Multiply GPM by 0.0630902 to get LPS: 1 US gallon per minute equals 0.0630902 liters per second, or roughly 1 GPM per 16 for a fast estimate. Philippine pump datasheets often mix GPM, LPS, and m3/hr on the same spec sheet, and a missed decimal here is the most common reason a buyer orders the wrong duty point. Use the quick-reference table below before you specify a pump.
GPM to LPS Conversion Formula and Quick Reference Table
The exact conversion factor from US gallons per minute (GPM) to liters per second (LPS) is 0.0630902: multiply GPM by 0.0630902 to get LPS, or multiply LPS by 15.850 to get back to GPM. For a fast field check, dividing GPM by 16 gets you within about 1 percent of the exact value, close enough for duty-point screening before a formal quote. A few common pump flows converted: 10 GPM equals 0.63 LPS, 25 GPM equals 1.58 LPS, 50 GPM equals 3.15 LPS, 100 GPM equals 6.31 LPS, and 250 GPM equals 15.77 LPS. These figures assume the US gallon definition, which is the gallon size printed on most pump curves and catalogs sold in the Philippines. Keep this factor on hand whenever you compare a locally quoted pump curve (typically in LPS or m3/hr) against a datasheet in GPM or US GPM, since the two numbers will not match unless you convert first.
US Gallons vs Imperial Gallons: The Conversion Error Nobody Catches
The 0.0630902 factor above applies only to the US gallon (3.785411784 liters). The Imperial (UK) gallon is larger, at 4.54609 liters, which puts the Imperial GPM to LPS factor at 0.0757682, roughly 20 percent higher than the US figure for the same GPM number. Pump curves and motor nameplates for different export markets sometimes carry Imperial gallon ratings without saying so explicitly, and a buyer who assumes US gallons on an Imperial-rated pump will undersize the system by about one-fifth. The practical way to catch this before it becomes a site problem: check the datasheet for the words US gal or Imp gal next to the flow rating, or cross-check the rated flow against the pump's published LPS or m3/hr figure, which removes the ambiguity entirely. If a datasheet gives only a GPM number with no gallon type stated, confirm before specifying a pipe size, pump motor, or VFD duplex panel around it.
Why Philippine Pump Specs Mix GPM, LPS, and m3/hr
Philippine mechanical and plumbing specifications draw on both American and metric conventions, so it is normal to see GPM used for US-style equipment, LPS used in local plumbing code calculations under the National Plumbing Code (NSPC) and National Building Code (NBC), and m3/hr used on pump curves from vetted overseas partner factories and ISO 9001 certified manufacturers. The three units describe the same physical quantity (volumetric flow rate) and convert directly: 1 LPS equals 3.6 m3/hr, and 1 US GPM equals 0.0630902 LPS or 0.227125 m3/hr. A single commercial building project can reasonably have a plumbing consultant's calculation in LPS, a booster pump's nameplate in GPM, and a locally installed panel's rating plate in m3/hr, all describing the identical required flow. The practical takeaway for a buyer or contractor is to pick one unit for the project file, usually LPS or m3/hr to match the applicable NSPC/NBC calculation, and convert every vendor's submitted datasheet into that unit before comparing quotes side by side.
Convert the Head Too: PSI, Bar, and Metres of Water Column
Flow rate is only half of a pump duty point; the other half is head (pressure), which also arrives in mixed units. The standard conversions: 1 bar equals 10.1972 meters of water column (mWC) at standard conditions, 1 psi equals 0.0689476 bar, and 1 psi equals approximately 0.703 mWC. A pump curve quoted in psi, a tank elevation given in meters, and a pressure switch rated in bar all describe the same pressure axis once converted to a common unit. Mixing up head units causes a different failure mode than mixing up flow units: an undersized head spec leaves a pump that cannot push water to the top floor of a building, while an oversized head spec leads to an overpowered motor and higher running cost. Convert every pressure or head figure on a datasheet, whether in psi, bar, or mWC, to the same unit used in the building's hydraulic calculation before comparing pump curves.
