Legal Document

Terms of Service

Flow Calculator Β· Flow-Calculator.com Β· Last updated: September 2026

Plain-language rules for a free tool: use the calculators for planning, verify against the published standards and the authority having jurisdiction, and don’t republish the engine. The full text of each term follows below.

What the Service Is

Free online flow rate and pipe sizing calculators, fluid property reference data, pressure-drop estimation tools, and guides at Flow-Calculator.com.

Your Project Data

Calculation inputs are processed in your browser and never stored on our servers. See the Privacy Policy.

How You May Use It

Personal and professional planning use is welcome. Scraping results, republishing the engine, or presenting output as a code-compliant design is not.

Governing Law

United States law governs these Terms. See Section 10 for jurisdiction details.

The 60-Second Version

Six sentences that carry the substance of this document. The formal sections below are the authoritative wording β€” this is the map, not the territory.

  1. 1The calculators are free planning tools β€” use them as often as you like, for work or for learning.
  2. 2Output is educational: it is not a contractor's quote, a code-approved design, or professional advice.
  3. 3Enter real measurements and real fluid data β€” the math is exact, but only for the system you actually describe.
  4. 4Don't scrape, mirror, or extract the engines, and don't republish the site commercially.
  5. 5Your calculation inputs stay in your browser; we never receive or store them.
  6. 6The site is provided as-is, with no warranty β€” the published standards, the adopted codes, and qualified professionals make the final call.

The Words We Use, in Plain Language

Legal documents drift into jargon fast. These definitions govern how the terms below are used, so the formal sections can stay short.

The Website
All pages, calculators, reference tables, and guides published at Flow-Calculator.com, including the main flow rate calculator and its diameter, velocity, fluid, temperature, pressure, length, and fitting controls.
Calculator Output
Any number the tools produce β€” volumetric and mass flow rates, Reynolds numbers, friction losses and pressure drops, velocity checks, and pipe size recommendations.
The Company
Flow Calculator, the operator of the Website. The pronoun "we" and "us" mean the Company throughout.
You
Anyone who loads a page, runs a calculation, reads a guide, or shares a calculation link β€” with or without creating any account (there are none).
Planning Use
Using Calculator Output to size components, compare options, check quotes, or learn β€” the intended and permitted use of the Website.
Authority Data
The manufacturer's certified pipe data, the governing codes as adopted locally (such as the IPC, IMC, ASHRAE standards, and NFPA documents), and the current editions of the referenced standards. Calculator Output is never a substitute for Authority Data.

Prohibited Uses, at a Glance

Section 4 has the formal language. This is the short version β€” six things that are never okay, regardless of purpose.

No Scraping or Bulk Downloading

Crawling, mirroring, or bulk-exporting calculator results, pipe data tables, or guide content β€” by script or by hand β€” is not permitted.

No Engine Extraction

Reverse-engineering, decompiling, or extracting the flow rate, Reynolds number, friction loss, and unit-conversion math for reuse in another product is prohibited.

No Passing Off

Presenting calculator output as a code-compliant pipe sizing determination or a professionally engineered design misleads everyone downstream β€” including your own team.

No Disguised Traffic

Forged headers, rotating proxies, or false identifiers used to disguise the origin of requests to the Website are banned.

No Commercial Republication

Copying, reselling, or exploiting any part of the Website commercially without written permission is prohibited. Quoting a result with attribution and a link is welcome.

No Disruption

Overloading, probing, or interfering with the normal operation of the Website or its infrastructure is prohibited.

01

Acceptance of Terms

Flow Calculator (the "Company") provides free online flow rate and pipe sizing calculators, fluid property reference data, pressure-drop estimation tools, and educational guides on Flow-Calculator.com (the "Website") for engineers, technicians, contractors, estimators, facility managers, and students. By accessing or using the Website in any way β€” running a calculation, reading a guide, or citing a result β€” you agree to comply with these Terms of Service. If you object to any term or condition here, or to any guideline posted on the Website, your sole and exclusive remedy is to immediately discontinue use of the Website.

02

Changes to These Terms

We may revise, modify, or replace these Terms of Service at any time at our sole discretion. Changes take effect immediately upon posting to this page, and the latest version is always linked from the Website footer. Because the Website is free and requires no account, posting is deemed sufficient notice. You should review these Terms periodically β€” particularly before relying on calculator output for a real order or installation.

03

Educational Purpose β€” Not Professional Advice

All output from the Website β€” volumetric and mass flow rates, Reynolds numbers, friction losses and pressure drops, velocity checks, and pipe size recommendations β€” is provided for informational, planning, and educational purposes only. It is not a contractor's quote, not a supplier's confirmed specification, not a code compliance determination, not a stamped engineering design, and not professional advice of any kind.

The Website does not replace a licensed mechanical or process engineer, a certified gas or plumbing designer, or the authority having jurisdiction over your system. Fluid property verification, compressibility and altitude effects, fitting and valve loss allocation, pump and compressor selection, elevation and static head, permits, and code compliance are specified and applied differently for every system and in every jurisdiction, and their application to your specific installation requires evaluation by qualified professionals. Nothing on this Website creates a professional relationship of any kind.

