Division Operations Module 3 – Advanced Practice Test

When accounting for elevation in friction loss, how many PSI should you add per ten feet (about one story)?

5 psi per floor 2 psi per floor 10 psi per floor 3 psi per floor

Correct Answer:

5 psi per floor

Explanation:

Elevation adds head pressure that water must overcome to reach the nozzle, so you compensate by adding pressure for the height you’re pumping to. In firefighting hydraulics, a practical rule of thumb is to add about 5 psi for every floor (roughly ten feet of elevation). This simple figure accounts for gravity and typical friction losses along the hose, giving enough nozzle pressure across varying conditions. The exact hydrostatic head would be around 0.433 psi per foot (about 4.3 psi per ten feet), but 5 psi per floor is used as a conservative, easy-to-apply estimate. So, for each floor you rise, you add about 5 psi.

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