reducin! valve or pressure re!ulator"
9ee +A/=: /AA@ ':=99<:= 5A<5= for a discussion of built-in water pressure !au!es"
:eaders whose buildin! is served by a private pump and well system should see +A/=: '<-'
':=99<:= (?A/:?% 9+,/(2"
Reader 6uestion: what is the flow rate of water out of a :(inch diameter line at
>; psi static pressure?
,&ar 15. 2;14- ?im &ault said:
2i, we have a 7" water line with a static pressure of E0 psi" +e want to put in a 7" stand pipe for
truc0 fillin! at $500!pm C 20psi" will that wor0I
Reply: water 0 water pipe hydraulics
+hewM" ?@ so it depends """ that "static" pressure of E0 psi is not !oin! to !ive us a true answer
to the flow rate in !pm you3ll be seein!, since we don3t 0now the effects of line len!th, friction
losses, and number of bends, valves, or obstructions in your water line"
[Click to enlarge any image]
:eally this is a hydraulics 4uestion" /he true fi!ures for water movement throu!h pipin! are
interestin! and comple#" >or e#ample, the velocity of water movin! throu!h pipin! (measured in
feet per second or fps) is not uniform across the diameter of the pipe"
+ater moves fastest in the middle and slows down at the ed!es of the cylinder or pipe walls -
which ma0es sense if we thin0 the walls impart friction losses on the water" ?@ so we3ll s0ip
that" 2ere are some basics1
/he cool chart at left relatin! water flow rate in 5'- to pressure in psi ma0es some assumptions
stated in the table3s note" /his data is from en!ineerin! wor0 prepared by the <niversity of
>lorida, ,ndian :iver :esearch C =ductation >acility" - 8r" .rian .oman, "(hapter 2$,
2ydraulics", retrieved *)*)20$, ori!inal source1 http1))irrec"ifas"ufl"edu)citrusbmp) +ater
N20andN20>%N20(itrus)2$N20(hap2$"pdf
/he second chart shown at left relates pressure loss to len!th for $00 feet of hose of various
diameters up to !reater than the 7-inch you as0ed about" /his data is from 8ultmeier 9ales also
cited at :eferences" (lic0 to enlar!e for a more readable copy and you3ll see that a si#-inch
diameter "pipe" (we don3t 0now the material of your pipe) at a flow rate of $500 !pm has a
pressure loss of psi per $00 feet"
>rom there and considerin! ,3ve !ot no other data about your system, you are on your own to
calculate the appro#imate flow rate loss for your system and thus the net flow rate"
;ou could as0 8ultmeier or 8r" .oman for an accurate detail but ,3m reluctant to bother an
educator with these individual 4uestions" =#trapolate from the table or try some basic ballpar0
calculations, or just !ive your local hydraulics en!ineer a call" .oman lays out the data and basic
e4uation as follows1
The e2uation of continuity states that flow rate can be calculate! from the multiple of the
3elocity times the cross.sectional area of flow.
4 , 5 - 6 or 6 , 475
where
F H flow rate in ft* ) second
A H cross sectional area flow in s4" ft" of the pipe (A H O # 8
2
) and of course pi or O H *"$$7)
G H velocity in ft)sec
As we3ve reported elsewhere under improvin! water flow in buildin!s or "perceived water
pressure", doublin! the pipe diameter increases the li4uid carryin! capacity of the pipe by a
factor of "
>;,, friction losses for a $00 ft" len!th of 7" diameter 'G( pipe are fi!ured at 0"*0 psi ) $00 ft"
of pipe" /he friction loss data is different for different pipe materials, and is ,-? always wron!
for in-use systems where contaminants or usa!e have chan!ed the surface properties of the
pipin! to increase (rou!hin! or wear or mineral deposits) or decrease (al!ae) friction losses"
'ressure Gersus >low is described elo4uently by .oman" As ,3ve stru!!led for years to e#plain
this and to help people understand that what they call "water pressure" e#perienced at the 0itchen
sin0 or bath shower is better understood as flow rate, ,3m 4uotin! him here1
As water moves throu!h any pipe, pressure is lost because of turbulence created by the movin!
water" /he amount of pressure lost in a horiBontal pipe is related to the velocity of the water, the
inside diameter of the pipe, and the len!th of pipe throu!h which the water flows" +hen velocity
increases, the pressure loss increases"
>or e#ample, in a $-inch 9ch 0 'G( pipe with an 6-!pm flow rate, the velocity will be 2"ED fps
with a pressure loss of $"5E psi per $00 ft"
+hen the flow rate is increased to $6 !pm, the velocity will be 7"7D fps, and the pressure loss
will increase to D"$2 psi per $00 ft of pipe"
,ncreasin! the pressure in the system increases the flow rate" ,n >i!" 2$-*, the flow rate in a 2-
inch pipe increases by $00 !pm when the pressure is in- creased from 20 psi to 50 psi" <sin! a
smaller pipe siBe does not increase the flow"
Aote that the smaller pipe siBes have considerably less flow at any !iven pressure" 9ince
decreasin! the pipe siBe does not increase the pressure at the source, the result of decreased siBe
is reduced flow"
<sin! a smaller pipe siBe does not increase pressure" ,n contrast, it will result in lower pressure
because there will be !reater pressure loss in the lines" ,n >i!" 2$-*, a flow of 20 !pm would
re4uire about E psi pressure in a $-inch pipe" ,n order to maintain a 20-!pm flow in a $)2-inch
pipe, over 50 psi would be re4uired at the source" 9maller pipes result in !reater pressure loss,
not hi!her pressure" - ?p" (it"
Reader 6uestion: &easure 0 Restrict Water 8sage
D)25)$ 0jsuryawanshiPbajajauto"co"in said1
+e are loo0in! some sort of 3Auto valve)>low meter3 which will allow us to restrict the supply of
water to each residential flat to a specified limit e"!" 200-*00 litres per day" After supply of
specified limit of water, valve should automatically close C stop the further flow of water"