Garden Hose Water Calculator
Find hose gallons, cost, and buckets from flow and minutes.
What it does
Hoses hide volume because minutes slip by. A 5 gallon per minute nozzle running thirty minutes puts out 150 gallons, enough for thirty 5 gallon buckets. Cost follows from the local rate per gallon.
The tool above takes flow, minutes, and rate and returns volume, cost, and buckets. The defaults 5 GPM for 30 min at 0.005 match the worked example, so the page opens showing 150 gal. Switch to metric for liters.
Volume is flow times minutes. Cost multiplies by rate. Buckets divide by 5 gallons or 19 liters. A 567 liter run at 0.00132 per liter also bills 0.75, mirroring the imperial example.
Nozzles vary with pressure and setting, so time a bucket to pin your GPM. Soakers and drip use far less than open hose. Local sewer charges may ride on water volume unless separately metered.
This page shows the formula, one full hand checked example at 5 GPM for 30 min, a reference table, and practice checks that run through the tool in both unit systems.
How to use
- Pick Imperial (GPM) or Metric (L/min).
- Type hose flow from a bucket test or label.
- Type minutes watered.
- Type cost per gallon or per liter.
- Read Water used as the main volume.
- Read Cost and Buckets for budget and hauling.
Formula
- flow
- GPM or L/min at your nozzle setting.
- minutes
- Watering time.
- rate
- Dollars per gallon or per liter.
Bucket sizes here are 5 gallons imperial and 19 liters metric for parity. For pool fills use volume only and ignore buckets.
Worked example
Example: 5 GPM for 30 min at 0.005
Water with 5 GPM nozzle for half an hour. Find volume and cost.
- Volume: 5 x 30 = 150 gal.
- Cost: 150 x 0.005 = 0.75.
- Formatted: $0.75.
- Buckets: 150 / 5 = 30 buckets.
- Metric mirror: 18.9 L/min for 30 min gives 567 L.
- Metric cost 567 x 0.00132 = $0.75.
Reference table
| Minutes | Gallons | Buckets |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 50 gal | 10 buckets |
| 20 | 100 gal | 20 buckets |
| 30 | 150 gal | 30 buckets |
| 60 | 300 gal | 60 buckets |
Limits
- Steady flow assumed. Nozzle changes break it.
- Rate as entered. Sewer and fees sit outside unless in rate.
- No pressure model. Kinks and splits cut GPM.
- Estimate, not meter proof.
Common mistakes
- Using label GPM without a bucket test.
- Mixing gallons with liters in one run.
- Forgetting minutes to hours convert.
- Reading cost as volume.
- Ignoring sewer adders on water volume.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
2.5 GPM for 20 min at 0.006?
Volume 50 gal, cost $0.30, 10 buckets.
10 L/min for 15 min at 0.002?
Volume 150 L, cost $0.30, 7.9 buckets.
Questions
5 GPM for 30 min?
150 gal.
Cost?
Volume times rate. Here $0.75.
Buckets?
Volume over 5 gal or 19 L.
My GPM?
Time a 5 gal bucket: GPM is 5 over minutes.
Liters?
Same math per liter. Here 567 L.
Sewer?
Only if folded into rate here.