This article compares the pumptypes to allow the selection of the best type of pump for any given situation. Note that the 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 heights allow deep water pumping (eg potable water pumping from wells).[1]
| 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 ?
|
Hazard to fish ?
|
| 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
|
?
|
| 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 ?
|
Hazard to fish ?
|
| 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 (mono)
|
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
|
?
|
| Semi-rotary pump
|
cyclic
|
5m-10m
|
low-medium
|
low-medium
|
low-medium
|
?
|
?
|
industrial
|
?
|
?
|
yes
|
?
|
| Water ladder
|
cyclic
|
>2m
|
medium
|
medium
|
medium
|
?
|
?
|
traditional
|
?
|
?
|
no
|
?
|
| 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 ?
|
Hazard to fish ?
|
| Centrifugal (regenerative) pump
|
continuous
|
10m-30m
|
medium-high
|
medium
|
medium
|
?
|
?
|
industrial
|
?
|
?
|
yes
|
?
|
| Centrifugal (turbine) pump
|
continuous
|
3-20m
|
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
|
?
|
| 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 ?
|
Hazard to fish ?
|
| Air lift
|
?
|
5m-50m
|
medium-high
|
low-medium
|
medium
|
?
|
?
|
industrial
|
?
|
?
|
no
|
?
|
| 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 ?
|
Hazard to fish ?
|
| Hydraulic ram
|
?
|
10m-100m
|
medium
|
medium
|
low-medium
|
?
|
requires flowing water as power source (eg river)
|
industrial
|
?
|
?
|
no
|
?
|
| Pump type
|
Cyclic/continuous ?
|
Maximum lift height
|
Production cost
|
Efficiency
|
Output
|
Size of device
|
Fabrication requirements
|
Difficulty of production
|
Durability
|
Diffuculty of repair
|
Suction lift ?
|
Hazard to fish ?
|
| Syphon
|
?
|
1m-10m
|
low-medium
|
?
|
high
|
?
|
?
|
basic/traditional/industrial
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Qanat or foggara
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
high
|
low-medium
|
?
|
?
|
traditional
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Note: An other name for cyclic is reciprocating, and an other name to continuous is rotary.
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