Worked Example: Converting a Duty Point Before You Order
Take a duty point commonly seen on a booster pump datasheet: 120 GPM at 80 psi. Converting flow first: 120 GPM x 0.0630902 = 7.57 LPS, or multiplying by 3.6, 27.3 m3/hr. Converting head next: 80 psi x 0.0689476 = 5.52 bar, or using the mWC factor, 80 psi x 0.703 = 56.2 mWC. The converted duty point, 7.57 LPS at 56.2 mWC (or 27.3 m3/hr at 5.52 bar), is now in the units a Philippine plumbing consultant's calculation sheet typically uses, and it is the figure to check against the building's required flow and head before confirming the order. Running this conversion before issuing a purchase order catches two common errors at once: a US gallon pump curve mistaken for an Imperial one, and treating a bar-denominated head figure as if it were psi, which would understate the true pressure requirement by roughly 14.5x if left unconverted.
Getting a Pump Quoted in the Units You Specified
Once a duty point is converted into one consistent unit set, the next step is getting a matching pump sized, quoted, installed, and commissioned. TankSmith sizes and supplies pumping and pressure systems, booster, transfer, and submersible pumps with VFD duplex panels, built to ISO 9001 manufacturer QMS standards and TUV SUD tested where applicable, and installs and commissions the pump and panel on site as part of the same contract as the matching tank. Quotes are based on the converted duty point you provide (flow in GPM, LPS, or m3/hr; head in psi, bar, or mWC) and are returned within 1 business day of the RFQ. Pricing is quote-based and not published, since duty point, panel configuration, and site conditions all affect the final specification. Standard lead time is 21 to 35 days for ex-stock pumps and 45 to 90 days for made-to-order configurations, with nationwide coverage across NCR, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and PEZA/SBMA/Clark sites. Submitting the converted duty point with the RFQ, rather than the raw datasheet figure, shortens the quote cycle because it removes one back-and-forth clarification step before a matching pump, panel, and installation schedule can be confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Multiply the flow rate in US gallons per minute by 0.0630902 to get liters per second: LPS = GPM x 0.0630902. To convert back, multiply LPS by 15.850, or divide by 0.0630902, to get GPM. For a fast estimate in the field, dividing GPM by 16 is accurate to within about 1 percent, close enough to screen a duty point before requesting a formal quote. This factor applies to the US gallon definition (3.785411784 liters), the gallon size printed on most pump curves and catalogs sold in the Philippines.
Yes. The Imperial (UK) gallon is 4.54609 liters, larger than the US gallon's 3.785411784 liters, so the Imperial GPM to LPS factor is 0.0757682, about 20 percent higher than the US factor of 0.0630902 for the same GPM number. If a pump datasheet does not state whether its GPM rating uses US or Imperial gallons, cross-check the rated flow against the pump's published LPS or m3/hr figure, or confirm directly, before using that number to size a pipe or motor.
Divide m3/hr by 3.6 to get LPS, or multiply m3/hr by 4.40287 to get US GPM. Going the other way, multiply LPS by 3.6 to get m3/hr, and multiply US GPM by 0.227125 to get m3/hr. Philippine pump curves and electrical panel rating plates commonly use m3/hr, while other pump datasheets often use GPM, so projects comparing both need one consistent unit before the figures can be checked against a building's hydraulic calculation.
This usually comes down to a unit mismatch rather than an undersized pump. Plumbing calculations under the Philippine NSPC or NBC are typically worked in LPS, while a pump's nameplate may show GPM (US or Imperial) or m3/hr. Convert every figure to the same unit before comparing: for US GPM, multiply by 0.0630902 to get LPS; for m3/hr, divide by 3.6. If the converted flow still does not match the calculation, the pump itself, not the units, is the problem.
Yes. State the duty point in whichever unit your project specification uses (GPM, LPS, or m3/hr for flow; psi, bar, or mWC for head) when submitting an RFQ to TankSmith. The quote response, returned within 1 business day, confirms the converted figures alongside the pump and VFD duplex panel configuration, sized for installation and commissioning under the same contract as your tank. Pricing is quote-based; lead time is 21 to 35 days ex-stock or 45 to 90 days made-to-order, with nationwide coverage across NCR, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and PEZA/SBMA/Clark.
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