Wondering what the average household flow rate is compared to your own is something that’s hot on many homeowners' minds, particularly if you’ve had issues with low water pressure and water flow with your home system in the past.
The simple answer is that the average flow rate is usually between 6 to 12 gallons per minute (GPM) when taking into consideration normal household usage, but there are variations on this figure depending on the square footage of the home (whether or not you have a large household), the sort of fixtures installed, and if the home's plumbing system is connected to city water or a private well.
If you’d like to learn more about exactly what determines flow rate and how it affects you, read on below.
What is Water Flow Rate and How is it Measured?
So, delving into the details a little more, what is the home water flow rate? And how do you measure it? Water flow rate is determined by the volume of water that moves through the pipes and fixtures within a given time period. Several factors dictate the final value.
It’s measured in gallons per minute (GPM), and to determine how much water is flowing through, you'll need to do the quick equation of volume ÷ time. So, if your bathroom faucet is able to fill a 1-gallon container in 30 seconds, then you have a GPM (or flow rate number) of 2.
In simple terms, the higher the number, the more water passes through the system. It’s common, however, to confuse water flow rate with water pressure and force.
A home can have a high pressure relative to a low flow rate due to blockages or a pipe being too narrow for the water demands. Incoming pressure is measured in PSI (pounds per square inch).
What is the Average Water Flow Rate for Common Household Appliances and Fixtures?
To give you a little deeper understanding, here are a few examples of different expected flow rates for common household appliances and fixtures:
- Shower head: 2-2.5 GPM
- Kitchen faucet: 2-3 GPM
- Washing machines and dishwashers: 3-5GPM
- Standard toilet: 1.6GPM
- Garden hoses: 9-17GPM (depending on the type of hose used)
Understanding how many gallons of water each plumbed-in utility uses in a given time frame helps you gain deeper insight into the performance of your system as a whole.
Factors That Affect Household Water Flow Rate
Next, it’s time to establish the most common factors that affect water flow rate in the home.
These include:
- Water pressure: If water pressure is low, this can place limitations on flow, while high pressure increases flow but can be damaging if the pipes cannot withstand it.
- Faucet design: Another key factor is faucet design. Depending on how the valves inside are set up, flow can either be increased or reduced (some faucets how flow restrictors installed to modulate the amount of liquid flowing through).
- Pipe condition: Older pipes and water lines are less tolerant of higher flow rates, which can potentially result in a leak or pressure drop.
- Pipe diameter: The diameter of the pipe is one of the most important factors in this equation. Pipes with a greater diameter allow for higher velocity, while smaller pipes have a restricted flow. A small water main relative to the demand may also cause a drop.
Why is Knowing Your Household Water Flow Rate Important?
The question remains: why is it important to know your water flow rate in the first place? And does all this stuff really matter? Firstly, understanding flow means you’ll know whether or not your home water system can support the fixtures you have.
If you’re having a new bathroom or kitchen fitted, you’ll want to know whether the fittings you like will operate as intended. If you understand the equation detailed above, you can also determine points of low pressure in your existing fixtures, and then plan for fixing the problem.
This sort of practical decision-making is key to mitigating any water-related issues further down the line. Knowing your flow rate will also allow you to optimize your usage and save water, which protects the planet and saves you money in the long run.
How Can You Measure Your Home’s Water Flow Rate?
Now that you understand flow rate a little better, it’s time to learn how to measure your own. Here’s what to do:
- Choose a kitchen or bathroom faucet and turn off all appliances that use water.
- Place a large bucket underneath your chosen faucet.
- Turn on the faucet to full capacity to make sure the supply line is fully open, and start timing for 30 seconds (you can choose 15 seconds if you only have a smaller bucket).
- Measure the amount of water collected in gallons.
- Calculate your GPM from the formula above, and reference it against the average for that appliance or fixture to check if it's sufficient.
If you’re not the sort of person who's confident with this procedure yourself, you can call a professional plumber to perform the test for you.
How Can You Improve Water Flow Rate in Your Home?
There are many ways to improve water flow – it all depends on why you have low flow in the first place.
The following solutions are the most common:
- Clean your taps and showheads, as removing mineral buildup can help increase flow.
- Replace older pipes with new ones that have a larger diameter, which better accommodate your fixtures and appliances.
- Install pressure regulators for the ability to consistently monitor and maintain the flow you require.
How Do Shower Filters Affect Water Flow Rate?
It’s common to worry that adding a shower filter will reduce your water flow, but providing you purchase a high-quality model, that won’t be the case. AquaBliss shower filters are specially designed with maintaining optimum flow in mind, all while providing a range of filtration benefits for healthier hair and skin.
Our high-pressure shower heads fit on standard fixtures, so they’re suitable for a wide variety of different types of showers (and unlike most filters of the same type, which tend to wear out quickly, higher-quality parts mean you won’t have to deal with frequent replacements).
Key Takeaways on Optimizing Your Water Flow
Flow rate is an essential part of day-to-day living in your home. It's easy to get overwhelmed with the topic if you're uninitiated, but everything's quite simple once you go through things step by step.
Now that you know that the standard household water flow rate ranges from 6-12 GPM and how to check yours, you have all you need to optimize your plumbing.
Just remember: flow rate is different from water pressure; each fixture and appliance in your house will have a slightly different flow rate; and your main water source can have a big impact.
To achieve your desired flow rate, measure your appliances and fixtures in GPM, update your pipes and fixtures if necessary, and then get yourself a high-quality water filter from AquaBliss for the optimal balance of flow and purity.
