How Does a Jet Pump Work?

Posted on August 30 2013

If you have water that is being drawn from a well, it is most likely that you have some sort of jet pump installed in order to get the water out. There are many uses for jet pumps and one may wonder how it is that they do what they do. There are also different types of jet pumps, so I will discuss each of these and how they work.

Let’s start off talking about the general way in which these pumps work. Jet pumps have many different components to them. One of those components is the impeller. The impeller has vanes and spins to move water out of the pump. As the water is taken out by these vanes, a vacuum effect happens and more water is drawn in to, once again, be thrown out. The vacuum is created by a process called the “Venturi Effect”, which happens when fluid goes through a section of pipe that is restrained. The venturi section of the pump needs to be underground for this to occur.

Another component of the pump is the injector. This is where the vacuum action happens, drawing in water from the well. The injector also recirculates the water in the pump so that more water can be drawn from the well. Injector nozzles come in different sizes, so factors such as well depth, what is being pumped, the amount be pumped, etc. will determine which nozzle to get.

Most jet pumps are designed to only draw in water from a depth of twenty five feet or less. These are called shallow well pumps. It uses the vacuum system as described above to draw water and other liquids from various places. These pumps are built better than regular pumps so that large debris and harsh material will not damage the pump.

For wells that are deeper than twenty five feet, there are deep well jet pumps. These pumps are low maintenance, inexpensive in price, and can be used for wells of various depths and amount of water needed to be taken from the well. They can be adapted to meet the needs of deep wells and can be installed offset from the actual well. However, if you want to pump from a well that is deeper than about seventy feet, it may be better to use a submersible pump. As expected, the deep the pump goes, the slower the water will be pumped out.

If you purchase a new pump and after it has been run a few times, it may be a good idea to check the nozzle to make sure it hasn’t become plugged up by dirt and other material. Monitoring the flow of the water as it is pumped out is a good idea to make sure that the pump is working properly and for future reference.

There are many different companies that manufacture pumps. As I have talked to various professionals and supply houses, many have told me that they like the variety of Little Giant jet pumps. Click on the image above to access a site that has these pumps.