Well Pumps Key Terms

Master well pumps key terms to deal with your water system needs

By Steven A. Ottem

Dealing with a water well may be new to you, if you have always lived in a municipality that supplied water to your home. It can also be a new thing if you've decided to install a well for your garden or lawn irrigation needs. Whatever the situation, you will want to be familiar with well pumps key terms to deal effectively with your water supply needs.

Well pumps come in many forms and sizes. Knowing the key terms of well pumps will help you understand your options for bringing water to the surface, providing pressure and conveying water to the desired fixtures and outlets.

Jet pumps

Jet pumps primarily serve shallow wells, although there are ways to adapt jet pumps to pump water from wells up to 80-feet. Jet pumps use an impeller to create a vacuum, thus relying on atmospheric pressure to lift water from the well.
Try: The Government of Alberta presents a non-technical explanation of how jet pumps work, how to adapt them to deep well use and advantages and disadvantages of using jet pumps. For pictures and diagrams of a typical jet pump installation, check out Siskiyou Pump Service.

Deep well

The usual demarcation separating a deep well from a shallow well is 25 feet. Pump manufacturers consider anything beyond the 25-foot depth as being a deep well.
Try: Aubuchon Hardware displays a typical shallow well pump for a well depth of 25 feet or less. Dean Bennett Supply advertises a pump for both shallow and deep well applications with charts showing flow rate for depths and horizontal distances pumped.

Submersible pumps

As the name suggests, submersible pumps operate while submersed in the well water. Submersible pumps serve deep wells without the need for priming and without relying on atmospheric pressure to operate.
Try: Popular Mechanics discusses both jet and submersible pumps and illustrates typical applications for both. Northern Tool + Equipment pictures a typical submersible pump and includes specifications.

Control box

Whatever pump you use, you will need controls to turn the pump on and off as you use the water. The control box houses start capacitors and a relay switch that actually turns the pump on and off.
Try: Drill Spot sells six typical control boxes with specifications.

Pressure switch

The pressure switch signals the relay in the control box by sensing the pressure in the water storage tank. When the pressure falls to a certain level, the pressure switch activates the relay, and the pump runs. When the pressure rises to the selected level, the pressure switch deactivates the relay, and the pump stops.
Try: Mamco shows a typical pressure switch and gives specifications. The Tauton Press shows how to adjust a pressure switch to raise or lower based on pressure, as well as providing other information on well water systems.

Pressure tank

Most well pumps connect to a pressure tank. This serves as a storage tank and also as a way of saving wear and tear on the well pump. Without a pressure tank, the pump would "short cycle," which means it would turn on and off continuously.
Try: For a detailed account of pressure tanks, go to HammerZone.com.