04

Acceptable Use

You agree not to post, transmit, or use the Website in any way that:

  • Violates any applicable federal, state, provincial, or local law, including the codes and standards adopted where a system will be built
  • Attempts to scrape, crawl, mirror, or bulk-download calculator results, pipe data tables, or guide content
  • Reverse-engineers, decompiles, or extracts the calculation engines β€” the flow rate, Reynolds number, friction loss, and unit-conversion math β€” for reuse in another product
  • Misrepresents calculator output as a code-compliant determination or a professionally engineered design
  • Infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, or other proprietary right of any party
  • Uses forged headers, rotating proxies, or false identifiers to disguise the origin of requests to the Website
  • Disrupts, overloads, or interferes with the normal operation of the Website or its infrastructure

Unless you receive explicit written permission from the Company, you may not copy, reproduce, resell, or exploit any part of the Website for commercial purposes. Quoting a short result with attribution and a link in a forum post, lesson, or estimate is welcomed; systematic republication is not.

05

Intellectual Property & Standards References

The Website's software, calculation engines, original text, page designs, logos, and graphics are owned by the Company and protected by copyright and other intellectual-property laws.

Manufacturer product names, pipe schedules, material standards, and technical documents referenced on the Website belong to their respective publishers. The Website independently implements publicly documented flow-calculation methods (the ideal gas law, the Colebrook-White equation, the Darcy-Weisbach friction factor, and the standard dimension tables of ASME B36.10M and ASTM B88) and refers to those publications for identification and educational purposes. This Website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any pipe manufacturer, distributor, installer, or standards body, and calculator output is not a substitute for the manufacturer's certified data, the current editions of the referenced standards, or the codes your jurisdiction has adopted. Where precise product data matters, consult the manufacturer's published data and the authority having jurisdiction.

06

Privacy & Your Project Data

Our Privacy Policy explains how the Company collects, uses, and discloses information, and is incorporated into these Terms by reference. In short: the inputs you enter β€” pipe and duct sizes, flow velocities, fluid type, operating temperature and pressure, lengths, fitting counts, and unit system β€” are processed locally in your browser and are not transmitted to or stored on our servers. Use of the Website constitutes acceptance of the Privacy Policy as well as these Terms.

07

Content Accuracy & Third-Party Links

The Website contains references to pipe materials, schedules, fluid types, equipment categories, and third-party resources. These references are provided to help you find authoritative sources and are not intended to imply sponsorship, endorsement, or affiliation, or that any trade name, trademark, or logo may be used by you.

Calculator output may be affected by input accuracy, fluid property selection, and real-world factors such as pipe roughness, fouling and corrosion, fitting and valve losses, temperature and pressure fluctuations, and system conditions discovered during installation. If you believe a formula, property value, or guide statement is incorrect, contact us with the page URL, your inputs, and the result you expected β€” we investigate every report and update content to the extent the authoritative sources allow.

08

Advertising

The Website is funded by third-party advertising, including Google AdSense. Ads are clearly distinguished from calculator output and editorial content. We do not control, endorse, or warrant advertised products or services, and any dealings between you and an advertiser are solely between you and that advertiser. Advertising cookies and your opt-out choices are described in the Privacy Policy.

09

Disclaimers, Limitation of Liability & Termination

The Company may set limitations on your use of the Website, and may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Website β€” or any part of it β€” at any time, with or without notice, at its sole discretion.

THE WEBSITE AND ALL CALCULATORS, REFERENCE DATA, AND GUIDES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF ACCURACY, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. YOUR USE IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COMPANY BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) THE WEBSITE β€” INCLUDING DAMAGES FROM INCORRECT PIPE SIZING, UNDERSTATED PRESSURE LOSSES, EQUIPMENT MISMATCHES, FAILED INSPECTIONS, SYSTEM DOWNTIME, PROPERTY DAMAGE, PERSONAL INJURY, LOST PROFITS, OR ERRORS IN FLOW, VELOCITY, OR PRESSURE-DROP FIGURES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS OR LIABILITY LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

10

Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms of Service shall be governed by the laws of the United States, without regard to conflict-of-laws provisions. You and the Company agree to submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located within the United States for any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of the Website.

11

Severability, Waiver & Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that holding shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions, which continue in full force. The Company's failure to enforce any right or provision shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision, or of any further rights. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and the Disclaimer, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding the Website and supersede any prior agreements.

12

Questions About These Terms

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, or need to report a violation of them, reach us via the contact page. We read every message and respond to legitimate inquiries.

Common Questions About These Terms

Four questions that cover most real situations. The formal sections above govern; these explain them.

Can I use calculator results in a client quote or estimate?β–Ό

Yes β€” that is exactly what planning use means. Run your own inputs, cite the result as your own planning figure, and verify it against the manufacturer's published pipe data and the codes your jurisdiction enforces before you commit. What you may not do is republish the calculator itself or present the output as an engineered, code-approved design.

Can I link to the site from my blog, course, or forum post?β–Ό

Please do. Links are the cleanest way to share the tool: they keep the calculations on the site, keep the formulas visible, and keep the version current. Quoting a short result with attribution and a link is welcomed.

The calculator disagrees with the printed pipe table β€” who wins?β–Ό

The published table and the codes your jurisdiction adopts. The calculator solves the same continuity, Reynolds, and Darcy-Weisbach friction relationships the standard tables are built on, but actual inside diameter varies by schedule and material, roughness grows with age and service, and fitting losses depend on the real routing. Treat a published standard or the engineer of record as the authority; use the difference to sharpen your inputs.

Do these terms change if I use the site professionally?β–Ό

The terms are the same for everyone β€” there is no professional tier and no special license. The practical difference is accountability: on a contracted job, the engineer or contractor of record remains responsible for sizing, equipment selection, and code compliance, whatever a planning tool suggested.

Questions about these terms?

Read them alongside the Disclaimer and Privacy Policy β€” the three documents work together.