Total head of water pump, pump head and suction head

Total head of water pump

A more useful method for measuring head is the difference between the liquid level in the suction tank and the head in the vertical discharge pipe. This number is called the total head that the pump can produce.

Increasing the liquid level in the suction tank will lead to an increase in head, while lowering the liquid level will result in a decrease in pressure head. Pump manufacturers and suppliers usually do not tell you how much head a pump can generate because they cannot predict the height of the liquid in the suction tank. On the contrary, they will report the total head of the pump, the height difference between the liquid levels in the suction tank, and the water column height that the pump can reach. The total head is independent of the liquid level in the suction tank.

Mathematically speaking, the total head formula is as follows.

Total head=pump head – suction head.

Pump head and suction head

The suction head of a pump is similar to the pump head, but opposite. It is not measuring the maximum displacement, but measuring the maximum depth at which the pump can lift water by suction.

These are two equal but opposite forces that affect the flow rate of the water pump. As mentioned above, total head=pump head – suction head.

If the water level is higher than the pump, the suction head will be negative and the pump head will increase. This is because the water entering the pump applies additional pressure at the suction port.

On the contrary, if the pump is located above the water to be pumped, the suction head is positive and the pump head will decrease. This is because the pump must use energy to bring water to the pump’s level.

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