Which statement best describes friction loss in hose lines?

• A. It is directly proportional to hose length
• B. It is independent of flow rate
• C. It decreases with longer lengths
• D. It is not affected by hose diameter

Answer: (A)

Friction loss is the pressure drop caused by the resistance the water meets as it flows through hose. This resistance accumulates along the length of the hose, so for a given hose diameter and a specific flow, the total friction loss grows as you add more hose. That means if you double the length, you roughly double the amount of energy (pressure) needed to push the same flow through—the friction is effectively added foot by foot.

The amount of friction loss per foot depends on how much water you’re moving and the hose’s diameter. Higher flow increases friction per foot, and a smaller diameter increases friction per foot as well. So while the total friction loss is proportional to length, it is not independent of flow or diameter; those factors determine how much friction you incur per unit length.

In practice, you’d use a friction loss value for the hose size and flow, then multiply by the total hose length to estimate the total loss. The best description is that friction loss is directly proportional to hose length.