Sprinkler Flow
Total flow, gallons per run and inches of water applied.
About Sprinkler Flow
All sprinkler outputs are summed, water volume over run time is found, then spread over the covered area as depth. Knowing the actual depth applied lets you hit a half-inch per watering instead of guessing with the clock.
Formula
Sprinkler Flow
Flow = heads x gpm; depth = gallons x 231 / area(sq ft) / 144
- 231
- Cubic inches in one gallon
Worked example
With the default values below, Sprinkler Flow returns Total Flow of 14.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Sprinklersminimum 1
- 4
- Flow eachminimum 0.01 gpm
- 3.5 gpm
- Run timeminimum 0 min
- 20 min
- Covered areaminimum 1 sq ft
- 3,000 sq ft
Results
- Total Flow
- 14.0 gpm
- Gallons per Run
- 280 gal
- Inches Applied
- 0.15 in
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Sprinkler Flow
- 3Total Flow= 14.0 gpm
- 4Gallons per Run= 280 gal
- 5Inches Applied= 0.15 in
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Sprinkler Flow calculated?
Flow = heads x gpm; depth = gallons x 231 / area(sq ft) / 144 All sprinkler outputs are summed, water volume over run time is found, then spread over the covered area as depth.
Why does Sprinkler Flow matter?
Knowing the actual depth applied lets you hit a half-inch per watering instead of guessing with the clock.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Sprinklers, Flow each, Run time, Covered area. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.