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How much water pressure loss in one drinking water pipe fitting? E.g Elbow

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Question added by Naeem Ud Din , BIM Modeler , Webuild
Date Posted: 2016/08/15
Syed Qumarul Ahsan
by Syed Qumarul Ahsan , Completed job as Mechanical Specialist (National) , ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

I don't know the questionneir is an Engineer or not, however this is for general information that Elbows, Tees, valves etc are the signiuficant component of piping system in which pressure drops occurs. But before that we must know the material and types of pipes. The losses can be calculatedeasily by equivalent length method( L/D ), which is a rough calculation method.

This method may be defined as the pressure drop through the fitting is equivalent to the pressure lost through a certain length of piping at that crresponding flow rate. But most accurate way to use this method is when tabulated data is available for fitting at the given size, roughness and turbulant number(Re). By the experiment, if the equivalent length for a range of sizes of a given type of fitting( Elbow, Bend etc.) are divided by the diameter of the fittings then a constant ratio (Le/D) is obtained. This value is very significant and makes the tabulation of equivalent length data very easy, becausse this single data value is sufficient to cover all sizes of that fittings. For example, Le/D value of a 45 degree screwed elbow is 13.

However this approach does not consider turbulence and subsequent losses caused by different velocities.

Haitham El shinnawy
by Haitham El shinnawy , Head of Mechanical Engineering Department , Universal Contracting Company-Unico

There are ready to use tables for each size of pipe. Try NFPA 13 for this cause.

syed jareer
by syed jareer , Lead Mechanical Design Engineer , Omrania by Egis

The thing about pressure drop in fittings is that all methods used are approximate as the friciton factor or c coefficients used in hazen williams equaiton is only a rough approximation as a result of series of experimentation.... funny thing is if we look closely the friciton factor is not even a constant it varies through the length of pipe/fittings, but anyway for engineering applications its fine to consider it constant for a one matrial against one fluid which in your case is water, equivalent fitting method is commonly used (Carrier HVAC Design book) or a seemingly more accurate method yet less commonly used is given in ASHRAE fundamentals which uses some constants and multiplication factors which all amounts to experimental results and careful approximations....... 

chetan sharma
by chetan sharma , Senior project engineer , trinity engineering services

There are two methods 1)equivalent length method in which each fitting is designated with equivalent pipe length and 2) K factor loos this is based on the reynolds number for each fitting according to its diameter and length.

Which ever suits you that can be adapted how ever k factor method is accurate and precise and equivalent length method is rough.

Refer to ashrae for chilled water and upc for water supply or drianage

GHULAM MUSTAFA
by GHULAM MUSTAFA , Site in charge , Ministry Of Water & Power Projects.DAMMAM K.S.A. Consultants : Ali-Al sagir

The amount of water pressure lost in one drinking water pipe line is more than 24 bar

Kangrae Cho
by Kangrae Cho , Project Director , Sinwoo Enigneering Co.,Ltd

I think it`s the critiria to take advantage of AWWA.  And  full used of it.

Khalid Abduljabbar
by Khalid Abduljabbar , Site Mechanical Engineer , LENWON AIR SYSTEMS CORPORATION

its depent on pipe size types of pipe plastic, copper and etc. each fittings have different loss as per Plumbing Engineering Services Design Guide IOP 2002

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