Water Measurement Tips

Measuring A Leak From A Tap

This is a very simple task requiring a bowl or other suitable container and a measuring jug. Run the item into the bowl for one hour and then using the measuring jug measure how much water is in the bowl. The leak rate is the number of litres or gallons in the bowl per hour. Multiply the result by 24 to get the daily amount of water lost. For small leaks it may be necessary to catch the water for say 10 hours. In this case the daily loss is amount of water divided by the time in hours multiplied by 24.

Measuring The Flow Rate Of A Tap Or Shower

This task requires a bucket or bowl and a measuring jug. Run the item into the bucket for one minute and then using the measuring jug measure how much water is in the bucket. The flow rate is the number of litres or gallons in the bucket per minute. The accuracy of this measurement will not be that good. For more accurate measurements use a larger container and run the shower or tap for longer - say two or three minutes. The flow rate per minute is the number of litres or gallons in the container divided by the number of minutes. This method works very well when for instance a normal shower head is replaced by an aerating shower head.

Measuring Water Pressure

To do this you need a suitable pressure gauge and adaptor to connect the gauge to the tap or shower you want to measure. The gauges can be obtained from good plumbers merchants but often it is difficult to find a suitable adaptor to fit particular taps. The only option in this case is to make something up which is not always as easy as it sounds. It is also useful to know the water pressure coming into the house since this can have a big effect on water use. The only option here is to fit a pressure gauge after the main water stop valve.