Start with the water source
The first question is where the water is. A river, dam or tank near the surface can be handled by a surface pump placed beside it. A borehole or deep well needs a submersible pump that sits in the water and pushes it up.
Work out head and flow
Two numbers decide which pump you need. Head is the total height the pump must lift the water, plus the resistance of long or narrow pipes. Flow rate is how much water you need per minute or per hour. A pump is rated for both, and the two trade off: at higher head, a pump delivers less flow.
Surface pumps can only pull water up a limited distance on the suction side. If the water level is far below the pump, a surface pump will struggle or fail to prime, and a submersible pump is the right choice.
Pick the power source
- Gasoline pumps are light and portable, suited to short irrigation and transfer jobs.
- Diesel pumps suit long running hours and larger flows.
- Electric pumps are quiet and cheap to run where there is mains power.
- Solar pumping removes fuel cost, but needs a correctly sized panel array.
Check the outlet size and pipe
Match the pump outlet to your pipe. A 2-inch outlet moves less water than a 3-inch outlet. Using pipe that is too narrow wastes the pump's capacity.
What to tell us
Send us the water source, the depth to the water, the height you need to deliver to, the flow you need and the power you have. With those five details we can recommend a pump.
