The outdoor spigot of my backyard is 3 GPM (gallons per minute), without a hose attached. I filled 8 cups in 10 seconds. Is this low, expected or high? It seems low to me.
Looking at the plumbing under the house (everything is copper), I noticed that it switches from 3/4" to 1/2" before it gets to the kitchen, and proceeding to backyard. Would this transition be a cause of a reduced flow rate? I was under the impression that pipe should be 3/4" the whole way until it finally gets to the fixture (sink, spigot, toilet, etc). The pipe run from front-of-house/sidewalk (water entrance) to backyard spigot is about 55', so I guess maybe 25' is 1/2" pipe.
Best Answer
Most house hold well test require 5gpm. This flow rate is needed for many lenders, so 3 GPM is low. The well flow test are usually done for 3 hours non stop.
There can be many factors that reduce the flow. Galvanized pipes are the worst, they fill up and end up with small channels inside the pipes limiting your flow , you put a pressure gauge on the spigot and have 60+ psi but when you open the flow it drops to 20, it happens I have picked several short buys and had to change the plumbing out. Debris in the valves can also limit flow Last debris in the foot valve is another problem for wells