Friction Loss In Fire Hose:

Friction loss (FL) is the most important variable to be considered in

fire ground hydraulics. Each appliance, fitting, coupling, section of
hose and everything else through which water flows will impede
the flow through friction. All of these factors may vary with
condition, design, manufacturer, and age of hose and appliances:
therefore, no exact allowances can be made for friction loss. Use
of parallel lines of hose reduces friction loss to approximately 28%
of what it is with a single line, for the same flow of water. Friction
loss in 3" hose with 2 " couplings is about 40% that of 2 "
hose. Thus, with the same engine pressure (EP), it is possible to
use a line of 3 hose two and one half times as long as one of 2 ,
to get the same nozzle pressure (NP) with the same size nozzle.
Having 2 couplings on a 3 hose only increases friction loss by
about 5%: using the same size couplings on both 2 and 3
hose makes it possible to use these sizes interchangeably. Pumps
provide rated capacity (100%) at 150 psi net pump pressure and
only 70% of rated capacity at 200 psi net pump pressure and at
250 psi net pump pressure, the pump will discharge 50% of rated
pump capacity. By the use of formulas bellow, it is evident that the
friction loss in a hose is based on the quantity of water flowing.
Friction loss will remain constant as long as the GPM remain the
same. Regardless of the pressure the friction loss in a given flow is
approximately constant.
FL =C QL
FL = friction loss in psi
C = friction loss coefficient
Q = quantity of water flowing or flow rate in gpm
L = hose length inhundreds of feet
Q = gpm/ 100
Q = hundreds of gpm
GPM = actual flow through hose
100 = a constant
L = hose length/100
L = hose length in hundreds of feet
hose length = actual length of hose
100 = a constant

Hose Diameter and

Type (inches)

Coefficien
t (C)

3/4 inch booster

1100

1'' booster

150

1 1/4 ''booster

80

1 1/2 ''rubber lined

24

1 3/4 with 1 1/2'' couplings 15.5

2 1/2'' rubber lined with 1
1/2'' couplings

2 1/2 rubber lined

2 3/4'' with 3'' couplings

1.5

3'' with 2 1/2'' couplings

0.8

3'' with 3'' couplings

0.677

3 1/2''

0.34

4''

0.2

4 1/2''

0.1

5''

0.08

6''

0.05

4'' standpipe

0.374

5'' standpipe

0.126

6'' standpipe

0.052

Different way to calculate Friction Loss (for 2 1/2'' hose) is to use

2
formula FL = 2Q + Q for flows greater than 100 GPM and
FL = 2Q2+ Q for flows less than 100 GPM.
To get FL for hose larger or smaller in diameter than 2 1/2'', first
you find FL for 2 1/2'' by using the formula above, than the result
should be multiplied or divided (whether multiplication or division
is used is up to personal preference) by the appropriate
conversion factor from the table:

Diameter
and Type Divid Multip
(single
e by ly by
line)
3/4''
0.002
344
booster
9
1 booster
0.011 91
1 1/4''
0.025 40
rubber lined
1 1/2''
0.074 13.50
rubber lined
1 3/4 ''
0.16 5.95
rubber lined
2'' rubber
0.34 2.94
lined
3'' rubber
2.60 0.385
lined
3'' rubber
lined with 2
2.50 0.40
1/2''
couplings
3 1/2''
5.80 0.172
rubber lined
4'' rubber
11
0.09
lined
4 1/2''
19.50 0.051
rubber lined
5'' rubber
32
0.031
lined
6'' rubber
83.33 0.012
lined
1 1/4''
0.015
unlined
63.60
7
linen
1 1/2''
unlined
0.039 25.60
linen
2'' unlined
0.16 6.25
linen
2 1/2''
unlined
0.14 2.13
linen

SIAMESED
LINES OF
EQUAL
LENGTH
Two 2 1/2''
Three 2
1/2''
Two 3''
One 3'',
One 2 1/2''
Two 2 1/2'',
One 3''
Two 3'',One
2 1/2''
STANDPIP
ES
4''
5''
6''

