Tips for Buying Irrigation Pumps

Selection of the type of pump should be decided on the basis of your needs, turbine, jet pump, end-suction centrifugal, submersible,  etc.

Calculate your pressure (feet of head) and flow (GPM) requirements.

Do a bit of research in market for the available pump models and select a preliminary pump model that fulfills your requirements estimated in the above step.

Now create a first draft irrigation design. It should be designed for the pressure and flow the pump will produce.

After having a first draft of your irrigation, it will be easier for you to fine tune your pump selection on the basis of that design. At this stage of pump selection you would be in a perfect position to determine  whether a different pump better fit your irrigation system design or reduce your irrigation costs. If it is so you need to re-evaluate your pump selection and make your final decision.

It would be nice if you give a re-look to your irrigation design at this stage. If it can be fine tuned to better match your final pump selection, do this.

Horsepower should not be the lone criterion for selecting a replacement pump. It is because two pumps can have the same horsepower and produce radically different flows and pressures.

Another point to keep in your mind is that as the pumps get older, they are likely to worn out. And as they worn out their performance decreases. So if the pump you are planning to replace is 5 or more years old, then it is certain that its performance would decrease. You might be thinking of buying a bigger pump to boost the performance. But this is a mistake. Even if you replace the old one with exactly the same type but a new one, you would definitely get better performance. Many people buy a bigger pump when they really don't need one.