Friction Loss in Steel, Copper and Plastic Pipes
Due to differences in inside cross sectional areas, wet surfaces and the roughness of the surfaces - there can be significant difference in friction head loss in steel, copper and plastic PVC pipes. The difference varies with size of pipe and flow rate.
- The difference in friction loss increase with decreased dimension and increased flow rate
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
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 PVC pipe calculation are made with the Online Hazens-Williams Calculator with a roughness coefficient c = 145.
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