Pumps

Pumps move water on and off sites — from nuisance water in a footing to full groundwater control on deep excavations. The category splits portable pumps from the large dewatering class, with trash and centrifugal designs the biggest groups.

966 Models2 Types ● Every spec cited to source

How it works

All pumps trade flow against head: an impeller or diaphragm imparts energy that lifts water and pushes it through discharge lines. The liquid dictates the design — solids take trash pumps and diaphragms, clean transfer takes standard centrifugal, deep sources take submersibles, and drawdown systems take vacuum-capable wellpoint pumps.

Types & variants

Portable Pumps: Trash, submersible, diaphragm, and centrifugal pumps for site water.
Large Dewatering Pumps: High-capacity pumps for major dewatering, bypass, and wellpoint systems.

How to choose

Three questions size any pump: how much water (gpm), how high and far (total head), and how dirty (solids content). Portable classes handle routine site water; sustained groundwater, bypass, and shaft work move to the large dewatering class with redundancy as standard practice.

Standards & certifications

Hydraulic Institute · ANSI/HI series: Industry standards for pump definitions, testing, and application practice.

Frequently asked

What is the difference between portable and large dewatering pumps?

Scale and mission: portable pumps clear sumps, trenches, and transfers; large dewatering units run continuous groundwater control, sewer bypass, and wellpoint systems where a stopped pump floods the work.

Can pumps pass water with solids and debris?

Trash pumps are built for it — rated to pass solids up to 2-3 in — and diaphragm pumps move outright sludge. Clear-water pumps clog and wear on the same water.

How is a pump sized for a job?

By flow at total dynamic head — vertical lift plus friction losses through the discharge run. Both figures come from the site, not the catalog page.