Sumi calculator test
How to do the bucket test
- Hook up the hose or pipe you'll actually use, and run it to the bed. Distance and hills both cost flow.
- Turn the water on full.
- Time how long it takes to fill a 5-gallon bucket.
- Divide 5 by the minutes. 30 seconds is half a minute, so 5 ÷ 0.5 = 10 GPM.
Enter that flow above under "I know my flow", along with the pressure at the tap. A hose-bib pressure gauge costs a few dollars and gives you the pressure with the water off.
How much water each line needs
| Line length | R-Wide at 30 PSI | Mark II at 12 PSI |
|---|---|---|
| 25 ft | 3.2 GPM | 0.9 GPM |
| 50 ft | 6.4 GPM | 1.8 GPM |
| 100 ft | 12.7 GPM | 3.6 GPM |
| 200 ft | 25.4 GPM | 7.2 GPM |
| 328 ft (full roll) | 41.9 GPM | 11.9 GPM |
Running more than one line at once? Add the lines together.
Pressure
R-Wide runs from 15 to 30 PSI and sprays about 33 ft wide at 30 PSI, about 26 ft at 22 PSI and about 12 ft at 15 PSI. Mark II runs from about 3 to 12 PSI and sprays about 13 ft wide at 12 PSI. Don't run either above its rating; it can damage the tubing. Most town water runs 40 to 60 PSI, so use the regulator version of the Garden Hose or Mainline Connector.
Filtration
Sumi tubing needs 80 mesh filtration. Every kit includes a fabric filter at the inlet. If you pull from a pond, ditch or sandy well, add a screen or disc filter upstream and rinse the fabric filter often.