The amount of HP that is required to lift water to different heights can be calculated as. Pwhp = q h SG / (3960 μ) (1).
where Pwhp = water horsepower (hp).
Example - Horsepower Required to Pump Water.
Volume Flow (gpm Power (hp)
Height (ft)
50 0.0631 0.253
60 0.0758 0.303
70 0.0884 0.354
The horsepower that is required to lift water to different heights will depend on both the height the water needs to be lifted and the volume of water that is being lifted.
A simple formula for calculating the horsepower required to lift the water is WHP=(HQ)/3960, where the H is the height in feet and the Q is the flow rate of the water in gallons per minute.
For example a 1/2 horsepower pump is able to lift water to 20 feet and if needing to lift water to higher heights you would need a larger pump which could be as much as 3 HP to 5 HP especially in deeper wells.
More powerful pumps can lift water to greater heights and larger pumps generally have a higher lift capacity.
The amount of water that is pumped per minute or hour also influences the lift height and friction within the pipe can reduce the pumps ability to lift the water to it's maximum height.
And the suction lift is the maximum height that the transfer pump can draw water from, and the total head of the transfer pump is the combined height of suction and discharge which is the height that the transfer pump pushes water to.
40 psi will lift water to around 92 feet because 1 psi is equal to 2.31 feet of head.
PSI is a measure of pressure, and feet of head is a measure of the height a water column can support.
The relationship between PSI and feet of head is that 1 PSI is equal to 2.31 feet of head.
To lift water you need 1 psi to lift water 2.31 feet.
So if you want to lift water to 22 feet you would need at least 10 to 12 psi.
To lift water to 100 feet you would need at least 43.2 psi of pressure.
A column of water creates pressure and the taller the column of water, the greater the pressure is at the base.
A pump can lift water to a height of 33.9 feet although 22 feet is the more practical height for a pump to lift water through suction.
Pumps that push water can push water over 500 feet or more with enough horsepower.
A pump can pull water 33.9 feet horizontally using suction although a practical limit for a vacuum based water pump is around 22 feet.
A pump can push water much further than it can pull it up through suction.
An example is that a submersible pump of 1 HP can push water horizontally for as far as 100 feet to 300 feet and the higher the horsepower the further the pump can push the water.
Also the friction that is within the pipe is also the main factor in limiting the horizontal distance of the water traveling as it creates a pressure drop which hinders the flow of the water through the pipe.
Water can technically only go up 34 feet at sea level when using suction.
The reason why water can only go up 34 feet at sea level through suction is due to the atmospheric pressure.
Although a perfect vacuum could lift water to this height theoretically, the reality is that a vacuum is not perfect and the boiling point of the water is affected, and limits the actual lift of the water.
Water can go up further than 34 feet if pushed through pressure and not suction.
For example a pump could pump water further than 34 feet using pressure such as with a submersible well pump.
Submersible well pumps can push water up higher than 34 feet and with a large enough pump it can pump water 300 feet to 400 feet and more with a big enough well pump.
But with just suction, the limit to lift water is only 34 feet.
When you create suction, such as with a pump or a straw, you're also lowering the pressure above the water, allowing the atmospheric pressure to push the water up into the space where the pressure is lower.
As the pressure above the water is reduced, the water's boiling point is also lowered.
If the pressure happens to drop too low, the water will boil at room temperature, preventing it from being lifted up further.
And atmospheric pressure at sea level is strong enough to support a column of water that is roughly 33.9 feet high.