{"id":1231,"date":"2026-09-01T12:42:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T04:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/borrapumps.com\/blog\/types-of-well-pumps\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:13:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T02:13:58","slug":"types-of-well-pumps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/borrapumps.com\/fr\/blog\/types-of-well-pumps\/","title":{"rendered":"Types of Well Pumps: How to Match Depth, Flow and Water Supply Duty"},"content":{"rendered":"

The main types of well pumps are shallow-well jet pumps, deep-well jet pumps, and submersible well pumps, with vertical turbine pumps used for many larger-capacity or larger-diameter installations. The correct type depends on pumping water level, required flow, total dynamic head, well diameter, water quality, power, installation access, and the well's sustainable yield. Well depth alone does not select the pump. Use a recent well record and pumping test, calculate head from the pumping water level, and confirm the duty point on the manufacturer's curve before choosing equipment.<\/p>\n

This guide is an early engineering and procurement framework, not a replacement for approved project design, current regulations, manufacturer instructions, or qualified site supervision. Electrical work, energized testing, lifting, confined-space entry, fire-protection work, excavation, hazardous liquids, wastewater, and pressurized systems require task-specific procedures and competent personnel. Preserve automatic protection and system availability while investigating faults. If the actual liquid, duty, site condition, or governing requirement differs from the assumptions, stop and obtain a revised technical review.<\/p>\n

Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n
    \n
  1. Separate well depth from pumping water level<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Understand shallow-well and deep-well jet pumps<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Understand submersible well pumps<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Use vertical turbine pumps for appropriate large duties<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Compare the types using project inputs<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Verify water quality, controls, and acceptance data<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Decision table<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    Separate well depth from pumping water level<\/h2>\n

    A drilled depth describes the physical borehole, while static water level describes water before pumping and pumping water level describes the stabilized level at a stated withdrawal rate. The pump must lift from the pumping water level, not automatically from the bottom of the well. Their difference is drawdown. Obtain the well log, casing and screen data, test flow, test duration, water levels, recovery, and date. Seasonal and long-term changes can make an old or short test misleading. The selected flow should not exceed the sustainable yield established for the project. When demand peaks are brief, storage can reduce the well-pump flow and avoid selecting equipment around an unsustainable peak. Keep the assumed minimum water level visible because it changes head, submergence, cooling, and the available margin above the intake.<\/p>\n

    Understand shallow-well and deep-well jet pumps<\/h2>\n
    \"Deep
    Deep well pump selection beside a drilled well casing. Image from the BORRAPUMP media library; illustrative context, not a project performance claim.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    A shallow-well jet arrangement keeps the pump at the surface and uses suction lift, so practical lift and priming limitations are central. A deep-well jet system places an ejector in the well and circulates water through two pipes, allowing operation at greater lifts but adding piping complexity and efficiency penalties. Both arrangements require a leak-tight suction or recirculation path, proper priming, foot or check valves as designed, freeze protection, and service access. They may suit small water-supply duties where the well geometry and level support the arrangement. Do not apply a universal depth cutoff without the manufacturer's data and site elevation. Atmospheric pressure, water temperature, friction, and available net positive suction head affect surface-pump performance, while a submersible pump avoids the same suction-lift arrangement by operating below the water level.<\/p>\n

    Understand submersible well pumps<\/h2>\n

    A submersible multistage pump and motor operate below the pumping water level and push water upward through a rising main. This arrangement is common in narrow drilled wells and higher-head duties. Selection must confirm pump outside diameter, casing clearance, setting depth, minimum submergence, motor cooling flow, cable length, check-valve arrangement, and removal method. The duty point should fall inside the recommended curve range without motor overload. A larger casing or open-water installation can reduce flow past the motor; the manufacturer may require a flow sleeve. Excessive setting depth is not automatically safer because it increases cable, pipe, removal work, and exposure to sediment near the bottom. The intake should remain above settled material and below the lowest credible pumping level with the required margin.<\/p>\n

    Project decision table<\/h2>\n
    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Well-pump type<\/th>\nTypical arrangement<\/th>\nMain project checks<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Shallow-well jet<\/td>\nSurface pump with suction and jet<\/td>\nPractical suction lift, priming, air leaks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Deep-well jet<\/td>\nSurface pump with down-well ejector and two pipes<\/td>\nEjector setting, recirculation, efficiency<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Submersible well pump<\/td>\nMultistage pump and motor below water<\/td>\nCasing fit, submergence, cooling, cable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Vertical turbine pump<\/td>\nDown-well bowls with surface driver<\/td>\nIntake, column, alignment, foundation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Storage-assisted system<\/td>\nWell pump fills storage for peak demand<\/td>\nSustainable yield, tank volume, controls<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

    Use vertical turbine pumps for appropriate large duties<\/h2>\n
    \"Deep
    Deep well irrigation pump selection concept. Image from the BORRAPUMP media library; illustrative context, not a project performance claim.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    A vertical turbine pump places bowl assemblies below the water level and the driver at the surface, connected through column and shafting or another approved arrangement. It can serve high-flow wells, sumps, reservoirs, and fire-water sources when geometry and project requirements support it. Selection extends beyond hydraulic duty to bowl setting, submergence, intake approach, column length, shaft and bearing arrangement, discharge head, driver, alignment, foundation, and maintenance access. The surface driver can simplify some motor service, while the long internal assembly requires disciplined installation and alignment. The intake design must avoid vortices, uneven flow, air entrainment, and sediment. Large-capacity projects should coordinate civil, mechanical, structural, and electrical drawings before the pump is released.<\/p>\n

