One foot of water is exactly 0.0304799998 kilogram-force per square centimeter, so converting feet of water to kilogram-force per square centimeter is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
Pump head expressed as a column of water — the way pump curves are drawn. Legacy metric engineering unit, still common in Asia.
Gauge versus absolute. A tyre gauge reading 32 psi means 32 psi above atmospheric, which is about 46.7 psi absolute. Converting the number is straightforward; remembering which zero it was measured from is where the mistakes happen. N/mm² and MPa are the same size, so a drawing quoting either is quoting the same stress. Two tables follow: rounded steps for quick lookup, and a set of real reference quantities converted into kilogram-force per square centimeter, which is usually more useful than the bare number.
The formula
feet of water- The amount you are converting, in feet of water
0.0304799997961- The exact number of kilogram-force per square centimeter in one foot of water
kilogram-force per square centimeter- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in feet of water.
- It is multiplied by 0.0304799997961, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in kilogram-force per square centimeter, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A steam boiler: 335 ftH₂O in kilogram-force per square centimeter
Take a steam boiler, roughly 335 ftH₂O. The conversion is a single multiplication — 335 × 0.03048 — giving 10.2108 kgf/cm². Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 20.4216 kgf/cm².
A domestic water main: 134 ftH₂O in kilogram-force per square centimeter
A domestic water main comes to about 134 ftH₂O. Multiplying by the factor: 134 × 0.03048 = 4.08432 kgf/cm². Dividing the answer back by 0.03048 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many kilogram-force per square centimeter are in one foot of water?
Exactly 0.0304799997961. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert feet of water to kilogram-force per square centimeter?
kilogram-force per square centimeter = feet of water × 0.0304799997961. Reversed, feet of water = kilogram-force per square centimeter ÷ 0.0304799997961, which is the same as multiplying by 32.8083991697.
Which is the bigger unit, the foot of water or the kilogram-force per square centimeter?
The kilogram-force per square centimeter. One foot of water is only 0.03048 of a kilogram-force per square centimeter, so it takes 32.8084 feet of water to make one kilogram-force per square centimeter.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure pressure. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a foot of water?
Pump head expressed as a column of water — the way pump curves are drawn.
What is a kilogram-force per square centimeter?
Legacy metric engineering unit, still common in Asia.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do ftH₂O to kgf/cm² in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 33 instead of using the exact factor 0.0304799998. At 100 that shortcut gives 3.030303 kilogram-force per square centimeter, off by 0.0177 kilogram-force per square centimeter or about 0.58%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Feet Of Water to kilogram-force per square centimeter reference tables
| Feet Of Water | Kilogram-Force Per Square Centimeter |
|---|---|
| 0.5 ftH₂O | 0.01524 kgf/cm² |
| 1 ftH₂O | 0.03048 kgf/cm² |
| 2 ftH₂O | 0.06096 kgf/cm² |
| 3 ftH₂O | 0.09144 kgf/cm² |
| 5 ftH₂O | 0.1524 kgf/cm² |
| 10 ftH₂O | 0.3048 kgf/cm² |
| 20 ftH₂O | 0.6096 kgf/cm² |
| 25 ftH₂O | 0.762 kgf/cm² |
| 50 ftH₂O | 1.524 kgf/cm² |
| 75 ftH₂O | 2.286 kgf/cm² |
| 100 ftH₂O | 3.048 kgf/cm² |
| 250 ftH₂O | 7.62 kgf/cm² |
| 500 ftH₂O | 15.24 kgf/cm² |
| 1000 ftH₂O | 30.48 kgf/cm² |
| 5000 ftH₂O | 152.4 kgf/cm² |
Exact factor: 1 foot of water = 0.0304799997961 kilogram-force per square centimeter.
| Quantity | ftH₂O | kgf/cm² |
|---|---|---|
| Sea-level air | 33.9 ftH₂O | 1.033 kgf/cm² |
| A car tyre | 73.81 ftH₂O | 2.25 kgf/cm² |
| Blood pressure, systolic | 5.352 ftH₂O | 0.1631 kgf/cm² |
| A bicycle tyre | 207.6 ftH₂O | 6.328 kgf/cm² |
| A domestic water main | 133.8 ftH₂O | 4.079 kgf/cm² |
| A steam boiler | 334.6 ftH₂O | 10.2 kgf/cm² |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.