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seiyafan

Water pressure and hose length

seiyafan
10 years ago

Something didn't make any sense happened to me. I connected a water pressure gauge to the end of the garden faucet and it read 46 psi. Then I connected the gauge at the end of a 100' 5/8'' hose and it read 44 psi, then I connected another 100' hose and it read 43 psi. Is there something wrong with the reading? I can clearly see the water coming out of sprinkler from a 100' hose shoot farther than that from 200' hose, and one website gives the pressure loss for 100' 5/8'' hose to be 9 psi (5 gpm flow)
The reason I ask this is because I am trying to decide whether to spend the money to replace the 5/8'' hoses with 3/4'' ones. Thank you!

Comments (8)

  • bus_driver
    10 years ago

    With additional hose length, the pressure at the extreme end while water is flowing will be lower. With no flow, the pressures in all parts of the hose will be equal to the extent that all parts of the hose are on the same level. Pressure will be greater where the hose is lower than the source and lower there the hose is higher then the source. The larger hose will help reduce-- but not eliminate-- pressure losses while the hose is in use.

  • seiyafan
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    What I don't understand is that why is there only 2 psi loss with 100' of hose, if that's true then it wouldn't be economical at all to upgrade to 3/4'' hose.

  • klem1
    10 years ago

    Read Bus Drivers post carfuly. His explaination is accruate and well written. Unless your sprinkler flows near the capacity of 5/8ths hose (which is very dobtful) a 3/4tr hose will have little effect. If you have a 3/4 and a 5/8 now,use the 3/4 at facuet and 5/8 on end of 3/4.

  • seiyafan
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I am trying to think what I can do to improve the flow rate. Could the flow rate be limited to some other factors such as the garden faucet or the whole house water filter? I have Whirlpool WHKF-DWHV that's rated for 6 GPM, but I am not getting anywhere near 6.

  • klem1
    10 years ago

    Shure several things can effect flow. Most people have a facuet between meter and shut off for house water supply. If you don't have that or other access before filter,it's difficult to know what if any effect the filter has on flow unless you tap into supply between meter and filter. A meter that is not fully open will restrict flow. You will need to time flow at various locations to answer wherther and what is restricting flow. For irigation many systems have a booster pump to increase pressure and flow volume.

  • seiyafan
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Unfortunately in my house there is no faucet between meter and filter, but one thing I can do is to remove the filter housing and filter media, and place a bucket under it, then turn on the valve and time how long it takes to fill the bucket, in other words water will flow into the input end of the filter and out without passing through anything else, do you think this can somewhat accurately measure the flow rate?

  • klem1
    10 years ago

    That should answer the question of wherther the filter is restricting flow. Also time at end of hose and each outdoor facuet before removing filter element,then time at hose and facuets with element removed.

  • seiyafan
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    removed.

    This post was edited by seiyafan on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 12:22