    Compare the types using project inputs<\/h2>\n

    Begin with required flow and total dynamic head, then check the range that the well can sustainably supply. Compare physical fit, power supply, efficiency at expected operating points, starting method, controls, installation equipment, maintenance access, noise, weather exposure, and lifecycle cost. A surface pump is easier to observe but must manage suction or ejector piping; a submersible installation is compact at the surface but requires pulling the unit for major service; a vertical turbine arrangement can address large duties but needs a coordinated wellhead and column system. No type is universally best. The comparison should show the same hydraulic cases and the same boundary of supply so price differences are not caused by omitted cable, pipe, controls, valves, sensors, or lifting equipment.<\/p>\n

    Verify water quality, controls, and acceptance data<\/h2>\n
    \"Deep
    Deep well pump application in an engineered water-supply setting. Image from the BORRAPUMP media library; illustrative context, not a project performance claim.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Water analysis can affect casing, impeller, shaft, fastener, cable, seal, and check-valve materials. Sand can erode hydraulic components and may signal incomplete well development, screen trouble, or an excessive withdrawal rate. Do not rely on a generic stainless-steel label without the actual grade and water chemistry. Define dry-run or low-water protection, pressure or tank controls, level sensing, surge protection, phase and voltage monitoring, and any variable-speed range. At commissioning, record stabilized flow, water levels, discharge pressure, voltage, current, starts, vibration or noise, and recovery after shutdown. Compare those readings with the selection basis and certified curve. A pump that produces water but pulls the level down faster than expected needs investigation rather than a controller adjustment that hides the condition.<\/p>\n

    Supplier comparison and acceptance record<\/h2>\n

    A complete supplier comparison should use one common data sheet. Put the design and alternate duty points, liquid, temperature, solids, site elevation, power, controls, installation, operating hours, quantity, destination, and required documents at the top. Normalize differences in scope before comparing price or efficiency. Request a certified curve or capacity data, absorbed power, operating limits, materials, dimensions, weight, connections, motor or driver, controller, accessories, tests, preservation, spare parts, installation instructions, and warranty boundary. Record every deviation and unresolved assumption. During technical review, trace each offered feature back to a project input instead of awarding points for features that the duty does not need. During commissioning, measure the same variables used for selection so the installed result can be compared with the original basis. If field conditions differ, update the calculation and obtain responsible approval before changing equipment or protection settings.<\/p>\n

    System integration and lifecycle planning<\/h2>\n

    Treat the pump as one component of a complete hydraulic and control system. Review the source, intake, suction or inlet arrangement, pump, driver, discharge piping, valves, instruments, controls, power, drainage, foundation, lifting route, and receiving system on the same drawing. Confirm normal operation, minimum and maximum demand, startup, shutdown, blocked or closed paths, loss of power, standby changeover, alarm response, cleaning, and maintenance isolation. Interfaces create many failures: a correctly selected pump can still underperform because the available supply differs from the assumed level, a pipe is smaller than scheduled, a valve has an unexpected pressure loss, a controller uses the wrong sensor location, or maintenance access was removed during civil design. Resolve interface ownership before purchase. The pump vendor cannot approve the building, well, wastewater process, fire-protection system, environmental discharge, or electrical installation unless that responsibility is explicitly included and supported by qualified review.<\/p>\n

    Lifecycle planning should begin before shipment and continue through every documented operating change. Identify the expected operating hours, starts, standby periods, storage conditions, inspection route, removal method, lifting capacity, cleaning requirement, consumables, critical spares, service tools, and data that operators will trend. Establish baseline readings during acceptance and keep them with the curve, data sheet, drawings, controller settings, certificates, manuals, and parts list. A future technician should be able to tell what duty was approved, what was measured at startup, and what changed. When performance deteriorates, compare evidence before replacing equipment. Flow, pressure, level, current, power, vibration, temperature, runtime, starts, alarms, and liquid condition often separate hydraulic, mechanical, electrical, and process causes. This record reduces unnecessary replacement and supports a safer decision when operating conditions no longer match the original selection.<\/p>\n

    How this topic connects to BORRAPUMP equipment<\/h2>\n

    This guide supports early review of the types of well pumps<\/a> application route. It does not assign a final model or claim that one standard configuration fits every project. Send the duty points, liquid data, site drawing, power supply, controls, quantity, destination, required approvals, and inspection scope so the proposed product can be checked against the real service.<\/p>\n

    Related BORRAPUMP engineering guides<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • deep well pump selection<\/a><\/li>\n
    • well booster pump diagram<\/a><\/li>\n
    • vertical turbine fire pump selection<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Authoritative sources and further learning<\/h2>\n

      USGS groundwater basics<\/a>; U.S. EPA private drinking water wells<\/a>; U.S. Department of Energy pump systems<\/a>. These sources provide general safety, environmental, or engineering context. The current adopted rules, project approvals, and equipment instructions remain controlling.<\/p>\n