Garden tap water pressure

There are two ways to measure your garden tap output: water pressure; or the water flow rate.  

Garden tap “water pressure” and “water flow” are different things but they are both ways to assess you garden tap output, particularly with regards to sprinkler performance.

Water Flow Rate 

This is the volume of water that can flow through your system in a certain time, usually per minute.  No special equipment is required so this is the quickest and simplest way to measure your water supply at the garden tap. 

Some simple instructions for measuring the water flow rate can be found here.

Water Pressure

Pressure is the measure of force to push water through your hosepipe.  The water pressure can be measured directly by attaching a pressure gauge to the garden tap.  You can purchase a garden tap pressure gauge here.

Simply attach the water pressure gauge to your outside tap and turn the tap fully on.  The reading, in either bars or PSI, can be compared to the usual standard pressure available in domestic properties in the UK.

Normal Water Pressure

Your water supply pressure should be a minimum of 1 bar, or 14.5 psi.  Ideally, the pressure should be  between 2-4 bar or 29-58 psi.  Obviously the higher up this range the pressure is, the better your garden irrigation system will work.  Anything over 6 bar, however, is abnormal and would cause damage to pipework and fittings and probably result in leaks.