"What pump should I buy?" is one of the most common questions we get, and one of the easiest to answer wrong. Buy the wrong pump and you've either wasted $400 or, worse, ruined an expensive pump trying to use it in the wrong application.
Here's the field guide.
Submersible well pumps
Sits at the bottom of a drilled well, pushes water up through a pipe to the surface.
Best for: Drilled wells 30 feet or deeper. The standard for residential and most ranch wells.
How they work: The pump is below the water level. It pushes water up rather than pulling — which is far more efficient and works at any practical depth.
Pros:
- Works at any depth from 30 ft to 1,000+ ft
- Self-priming (it's already underwater)
- Quiet — you don't hear it run from the surface
- Long service life (10–20 years)
Cons:
- Expensive to replace — need to pull the entire pump out of the well
- Needs a properly sized control box and pressure switch
- Power consumption can be significant on deep wells (AC versions)
Cost: $400–$2,500 depending on horsepower and depth rating.
Jet pumps (shallow well)
Sits at the surface, pulls water up from the well via suction.
Best for: Shallow wells (under 25 feet to water). Cisterns. Hand-dug wells.
How they work: Uses a venturi effect to create suction and draw water up. Limited by atmospheric pressure to about 25 ft of lift maximum.
Pros:
- Cheap — $200–$500 for most ranch sizes
- Easy to service (everything's above ground)
- Works fine for hand-dug or driven-point shallow wells
Cons:
- Can only lift water 25 feet or so
- Loses prime if air enters the suction line — leaks become big problems
- Louder than submersibles
- Less efficient than submersibles
Cost: $200–$500.
Deep-well jet pumps
A variation on the jet pump that uses a venturi nozzle down in the well to extend the practical depth.
Best for: Wells 25–80 feet deep where you don't want a submersible.
How they work: Two pipes — one carries water down to the venturi, one brings water back up. The downward water creates suction at depth.
Pros:
- Works at depths a regular jet can't handle
- Pump and motor stay above ground
Cons:
- More complex installation
- Less efficient than submersibles at the same depth
- Two pipes in the well instead of one
If your well is over 50 ft, just go submersible. Deep-well jets are a relic.
Surface centrifugal pumps
For moving water at the surface — from a creek, pond, or storage tank.
Best for: Transferring water between tanks. Irrigation from a pond. Filling a stock tank from a hauling tank.
How they work: Standard impeller pump, sits at or above the water source, pushes water through a hose or pipe.
Pros:
- High flow rates (50–300 GPM common)
- Easy to move and use anywhere
- Cheap for the volume
Cons:
- Must be primed (filled with water before starting)
- Limited suction lift (about 15 ft)
- Not for continuous duty — designed for periodic use
Cost: $200–$800.
Trash pumps
Heavy-duty surface pumps designed to move dirty water, mud, and small debris.
Best for: Pumping out a stock tank for cleaning. Moving water from a stagnant pond. Flood cleanup. Emptying a low spot in a pasture.
Pros:
- Won't clog on small debris (passes 1" solids)
- Very high flow (100–500 GPM)
- Gas or diesel powered — works anywhere
Cons:
- Loud
- Inefficient for clean water (use a centrifugal for that)
- Limited lift
Cost: $300–$1,500 (gas), $1,500–$5,000 (diesel).
Sizing by GPM and head
Two numbers determine pump selection: flow rate (gallons per minute, GPM) and head (total vertical lift plus friction losses).
Flow rate you need:
- 1–3 head of livestock: 2–5 GPM
- Small herd (10–20): 5–10 GPM
- Working operation (50–100): 10–20 GPM
- Irrigation or large herd: 20+ GPM
Head you need: vertical lift from water level to highest delivery point, plus about 1 psi (2.3 ft of head) per 100 ft of horizontal pipe friction.
When to call a well driller (not us)
If you're drilling a new well, replacing a deep submersible, or troubleshooting a serious well issue, call a licensed well driller. The mistakes possible at depth are expensive.
We help with above-ground pump questions, surface installations, and connecting the dots between your well and your watering points. For anything below 30 feet, get a pro on site.
What we'd buy
For most ranch installations where you have an existing drilled well, a properly-sized AC submersible pump is the right answer. For shallow installations or temporary moves, a 2 HP surface centrifugal handles it.
If you've got a specific situation — unusual depth, low recharge well, multi-tank distribution — email us. We've spec'd a lot of these.