A pump is a basic but important mechanical device that supplies the force to move fluid at a specific

flow rate. Like any device that does work (transfers energy across a distance), its effectiveness is
measured in power. Although watts and kilowatts are more common units of power measurement,
horsepower is still commonly used for high-output electrical devices in the United States. In this context,
1 horsepower is equal to 746 watts.

Quick Formula

Water horsepower = minimum power required to run water pump

TDH = Total Dynamic Head = Vertical distance liquid travels (in feet) + friction loss from pipe

Q = flow rate of liquid in gallons per minute

SG = specific gravity of liquid (this equals 1 if you are pumping water)

Water horsepower =

Actual power required = (water horsepower) / (pump efficiency).

o Write efficiency as a decimal (50% 0.5).

Calculating Water Horsepower for a Planned Project

1.
 1
Decide on the desired flow rate. The needs of your project determine the necessary
flow rate of liquid from the pump. Write this value down in gallons per minute (gpm).
You won't be using this value right away, but it will determine which pumps and pipes
you consider.
Example: A gardener has an irrigation plan that requires a flow rate of 10 gallons per
minute.

2.
 2
Measure the height the water needs to travel. This is the vertical distance from the
top of the water table (or the top of the water level in the first tank) to the final
destination of the water. Ignore any horizontal distance. If the water level changes over
time, use the maximum expected distance. This is the "pumping lift" your pump will
need to generate.[1]
Example: When the gardener's water tank is nearly empty (the lowest expected level),
its water level is 50 feet below the area of the garden that needs watering.
3.
3
Estimate friction losses from the pipe. Besides the minimum pressure needed to
move water a certain distance, your pump also needs to overcome the force of friction
as the water moves through the pipe. The amount of friction depends on the pipe's
material, internal diameter, and length, as well as the type of bends and fittings you use.
Look up these values on a pipe friction loss chart such as this one. Write down the total
friction loss in feet of head (meaning the number of feet you "lose" from your pumping
lift because of friction).
Example: The gardener decides to use 1" diameter plastic pipes, and needs 75 ft of
pipe total (including horizontal lengths). A pipe friction loss chart tells him that 1" plastic
 pipes cause a loss of 6.3 ft of head for every 100 ft of pipe length.

He also looks up the friction loss from each fitting in the pipe. For 1" plastic, one 90
elbow connector and three threaded fittings contribute a total loss of 15 ft.
Adding this all together, the total friction loss is 4.7 + 15 = 19.7 ft., or about 20 ft.
These charts often include an estimate of water velocity as well, based on flow rate and
the pipes you use. It's best to keep velocity below 5 ft / s to prevent "water hammer," the
repeated knocking vibration that can damage your equipment.[2]
4.

4
 Add the pumping lift and friction loss together. The vertical distance water needs to
travel plus the friction losses from the pipe make the "total dynamic head" or TDH. This
is the total pressure load the pump needs to overcome.[3]
Example: TDH = vertical distance + friction loss = 50 ft + 20 ft = 70 ft.
5.

5
Look up the specific gravity if you are pumping anything besides water. The basic
water horsepower formula assumes you are pumping water. If you are pumping a
different fluid, look up its "specific gravity" online or in an engineering reference book.
 Fluids with a higher specific density are denser, and require more horsepower to push
through the pipe.
Example: Since the gardener is pumping water, he doesn't need to look anything up.
Water's specific gravity is equal to 1.
6.

6
Enter these values into the water horsepower formula. The water horsepower, or
minimum power required to run the pump, equals , where TDH is the total dynamic
head in feet, Q is the flow rate in gpm, and SG is the specific gravity (1 for water). Enter
all the values you found into this formula to find the water horsepower for your project.
 Example: The garden pump needs to overcome a TDH of 70 ft and produce a flow rate
Q of 10 gpm. Since it is pumping water, the SG is equal to 1.
Water horsepower = ~0.18 horsepower.
7.

7
Divide horsepower by pump efficiency. Now you know how much horsepower you
need to supply to run your pump. However, no mechanical device is 100% efficient at
transferring power. Once you have chosen a pump, check the manufacturer's info for
the pump's efficiency and write it as a decimal. Divide the water horsepower by this
value to find the actual horsepower of the motor you need for your pump.[4]
 Example: To do 0.18 horsepower of work, a pump with a 50% (or 0.5) efficiency rating
would actually require a 0.36 hpmotor.
Most modern pumps are between 50% and 85% efficient when used as intended. [5] If
you cannot find an efficiency rating for your pump, you can assume the actual motor
horsepower needed falls between and

Method 2
Measuring a Pump's Water Horsepower
1.

1
 Check the water level in the base reservoir tank. This is the tank that supplies water
for your pump. The water level in the tank will also equal the water level in the pipe, so
this is the level the pump is currently drawing from.
If you are pumping from a well, either measure the depth directly or look for an estimate
of water table levels in your area (at this time of year). Government agencies such as
the USGS can often provide this information.[6]
2.

2
 Empty the destination reservoir. The destination reservoir is a second tank, to which
the pump transfers water from the base reservoir. Make sure it is empty and connected
properly to the pump.
If you do not normally have a tank here, just put down a large bucket to collect the water
for this measurement. Use a bucket of known size in gallons.
3.

3
Measure the vertical distance between the two locations. Using a scale or ruler,
measure the vertical distance between the water level in the base reservoir tank and the
water input at the destination tank. Write down the distance in feet.
 For example, say the water level in the first tank is 120 feet lower in elevation than the
destination reservoir.
For this step, it doesn't matter how much horizontal distance the water travels.
4.

4
Switch on the pump. Turn on the device, and it will start pumping water. Start a stop
watch at the same time.
5.
 5
Measure the flow rate. Once your pump is working, you can measure the volumetric
flow rate: the volume of water transported per unit of time. Note this rate in gallons per
minute.
For example, your pump takes 30 seconds to fill a 10 gallon container. This means the
flow rate is . This is usually written 20 gpm, for "gallons per minute".
6.
 6
Look up the specific gravity of the fluid. Specific gravity is a measurement of density:
the more dense a fluid is, the more power it takes to pump. Water has a specific gravity
of 1. If pumping a different fluid, look it up on a specific gravity engineering table.
This example will use water, so the specific gravity is 1.
7.
 7
Estimate horsepower from these values. The water horsepower of the pump is
roughly equal to , where H is the vertical distance the water travels in feet, Q is the flow
rate in gallons per minute, and SG is the specific gravity of the fluid.
In this example, the pump is operating at 0.65 horsepower.
In reality, you are likely using more power than this on your pump. Your pump is also
overcoming the force of friction in the pipes, and some power is wasted due to the
inefficiency of the motor. You can double this result for a rough estimate of power
consumption, or track the actual amount of fuel or electricity your motor uses, or refer to
the full calculations above.
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