Tank to Pump

Calculators

The Calculators are a set of training-math tools that don't just hand you an answer — they show the steps with real numbers so you understand the mental model. Use them to work a specific problem (friction loss, pump discharge pressure, tank time, hydrant supply, and more) or to print a reference card for the rig.

The calculators are free and work without an account. The instructor Worksheet Generator is part of Pro (see Account & Progress).

The hub

The Calculators page groups the tools into three categories:

  1. Pressure & Flow — what the pump needs to make and what the line is really flowing
  2. Water Supply — where the water comes from and how long it lasts
  3. Reference & Print — laminated cards and drills to take to the rig

Every calculator shows the formula and a step-by-step breakdown, includes inline glossary links on key terms, and carries a training-math disclaimer under the results.

Pressure & Flow

Friction Loss — How much pressure the hose eats up. Enter flow per line, hose diameter, and length (add multiple sections laid in series); optionally a custom friction coefficient and number of lines. Shows total friction loss with a per-section breakdown, and can compare the quick "7-11-15" mental-math shortcut against the full formula.

PDP Builder — Build a pump discharge pressure target step by step. Enter nozzle pressure, flow, hose length and diameter, an appliance preset (or custom loss), and elevation (as feet or number of floors). Shows the total required pressure and how much each part contributes.

Reverse Flow — Work backwards from the pressure you're already pumping to estimate what the line is actually flowing and what the nozzle is getting. Enter the pump discharge pressure, hose length/diameter, nozzle pressure, and number of lines.

Nozzle Flow & Reaction — For a smooth-bore tip, find the flow (GPM) and the reaction force pushing back on the line. Enter the tip diameter and nozzle pressure. Shows why bigger tips and higher pressures are harder to hold.

Relay Pumping — What a source engine must supply over a long lay, and how many pumpers a relay needs. Enter the distance, hose diameter, flow, and the intake pressure floor the receiving pump needs.

Standpipe / High-Rise — Plan the pressure a fire department connection (FDC) must supply. Enter nozzle pressure, attack hose length/diameter, a system allowance, and the number of floors above the connection.

Split Lay (Gated Wye) — One supply line feeding two attack lines. Enter the supply line and each branch's hose, nozzle, and flow. Shows the supply pressure needed and how much to gate down the lighter line.

Foam Eductor Check — A go / no-go check for an in-line eductor. Pick the eductor, enter your pump discharge pressure and foam hose diameter, and see whether back pressure will let it work.

Water Supply

Fire Flow (NFA & Iowa) — Estimate how much water a building needs, comparing the National Fire Academy and Iowa methods side by side. Enter square footage, stories, and occupancy type.

Hydrant Available Water — Estimate how many more lines a hydrant can support from its static and residual pressures at a known flow. Includes an inline pitot calculator, and shows both the percentage (band) method and the continuous (curve) method so you can see where and why they differ.

Tank Duration — How long the booster tank lasts at your total flow. Enter tank capacity and total outflow; optionally add a hose-fill deduction to account for water that fills the lay before it reaches the nozzle.

Tanker Shuttle — Sustained shuttle flow from a tanker's cycle time, and how many tankers a target flow really takes. Enter tanker capacity, round-trip time, and your target flow.

Drafting & Lift — The maximum lift atmospheric pressure allows, with a practical-limit (cavitation) check. Enter altitude and the source/strainer condition.

Reference & Print

These three produce printable output. To print, click the calculator's Print button — your browser's print dialog opens, where you can print to paper or save as PDF.

Pump Chart Generator — Build a laminated PDP card for your apparatus. Add your discharge lines with their real lengths, nozzles, elevations, and appliance losses (and optional length variants), and get a color-coded, answer-only table. Choose a Laminate card or Pocket card layout. You can save a draft locally on the device (it isn't shared across devices).

Friction Loss Reference Table — A printable cab-door table of friction loss by flow and hose size, from the same formula as the calculators. Pick which hose sizes and flow range to include, and toggle between a per-100-ft reference and a total-for-a-specific-length view.

Worksheet Generator (Pro / instructor tool) — Build a printable drill of randomized pump-pressure problems with a matching answer key. Choose difficulty, number of problems, and an optional title and seed (use the same seed to reproduce a worksheet). Toggle between the Student copy (problems only) and the Answer key.

Units (metric / US)

Every calculator except the Worksheet Generator supports a metric units toggle. Look for the units control at the top of the calculator. Switching converts inputs and outputs between US customary (GPM, PSI, feet, gallons) and metric (L/min, bar, metres, litres). The Worksheet Generator stays US-only by design, because students hand-work those problems with US friction coefficients.

These are simplified training calculations. Use your department's approved formulas, hose coefficients, SOPs/SOGs, and apparatus guidance for real operations. See Safety & Disclaimer.