Bucket Test - Determine Available Flow RateUpdated 3 months ago

An important step in the process of providing a customer with the perfect water treatment system is to make sure you suggest a treatment system designed to treat the flow rate of water the customer requires. When suggesting a whole home treatment system the maximum flow rate is typically measured in gallons per minute. Follow this guide to determine the available flow rate to treat.

1. Gather Your Materials:

• A container with a known volume (e.g., a bucket or a gallon jug, – just know its capacity). Gallons are easiest for calculations. We suggest a 5 gallon bucket because they are common and make the math easy.

• A timer (your phone's stopwatch will work fine).

2. Choose the Best Test Location:

Prioritize these locations in this order for finding your maximum flow rate:

• Outdoor Hose Bibb (Outdoor Faucet/Spigot): This is usually the best option due to its direct or near-direct connection to the main water line.

• Laundry Room Faucet: Often close to the main line and designed for high flow.

• Bathtub Faucet: A good alternative if the others aren't accessible, as bathtubs require relatively high flow.

• Showerhead: Another decent option. For best results remove the showerhead and measure directly from the pipe.

3. Prepare for the Test:

• Ensure no other water is running in the house during the test. This includes dishwashers, washing machines, sprinklers, and other faucets. This isolates the flow and gives you the most accurate reading.

4. Conduct the Test:

• Place the container under the chosen fixture.

• Turn the water on fully. Don't partially open it.

• Immediately start the timer as the water begins to flow into the container.

• Stop the timer the moment the container is full.

5. Calculate the Flow Rate:

• Method 1 (Using a 1-gallon container): If it takes 'x' seconds to fill a 1-gallon container, the flow rate is approximately 60/x gallons per minute (GPM).

• Method 2 (Using any container):

  • Divide the container volume (in gallons) by the time it took to fill it (in seconds).

  • Multiply the result by 60 to get the flow rate in GPM.

6. Repeat and Average:

• Repeat the test at least three times at the same location. This helps account for any variations in water pressure.

• Calculate average flow from multiple tests.

By following these revised instructions, you should get a much more accurate picture of the maximum water flow rate available in the home.

To find the flow rate (if using a 5 gallon bucket) locate the time to fill and associated gpm in the chart below. The formula is (formula: 60 / time in seconds * 5)