Divid Multip
e by ly by
3.60 0.28
7.75 0.129
9.35 0.107
6.10 0.164
11.50 0.087
15

0.067

Divid Multip
e by ly by
7.50 0.133
22
0.045
52
0.019

FIND FRICTION LOSS: ( USE 2Q + Q or CQ L )

Rate of Friction Loss Increase (ROI)
ROI = V / v
V = new velocity flow
v = old velocity flow
New Friction Loss ( NFL ) resulting from an INCREASE in the Velocity
Flow
NFL = ( V / v ) FL
NFL = New Friction Loss
V = new velocity flow
v = old velocity flow
FL = old friction loss
Relationship Between Different Size Hose Lines (equivalent length
- EL)

EL = ( C1 / C2 ) L
EL = equivalent length
C1 = coefficient of smaller line
C2 = coefficient of larger line
L = hose length in hundrends of feet ( length / 100 )

Friction Loss Coefficients for SIAMESED Lines of EQUAL Lengths

Two 2 1/2''
0.5
Three 2 1/2''
0.22
Two 3'' with 2 1/2''
0.2
couplings
APPLIANCES
One 3'' with 2 1/2''
0.3
couplings, one 2 1/2''
> than
Friction loss = 25 psi
One
3'' 350
withGPM
3'' couplings,
0.27
Siameses
one
2 1/2''and wyes - less than 350 GPM Friction loss = 0 psi
Siameses
and
wyes
greater
than 350 GPM Friction loss = 10 psi
Two
2 1/2'',
One
3'' =
with
2
0.16
Clappered
Siamese(ladder trucks) = 10 psi
1/2''
couplings
Portable
Monitor
= 25 psi
Two
3'' with
2 1/2''
0.12
Wagon Battery = 25 psi
couplings, one 2 1/2''
Hush pumpers "deck" gun = 15 psi
STANDPIPES
Pierce pumpers "deck" gun = 25 psi
4''
Seagraves pumpers "deck"0.374
gun = 30 psi
5''
0.126
American LaFrance "deck" gun = 60 psi
6''
Ladder Pipe = 80 psi (Note:0.052
Please check your department SOP
and ladder specs.)
Standpipe = 25 psi
Sprinkler Inlet whether or not fire is showing pump at 150 psi
(Note: Please check your department SOP).

ELEVATION PRESSURE
Elevation Pressure = 0.5 H
Elevation Pressure = Elevation pressure in psi
0.5 = A constant
H = Height in feet
(Total Height minus 10, than divide by half, or number of stories
minus 1)

5 psi per floor or 5 psi per 10 feet ( It is 4.5 psi but we are using 5
psi)
Mountain slopes - use 5 psi per 100' of hose layout ( Again, it is 4.5
psi but we are using 5 psi in the field )
PRINCIPLES OF FRICTION LOSS
1. IF ALL OTHER CONDITIONS ARE THE SAME, FRICTION LOSS
VARIES DIRECTLY WITH THE LENGTH OF HOSE OR PIPE. Double
the length, double the friction loss.
2. WHEN HOSE, ETC. ARE THE SAME SIZE, FRICTION LOSS VARIES
APPROXIMATELY WITH SQUARE OF THE INCREASE IN THE
VELOCITY OF THE FLOW. Double the speed of the water and
increase friction loss by four times.
3. FOR THE SAME DISCHARGE, FRICTION LOSS VARIES INVERSELY
AS THE FIFTH POWER OF THE DIAMETER OF THE HOSE. At a given
GPM, friction loss is cut by four times when you increase the
diameter of hose from 2 1/2'' to a 5'' hose.
4. FOR A GIVEN VELOCITY, FRICTION LOSS IS APPROXIMATELY THE
SAME, REGARDLESS OF THE PRESSURE OF THE WATER. Friction
loss is VELOCITY based. The faster you move it, the more friction
loss occurs.
At a given quantity of flow, friction loss in nearly independent of
pressure. The velocity of water through a hose line, not pressure,
causes friction loss. Other factors affecting friction loss in hose
line include: rough lininings in the hose, sharp bends or kinks,
appliances, improperly seated gaskets, partially closed valves,
etc.