Drip Irrigation Pump Calculator – Find the Perfect Pump for Your Irrigation System

Our Drip Irrigation Pump Calculator simplifies the process into four key calculations:

1️⃣ Calculate Total Flow Rate (GPM or LPM)

• Enter the number of drip emitters in your system.
• Input the flow rate per emitter (GPH or LPH) from your manufacturer’s specifications.
• The calculator will automatically determine your total system flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM) or liters per minute (LPM).

🔹 Formula:
Total Flow Rate (GPM) = (Number of Emitters × Flow Rate per Emitter) / 60

💡 Example:
If you have 50 emitters, each delivering 2 GPH, the total flow rate is (50 × 2) / 60 = 1.67 GPM.

2️⃣ Determine Required Pressure (PSI or Bar)

• Enter the operating pressure at the emitters (found in the emitter’s manual).
• Add pressure loss due to pipe friction and elevation changes.
• The calculator will estimate the total pressure required (PSI or Bar) for optimal system performance.

🔹 Formula:
Required Pressure (PSI) = Emitter Pressure + Pipe Friction Loss + Elevation Loss

💡 Example:
If your system needs 10 PSI at the emitters, has a 2 PSI pipe friction loss, and 3 PSI elevation head, your required pressure is 10 + 2 + 3 = 15 PSI.

3️⃣ Calculate Pump Horsepower (HP or kW)

• Enter the flow rate (GPM) and total dynamic head (TDH) (sum of pressure, friction loss, and elevation head).
• Select the pump efficiency (%) based on the manufacturer’s specifications.
• The calculator will estimate the required pump horsepower (HP or kW).

🔹 Formula:
Pump HP = (Flow Rate × Total Dynamic Head) / (3960 × Pump Efficiency)

💡 Example:
A system with 10 GPM flow rate, 40 TDH, and 70% pump efficiency requires:
(10 × 40) / (3960 × 0.7) = 0.145 HP (≈ 0.108 kW).

4️⃣ Estimate Energy Cost (Per Hour/Day)

• Enter the pump power (kW) calculated above.
• Input the hours of operation per day and electricity cost per kWh.
• The calculator will show the estimated daily or monthly energy cost of running your pump.

🔹 Formula:
Energy Cost = Pump kW × Operating Hours × Cost per kWh

💡 Example:
A 0.108 kW pump running for 8 hours/day at $0.12 per kWh costs:
0.108 × 8 × 0.12 = $0.10 per day.

Additional Features

✅ Pipe Size Recommendation – Get a suggested pipe diameter to prevent pressure loss.
✅ Suction Lift Calculation – Ensure your pump isn’t too far from the water source.
✅ Booster Pump Suggestion – Find out if you need an additional booster pump for pressure compensation.