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).[1]
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.
References