Delivery
pumps are used to move water from one place to another. Some are
capable of high pressure while others are intended mainly for moving
large volumes at low pressure (such as moving water from a cistern to
a stock watering tank). Flows can be small (1/2 gallon per minute or
so) up to 30-40 gpm. These are also often used for pressurizing water
systems in homes, RV's, and boats.
Submersible
pumps are generally used for pumping from wells, and are designed to
fit inside the well casing in a drilled hole. The most common casing
size is 4", but 5" and 6" are also common, especially in older wells.
Some older wells drilled for windmills are less than 4", and most
submersible pumps will not fit. The well may be anywhere from a few
feet to 800 feet deep - but the deeper the well, the more expensive
the system. Depths over 225 feet will generally cost quite a bit more.
Solar powered well pumps are seldom suited for large amounts of water,
such as irrigating larger fields. The largest pumps generally
available are 1/4 to 2 HP.
