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Engineering ToolBox > Suction Flow Velocities of Water
Capacity problem, cavitation and high power consumption in a pump, is often the result of the conditions on the suction side. In general - a rule of thumb - is to keep the suction fluid flow speed below the following values:
| Pipe bore | Water | ||
| inches | mm | m/s | ft/s |
| 1 | 25 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 2 | 50 | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| 3 | 75 | 0.5 | 1.7 |
| 4 | 100 | 0.55 | 1.8 |
| 6 | 150 | 0.6 | 2 |
| 8 | 200 | 0.75 | 2.5 |
| 10 | 250 | 0.9 | 3 |
| 12 | 300 | 1.4 | 4.5 |
More about NPSH suction problems can be read here: