How to choose a borehole pump

When choosing a borehole pump it is important to keep the following factors in mind:

• Head
• Pumping rate

Use the following steps to determine the pump that you require.

STEP 1. PUMPING RATE REQUIREMENT

Determine how much water you need every hour of the day. You can do this by estimating your daily water needs and dividing it by twelve. (We assume a 12 hour usable wind day which is a conservative estimate.)

STEP 2. TOTAL PUMPING HEAD

We will now determine the total pumping head with the following equation:

The total pumping head = (depth of water taken from borehole) + (height of reservoir above ground level)

It is important not choose a pump that is more than 65% of the capacity of the borehole otherwise the borehole might collapse or the motor can burn if the borehole runs dry.

For a selection of pumps have a look at the borehole section on our Superpump site.