How Pump Head Affects Bore Performance in Australia

Across Australia, the most overlooked factor in bore pump performance is pump head. People obsess over flow rate, horsepower, pump type, or bore depth, but the real bottleneck is often head pressure. When you misunderstand head, everything else falls apart your flow rate collapses, your pump overheats, and your water supply becomes unreliable.

This article breaks down why pump head matters, how it connects directly to bore pump sizing, and how miscalculating head is one of the fastest ways to burn out equipment in Australian conditions. If you’ve ever wondered “what size bore pump do I need?” or struggled with pressure loss, this is the guide you’ve needed.

 

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1. What Is Pump Head and Why It Matters

Pump head is the vertical distance your pump must push water, combined with friction loss and required service pressure. In Australian bore systems, head determines how hard the pump must work. The higher the total head, the more powerful the pump must be.

Head includes:

• The depth of the pump inside the bore
  
  

• The bore depth flow rate under pumping conditions
  
  

• Pipe diameter and length
  
  

• Elevation differences on your property
  
  

• Required bore water pressure at the delivery point
  
  

If your pump can’t meet the required head, it will struggle, overheat, or fail entirely.

 

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2. How Pump Head Influences Bore Pump Sizing

Choosing the right pump requires understanding how head interacts with flow. Many Australians buy pumps based solely on litres per minute, but flow without head is useless. Bore pump sizing always starts with two numbers:

1. The required flow rate
   
   

2. The total dynamic head (TDH)
   
   

Every bore pump size chart is based on TDH. If your TDH is wrong, the chart becomes meaningless.

The connection is simple:

More head = more pressure required = higher power demand = higher horsepower pump
Less head = easier pumping = lower cost and lower load on equipment

If you skip this calculation, you’ll either:

• Oversize the pump (wasting energy and money), or
  
  

• Undersize the pump (burning it out, losing pressure, or causing cavitation)
  
  

Neither is acceptable if you want a stable long-term water supply.

 

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3. Common Australian Problems Linked to Incorrect Pump Head

Across regional and suburban Australia, pump head miscalculations cause the majority of bore system failures. Here are the major issues:

Low Pressure at Taps

Your pump is delivering water, but not enough pressure reaches the house, shed, or irrigation system. This happens when head pressure wasn’t correctly factored into bore pump sizing.

Rapid Pump Cycling

Short-cycling occurs when the pump meets pressure too quickly or struggles to maintain consistent pressure. Both issues trace back to incorrect head estimates.

Motor Overheating

A pump forced to operate beyond its intended head rating will draw more current, overheat, and eventually fail.

Poor Flow Rate Under Load

Even if the static bore depth looks good, dynamic drawdown changes head in real time. Too many Australians ignore this crucial detail.

Inefficient Power Usage

Pumps running outside their optimal head range consume more electricity and suffer unnecessary wear.

 

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4. How to Calculate Pump Head (Australian Conditions)

Here’s the practical method Australians should use. Keep it simple but accurate:

Step 1: Determine Vertical Lift

Start with the difference between the pump’s position and the highest delivery point.

Step 2: Add Pipe Friction Loss

Long or narrow pipes increase friction. Regional properties with long delivery lines must factor this in.

Step 3: Include Required Bore Water Pressure

If you need strong pressure at the house, tank, or irrigation system, add this to your total head requirement.

Step 4: Account for Drawdown

Australian bores often drop significantly under load. This increases head while pumping. If you ignore drawdown, your pump will be undersized automatically.

Step 5: Add a Safety Margin

Typically 10–20% depending on your bore’s stability and seasonal variations.

This final number determines the pump capacity, horsepower, and model selection. Every Australian bore pump guide, regardless of brand, follows the same logic because head is non-negotiable.

 

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5. Pump Head and Horsepower: How They Work Together

Horsepower isn’t just a marketing number it’s directly tied to head. Too many Aussies follow the rule of thumb “more horsepower equals better performance.” That’s wrong. You need horsepower that matches your TDH and flow rate.

A bore pump horsepower guide helps you determine:

• Minimum power needed
  
  

• Efficiency range
  
  

• Pump curve performance under Australian conditions
  
  

• Whether a progressive cavity water pump is more suitable for certain bores
  
  

• Whether a submersible pump or surface pump is better
  
  

The wrong horsepower will cause low pressure, short-cycling, and motor burnout especially in deep bores with high head.

 

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6. Mistakes Australians Make When Assessing Pump Head

There are recurring patterns across rural, suburban, and agricultural sites:

Assuming Static Water Level Equals Pumping Level

It never does. Dynamic water level is what matters.

Ignoring Vertical Lift to Tanks Mounted on Stands

Even a few metres of elevation drastically changes head requirements.

Not Accounting for Long Pipe Runs

A 50-metre run behaves differently from a 200-metre run.

Using Overseas Calculators

Head tables from overseas don’t match Australian pipe sizes, fittings, voltage, or common bore depths.

Copying a Neighbour’s Pump

Their bore depth and flow rate are irrelevant to your system.

 

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7. When You Need a Progressive Cavity Water Pump

Certain Australian bores have high drawdown, low yield, or variable water quality. In these cases, a progressive cavity water pump can outperform traditional centrifugal pumps because it handles thicker, inconsistent, or gritty water far better.

If your bore is marginal or unpredictable, selecting the wrong pump type can worsen head problems.

 

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Five Common Questions Australians Ask About Pump Head and Bore Performance

1. Why does my bore pump lose pressure when I run multiple taps?

Your pump’s head rating is too low for the total demand and friction losses.

2. How do I know what size bore pump I need?

Calculate flow rate and total dynamic head, then match them to a bore pump size chart rather than guessing.

3. Why does my pump run fine in winter but fail in summer?

Seasonal drawdown increases head, and your pump may be undersized for warmer months.

4. Does higher horsepower fix low head?

Not always. The pump curve not just horsepower must match your head requirements.

5. Is it better to choose a pump with extra head capacity?

Yes, within reason. A small buffer is smart, but extreme oversizing causes inefficiency and cycling problems.

For Australian-specific pump head advice and support, visit Pumptastic.

If you need help calculating head or choosing the right bore pump, Contact us.

If your bore pump isn’t performing well, the culprit is usually incorrect pump head not the pump type, not the brand, and not the motor. Pump head determines how much pressure your pump must overcome, and it drives your entire bore pump sizing strategy. When you calculate head accurately and choose equipment that matches your real-world Australian conditions, you get stable water pressure, efficient operation, and far longer pump life.

Get head wrong and everything else falls apart. Get it right, and your bore system becomes reliable year-round.