Borehole Pump or Surface Pump? Why Deep Water Needs a Submersible
A pump on the surface does not really lift water by suction. It lowers the pressure at its inlet and lets the atmosphere push the water up. At sea level that push can hold up a column of only about 10.3 m, and pipe losses, water temperature and the pump’s own needs take a good part of that away.
| Water level below the pump | What to use |
|---|---|
| Up to a few metres | A surface pump or self-priming pump is simple and easy to reach |
| Around 5 to 7 m | A self-priming pump at the edge of its range; a submersible is safer |
| Deeper than that | A deep well submersible pump or a vertical turbine pump |
Why the submersible wins in deep wells
- It pushes the water up instead of pulling it, so depth is limited only by its head
- No priming and no suction pipe to leak air
- Nothing on the surface but the panel and the well head
Our article on why a self-priming pump cannot lift 8 m explains the suction limit in more detail.
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