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Comparing Friction Loss in Steel, Copper and Plastic Pipes
Water flow and friction head loss (ft/100 ft) - steel, copper and PVC plastic pipes
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Due to difference in inside cross sectional area, wet surface and roughness of the surface, there is significant difference in friction head loss in steel, copper and plastic PVC pipes. The difference will vary with the size of pipe and the flow rate.
- The difference will increase with decreased dimensions and increased flow rates
The friction loss in feet of head per 100 feet of Steel pipes Schedule 40, Copper pipes Type L and thermoplastic PVC pipes Schedule 40 are compared below.
- 1 ftH2O/100 ft = 0.44 psi/100ft = 9.8 kPa/100 m = 1000 mmH2O/100 m
| 3 in. | |||
| Flow Rate (gal/min) |
Friction Loss (ft/100 ft) | ||
| Steel Pipe Schedule 40 |
Copper Pipe Type L |
PVC Pipe Schedule 40 |
|
| 50 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| 60 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| 70 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| 80 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| 90 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
| 100 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| 150 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 4.8 |
| 200 | 9.1 | 9.5 | 8.1 |
| 250 | 13.6 | 14.2 | 12.8 |
| 300 | 19.8 | 19.8 | 17.1 |
| 400 | 34.2 | 33.4 | 29.0 |
| 4 in. | |||
| Flow Rate (gal/min) |
Friction Loss (ft/100 ft) | ||
| Steel Pipe Schedule 40 |
Copper Pipe Type L |
PVC Pipe Schedule 40 |
|
| 100 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| 150 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.3 |
| 200 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
| 250 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.3 |
| 300 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 4.6 |
| 400 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 7.8 |
| 5 in. | |||
| Flow Rate (gal/min) |
Friction Loss (ft/100 ft) | ||
| Steel Pipe Schedule 40 |
Copper Pipe Type L |
PVC Pipe Schedule 40 |
|
| 150 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| 200 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| 250 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| 300 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| 400 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| 500 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.9 |
| 6 in. | |||
| Flow Rate (gal/min) |
Friction Loss (ft/100 ft) | ||
| Steel Pipe Schedule 40 |
Copper Pipe Type L |
PVC Pipe Schedule 40 |
|
| 150 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| 200 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| 250 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| 300 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| 400 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| 500 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 |
| 750 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
| 1000 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 5.8 |
| 8 in. | ||
| Flow Rate (gal/min) |
Friction Loss (ft/100 ft) | |
| Steel Pipe Schedule 40 |
PVC Pipe Schedule 40 |
|
| 150 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| 200 | 0.08 | 0.08 |
| 250 | 0.12 | 0.12 |
| 300 | 0.17 | 0.16 |
| 400 | 0.3 | 0.28 |
| 500 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| 750 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| 1000 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| 1250 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| 1500 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| 2000 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
| 10 in. | ||
| Flow Rate (gal/min) |
Friction Loss (ft/100 ft) | |
| Steel Pipe Schedule 40 |
PVC Pipe Schedule 40 |
|
| 200 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| 250 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| 300 | 0.06 | 0.05 |
| 400 | 0.1 | 0.09 |
| 500 | 0.15 | 0.14 |
| 750 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| 1000 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 1250 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| 1500 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| 2000 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| 12 in. | ||
| Flow Rate (gal/min) |
Friction Loss (ft/100 ft) | |
| Steel Pipe Schedule 40 |
PVC Pipe Schedule 40 |
|
| 400 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| 500 | 0.06 | 0.06 |
| 750 | 0.13 | 0.13 |
| 1000 | 0.2 | 0.21 |
| 1250 | 0.3 | 0.32 |
| 1500 | 0.5 | 0.45 |
| 2000 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| 3000 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
- The steel and copper calculations are made with the Online Fluid Flow Calculator.
- The PVC pipe calculation are made with the Online Hazens-Williams Calculator with a roughness coefficient c = 145.
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Related Topics
- Fluid Flow and Pressure Drop - Pipe lines - fluid flow and pressure loss - water, sewer, steel pipes, pvc pipes, copper tubes and more
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Related Documents
- Carbon, Alloy and Stainless Steel Pipes - ASME/ANSI B36.10/19 - Pipe sizes, inside and outside diameters, wall thickness, schedules, moment of inertia, transverse area, weight of pipe filled with water - U.S. Customary Units
- Copper Tubes - ASTM B88 - Copper Water and Gas Tube according ASTM B 88 - imperial units
- Hazen-Williams Equation - calculating Friction Head Loss in Water Pipes - Friction head loss (ftH2O per 100 ft pipe) in water pipes can be estimated by using the empirical Hazen-Williams equation
- Online Fluid Flow Calculator - For laminar and turbulent flow
- PVC Pipe Schedule 40 - Friction loss and Velocity Diagram - Friction loss (psi/100 ft) and velocity for water flow in plastic PVC pipe schedule 40
- PVC and CPVC Pipes - Schedule 40 & 80 - Standard dimensions and weight of PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride - and CPVC - Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride - pipes according ASTM D1785
- Resistance and Equivalent Length of Fittings - Equivalent length of fittings like bends, returns, tees and valves in hot water heating systems - equivalent length in feet and meter
- Steel Pipe Schedule 40 - Friction loss and Velocity Diagram - Friction loss and velocity diagrams - in imperial (psi/100 ft, ft/s) and SI (Pa/100m, m/s) units
