Comparison of pumps
This article lists different types of pump and provides a comparison of certain key design features. Different types of pumps are suitable for different applications, for example: a pump's maximum lift height also determines the applications it can be used for. Low-lift pumps are only suitable for the pumping of surface water (e.g., irrigation, drainage of lands, ...), while high-lift pumps allow deep water pumping (e.g., potable water pumping from wells).
Direct lift devices
Pump type |
Cyclic/continuous ? |
Maximum lift height |
Production cost |
Efficiency |
Output |
Size of device |
Fabrication requirements |
Difficulty of production |
Durability |
Difficulty of repair |
Suction lift ? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Continuous bucket pump |
continuous |
5m-50m |
low-medium |
medium |
low-medium |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Counterpoise lift or Shadoof |
cyclic |
1m-4m |
low-medium |
low-medium |
low-medium |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Mohte |
cyclic |
3m-8m |
low-medium |
low |
medium |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Persian wheel "Tablia" |
continuous |
3m-10m |
low-medium |
medium |
medium |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Persian wheel "Zawaffa" |
continuous |
3m-15m |
medium |
medium-high |
medium-high |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Pivoting gutters and "dhones" |
cyclic |
1m-1,5m |
low-medium |
low-medium |
low-medium |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Reciprocating bucket hoist |
cyclic |
100m-500m |
medium-high |
medium |
medium-high |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Rope & bucket and windlass |
cyclic |
5m-50m |
very low |
very low |
very low |
? |
? |
basic |
? |
? |
no |
Scoops and bailers |
cyclic |
>1m |
very low |
very low |
low-medium |
? |
? |
basic |
? |
? |
no |
Scoop wheel "Sakia" |
continuous |
>2m |
medium-high |
medium-high |
medium-high |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Swing basket |
cyclic |
>1m |
very low |
very low |
low-medium |
? |
? |
basic |
? |
? |
no |
Waterwheels or noria |
continuous |
>5m |
low-medium |
low-medium |
low-medium |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Watering car |
cyclic |
>3m |
very low |
very low |
very low |
? |
? |
basic |
? |
? |
no |
Displacement pumps
Pump type |
Cyclic/continuous ? |
Maximum lift height |
Production cost |
Efficiency |
Output |
Size of device |
Fabrication requirements |
Difficulty of production |
Durability |
Difficulty of repair |
Suction lift ? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Archimedean screw |
continuous |
>2m |
medium |
medium |
medium-high |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Chain (or rope) and washer pump |
continuous |
3m-20m |
medium-high |
medium-high |
medium |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Coil pump and spiral pump |
continuous |
>6m |
medium |
medium |
low-medium |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Diaphragm pump |
cyclic |
5m-10m |
medium |
medium-high |
medium |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
yes |
Flash wheel and treadmill |
>2m |
low-medium |
low-medium |
medium-high |
? |
? |
? |
traditional/industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Flexible vane pump |
continuous |
10m-20m |
medium-high |
medium |
medium |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
yes |
Gas or vapour displacement pump |
cyclic |
5m-50m |
medium |
medium |
medium-high |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
no/yes |
Gear and lobe pump |
continuous |
10m-20m |
medium |
low-medium |
very low |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
yes |
Open screw pump |
continuous |
>6m |
high |
medium-high |
medium-high |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Peristaltic pump |
continuous |
>3m |
medium |
medium |
very low |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
yes |
Petropump |
continuous |
10m-100m |
medium-high |
high |
low-medium |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
? |
Porous rope |
continuous |
3m-10m |
? |
? |
low-medium |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Progressive cavity pump (Moyno) |
continuous |
10m-100m |
medium-high |
medium-high |
medium |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Piston pump, bucket pump |
cyclic |
2m-200m |
medium-high |
high |
medium |
? |
? |
traditional/industrial |
? |
? |
yes |
Plunger pump |
cyclic |
100m-500m |
high |
medium-high |
low-medium |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
yes |
Pulser Pump |
cyclic |
1-300m |
low-medium |
low |
low-medium |
small-huge |
? |
traditional |
very high |
easy |
no |
Semi-rotary pump |
cyclic |
5m-10m |
low-medium |
low-medium |
low-medium |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
yes |
Water ladder |
cyclic |
>2m |
medium |
medium |
medium |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Velocity pumps
Pump type |
Cyclic/continuous ? |
Maximum lift height |
Production cost |
Efficiency |
Output |
Size of device |
Fabrication requirements |
Difficulty of production |
Durability |
Difficulty of repair |
Suction lift ? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Centrifugal (regenerative) pump |
continuous |
10m-30m |
medium-high |
medium |
medium |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
yes |
Centrifugal (turbine) pump |
continuous |
3m-200m |
medium-high |
medium-high |
high |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
yes |
Centrifugal (volute) pump |
continuous |
3m-20m |
medium |
medium-high |
high |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
yes |
Flap valve pump |
? |
2m-4m |
very low |
low-medium |
very low |
? |
? |
basic/traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Inertia pump, joggle pump |
cyclic |
2m-4m |
low-medium |
medium-high |
low-medium |
? |
? |
traditional, industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Jet pump (water, air or stream) |
continuous |
2m-20m |
medium |
low-medium |
low-medium |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Mixed flow pump |
continuous |
2m-10m |
medium-high |
medium-high |
high |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Propeller (axial flow) pump |
continuous |
5m-30m |
medium-high |
medium-high |
high |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Rebound inertia |
cyclic |
2m-60m |
medium |
medium-high |
very low |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
yes |
Resonating joggle pump |
cyclic |
2m-10m |
medium |
medium-high |
medium-high |
? |
? |
traditional |
? |
? |
no |
Buoyancy pumps
Pump type |
Cyclic/continuous |
Maximum lift height |
Production cost |
Efficiency |
Output |
Size of device |
Fabrication requirements |
Difficulty of production |
Durability |
Difficulty of repair |
Suction lift ? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Airlift pump |
Continuous (with collector) |
5m-50m |
medium-high |
low-medium |
medium |
? |
? |
industrial |
? |
? |
no |
Impulse Pumps
Pump type |
Cyclic/continuous ? |
Maximum lift height |
Production cost |
Efficiency |
Output |
Size of device |
Fabrication requirements |
Difficulty of production |
Durability |
Difficulty of repair |
Suction lift ? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hydraulic ram |
cyclic |
10m-100m |
medium |
low-medium |
low |
? |
requires flowing water as power source (e.g. river) |
industrial |
high |
? |
no |
Note: reciprocating pumps are cyclic, rotary pumps are typically continuous.