For this method, you will need a measured container (such as a 1-gallon water bottle or 5 gallon bucket), and a stop watch. The flow rate of an individual tap or plumbing fixture can be determined by measuring the amount of time it takes to fill a container with water. Timed Fill for Individual Tap or Plumbing Fixture Select the number of each fixture in your home and press 'calculate' to estimate your home's water flow rate. Note that your maximum possible flow rate will be restricted by the pipe size of your home or facility supply line. This gives you an estimated peak flow rate to use for sizing water filters, ultraviolet systems, or other water treatment equipment for your home or facility. List out all of the fixtures and appliances that use water in your home, and look at the chart to get an estimate of how much water each will use.Įstimate the maximum amount of these that you would feasibly run at the same time – and add up the flow rate for each of these devices (or use our calculator below). Estimated Flow Rates for Copper PipingĪnother way to determine your flow rate is to estimate the amount of water you will be using based on the fixtures and appliances in your home. The size of the plumbing limits the flow of water, so this can be used as a guideline for the maximum flow rate coming into your home in extremely peak usage. There are several ways to estimate the flow in your home to allow for proper sizing of water treatment equipment, described below.Ĭheck the pipe size at the entrance to your home or facility. This is why when sizing equipment, it is important to know the flow rate you are treating, and is best to plan for peak flow rates. Under-sizing equipment can result in insufficient contact time, and inadequate water treatment.
When passing through water filters, softeners and media tanks, ultraviolet disinfection systems, or other water treatment devices, the water being treated requires a minimum amount of contact time with the filtration medium in order to remove the targeted contaminants. This is typically expressed in gallons per minute (gpm). Water filtration equipment is typically sized in terms of flow rate – which is the volume of water passing through it at any given time.