The average usage of water in a residential sprinkler system is between 12 – 30 gallons per minute depending on the type and size of the sprinkler head.
The average system uses approximately 15-16 gallons per minute, per station. Here is an easy formula to help you calculate the approximate amount of water you are using each month.
Typical sprinkler flow rates may vary from 4 gallons per minute (gpm) from a 5/32-inch nozzle at 30 pounds pressure to over 11 gpm from a 7/32-inch nozzle at 70 pounds pressure.
Watering with a typical sprinkler using a standard 5/8" garden hose for one hour uses about 1,020 gallons of water; if you water three times per week, that's about 12,240 gallons per month.
A typical sprinkler used for industrial manufacturing occupancies discharge about 75-150 litres/min (20-40 US gallons/min). However, a typical Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) sprinkler at a pressure of 50 psi (340 kPa) will discharge approximately 380 litres per minute (100 US gal/min).
What is the average flow rate? The standard sprinkler flow rates, in general, are from 4 gallons per minute (gpm) from a 5/32-inch nozzle at 30 pounds pressures to over 11 gpm from a 7/32-inch nozzle at 70 pounds pressures.
Using Direct Measurement of Sprinkler Discharge Rate
Keep track of the time it takes to collect a known volume of water. Then, calculate the sprinkler discharge rate (gallons per minute). Example: If it takes 100 seconds to collect 2 gallons of water from a sprinkler head, the discharge rate is 1.2 gpms.
The answer is that it usually takes up to 30 minutes to get a half inch of water. Watering 3 times per week equals to an inch of water on a lawn.
Fixed spray heads apply 1.5 to 2 inches of water per hour in a fan-shaped spray. Rotors apply about 0.5 inches of water per hour in a single, rotating stream of water. Rotary nozzles apply approximately 0.4-0.6 inches per hour in multiple, rotating streams of water.
Measure your home's water capacity (flow):
The flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM) is: 300 (which is 5 gallons X 60 seconds in a minute) divided by the number of seconds it takes to fill the container.
Q = A√(2gh)
The formula calculates the discharge flow from the nozzle (fire sprinkler, water mist or deluge nozzle) in its most common form. If we are given the head pressure and k-factor, we can also calculate the k-factor or the pressure required with this formula.
However, the flow rate of the Rain Bird PRS spray held steady at 2.1 gallons per minute, saving almost a gallon per minute over the non-PRS spray.
Generally, spray heads use about 0.75 gpm for ¼-circle, 1.5 gpm for ½ circle, and 3.0 gpm for full-circle heads. "Rotor" style heads use 2 to 5 gpm each, for most residential applications.
It is ideal to water lawns about one inch of water per week. To determine how long you need to water to get one inch, place a plastic container in your yard and set a timer. On average, it will take 30 minutes to get a half inch of water. So, 20 minutes, three times per week will give a lawn about an inch of water.
To calculate the amount of water you use, multiply the width times the length of your yard in feet to get the number of square feet of area. Then multiply that figure by 0.623 to come up with the number of gallons used (or use our calculator below).
One inch of water or rain is equivalent to 623 gallons per 1,000 square feet.
Sprinklers generally cover up wider ground and spread out water at a slow yet steady pace, which makes all the soil moisturized evenly and soaked underground. A watering hose takes time to cover space and can clutter the soil if there's too much water.
1. Water Thoroughly: Rotor zones should run for about 30-40 minutes per zone and spray zones 10-15 minutes per zone. 2.
If your sprinkler output is 1½ inches per week, your sprinklers should run for only ⅓ hour or 20 minutes that week (½ divided by 1½). On a twice-weekly watering schedule, run your sprinklers 10 minutes each time.
Therefore, to apply one inch of water, you need to run your sprinklers for 76 minutes. However, running the sprinklers one time for 76 minutes might push the waterway past the root zone of 4 inches. Loam soils take up between ¼ and 2 inches per hour.
How Long Should I Water at a Time? A watering session should be long enough to soak the area sufficiently so all the roots receive a beneficial drink. Sprinklers should be set to run for about 30 to 35 minutes at a time twice a week.
For conventional sprayheads, precipitation rates typically range from 1.3 inches to 2 inches per hour. For gear drive rotors, precipitation rates typically range from 0.4 inch to 1 inch per hour. For rotary nozzles, precipitation rates typically range from 0.4 inch to 0.6 inch per hour.
Open your main water valve.
Your house has a main water valve, usually located near the meter; the valve controls the flow of water into your home's pipes. Find the valve and check to see if it's completely open. Opening a half-shut valve is one of the quickest ways for increasing home water pressure.