A: It just depends on your application. For municipal or commercial applications, there may be a lake or a pond nearby that we can use to put a submersible in. That’s always a good situation if you can— it keeps the pump and system out of the elements. You know, keeps it away from ants, bugs, and vandalism.
There’s some situations where we’re using above-ground pumps. Either a self-primer, centrifugal pump, or even a wet well style pump in a lake or pond. Those situations are typically used for irrigation systems that are much larger. Usually a municipal, commercial, or large residential development or something like that.
For most irrigation systems either residential, commercial, or municipal, the best water pump for irrigation will be a submersible or a centrifugal pump. Often, especially in big-box hardware stores, you will find pumps labeled as “irrigation pumps.” However, beware—it doesn’t mean they have what it takes to handle irrigation day in and day out.
Don’t get us wrong, you may indeed find some sufficient ones, but many will end up being cheap pumps that are underpowered. That’s why we always recommend trusting a reputable pump supplier such as Gulf Coast Pump & Supply. We don’t sell power drills, lumber, and paint—all we sell are pumps and related supplies. So, we know all the fine points—it’s been our business for decades and we’re experts in the field.
Getting a water pump for irrigation systems designed specifically to your needs requires good design principles first. So, we recommend that you review your needs with your system designer and make sure you’re on the same page.
Finding The Perfect Water Pump For Irrigation
Once you have your irrigation system designed out and have run it through the paces, we need to figure out the volume of water you need to move. The amount of water you’re moving will determine the right style of pump. It will save you a lot of headaches and added investment if you design first and build later.
One thing you’ll notice when you start shopping for a water pump for irrigation, is that most of them are centrifugal. However, within that arena, there are many different designs.
Most centrifugal pumps require a “wet inlet” to operate, meaning there must be water in the inlet pipe and the pump to start. If the inlet is full of air, the pump can’t efficiently suck in any water.
Therefore, most centrifugal pumps must be primed before you use them the first time. However, some pumps are self-priming—usually the smaller, more portable ones.
Aside from common traits that all centrifugal pumps share among each other, some distinct types have designs that vary greatly.
End-Suction Centrifugal Pumps
These are the most common variation of centrifugal pumps in the industry. Typically, end-suction pumps have the pump bolted directly to the drive shaft of the motor in a single unit type construction. Water enters the casing through the wet inlet or intake pipe located on one side of the pump and is forced out the top of the casing.
Additionally, end-suction pumps are not self-primers. Meaning that they must be manually primed before first use, even some that claim to be “self-priming.” Once it’s primed once, it should not need priming again unless you have an intake pipe leaking a bit.
Despite the name, these pumps push water out, they do not suck it or pull it in. They are well suited as booster pumps for irrigation systems. When you install them at or below the water level they perform very efficiently.
However, when trying to draw water from a water source lower than the pump, their effectiveness drops off significantly. Therefore, this type of pump is not ideal when it can’t be installed level with the water or deeper. So, contrary to their name, end-suction pumps are not efficient at sucking water upward.
Submersible Pumps
Submersible pumps are simply centrifugal pumps that are installed entirely underwater, even the motor in most cases. In these pumps, the motor is housed in a waterproof motor casing able to sustain constant submersion.
Usually, a bigger submersible water pump for irrigation and motor will be built in cylindrical housing. This is so it can be installed at the bottom of a water well or another water reservoir.
Submersibles that are smaller in stature are often used in holding tanks, or sumps. Larger submersible pumps can also be installed in lakes, river streams, creeks, and bayous if the water is deep enough. Some larger submersibles can be installed on their side when the water depth is an issue. However, not ALL can be installed this way so make sure to check the specs before attempting as it could ruin the pump.
Submersible pumps, unlike centrifugal pumps, do not need to be primed—they’re already surrounded by water. They’re also more energy-efficient since they only push water and don’t need to suck it in as well. Most submersibles also need to be installed using a special sleeve if not installed in a water well. Even in some well installs a sleeve is required. This sleeve directs water so that it flows over the motor keeping it cool. This is especially needed in cases where the motor is exposed and not underwater or to protect the motor cord.
Turbine Pumps
A turbine pump is a centrifugal that is installed underwater with a motor that sits above the water and is connected with a drive shaft. Comparable to submersibles in terms of energy efficiency, they’re often used for larger pump applications such as municipal use. These applications are unique in that the size of the motor needed would make it impossible to fit in a sleeve. So, that’s why they must be placed externally, it’s due to logistics.
Turbine pumps often have a multi-stage operation and work as a train with several engines in tandem to pull it. These are often the types you see on larger farms or municipal wells in rural towns. In terms of irrigation, a common example is golf courses. They use them frequently to maintain the grounds using water from the hazards and other bodies of water.
Booster Pumps
You will see booster pumps in irrigation often as it helps with applications where the available water source lacks pressure. For example, your sprinkler system requires 75 PSI of pressure to work efficiently. However, the water coming from your utility company is only at 45 PSI. A booster fills in the gap by adding that much-needed pressure to function properly.
A booster pump is nothing special, literally. The term simply is a label for a regular pump with a singular task—boost pressure. There’s nothing unique about booster pumps; most boosters are simply end-suction pumps. Simple, efficient, and affordable; they are very common in big sprinkler systems.
What Are Your Irrigation System Needs?
If you want to find the perfect water pump for irrigation, you need to know what the demands of your system are. If you already have the design completed and just need to plug in the components—contact us today! We’ll get you set up with everything you need for your application.