Rule of thumb · MechanicalNº 18 / 167

Keep water at 1–2.5 m/s

Size pipes so water flows between about 1 and 2.5 m/s.

Why it works

Slower and sediment settles; faster and you get erosion, noise and water hammer. Pump suction lines sit at the low end.

When it fails

Velocity is the wrong control on a long run: 60 m of pipe at 2.5 m/s can lose more head than the pump can supply, even though the velocity looks textbook. And in copper hot-water lines anything above about 1.5 m/s risks erosion-corrosion regardless of what the pressure drop says.

Do it exactly

Estimate with the rule, then check it against the calculator that models it properly.

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What water velocity should a pipe be sized for?

Size pipes so water flows between about 1 and 2.5 m/s. Slower and sediment settles; faster and you get erosion, noise and water hammer.

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