Nowadays, there are different types of pumps available in the market in different shapes and sizes. The selection of pumps mainly depends on our requirements like the type of fluid we wish to pump, the distance to supply the liquid and the volume we need to get over an exact time frame. However, it is hard to identify accurately which pump we must select. The pump can be identified based on its design and function. This article discusses an overview of pumps and to understand the difference between them.
Types of Pumps
There are lots of pumps available; however, which one is suitable for your application is critical to identity. Here we have listed individual types of pumps which come under positive displacement and centrifugal pumps.
1). Dynamic Pumps
These pumps are categorized into various types which include the following.
- Centrifugal Pump
- Vertical Centrifugal Pump
- Horizontal Centrifugal Pump
- Submersible Pump
- Fire Hydrant Systems

dynamic-pump
Centrifugal Pump
This pump is most frequently used in different applications and it is efficient, strong and somewhat economical to build. When this pump is activated, the pressure of liquid will also increase from the entry of the pump to exit. The change in liquid pressure will force the liquid to flow into the system.
This pump generates mechanical power from the motor to the fluid through the rotating impeller. The liquid flow will reach the midpoint of impeller & exits with its blades. The centrifugal power improves the liquid velocity, as well as the kinetic energy, will be changed to force.
Vertical Centrifugal Pump
This pump operates through a direct drive motor and the flow rate of this pump is high. These pumps are suitable for transferring chemicals very fast. The open impeller of this pump permits even extremely unclean liquids. These pumps have a maximum thickness and temperature.
These pumps are also known as cantilever pumps because they use a single shaft as well as bearing support arrangement to allow the volute to fall in the water sump whereas the bearings are arranged at the outside of the sump. This pump uses throttle bushing to close the shaft and this pump is used in a parts washer.
Horizontal Centrifugal Pump
This pump is mainly designed to transfer the fluid with very fast using the straight drive motor. This pump offers efficient liquid flow without any hassle. The performance of this pump is high so this pump is sealed tightly and it is environmentally protected. The features of this pump will offer long-lasting performance like superior production and quality material.
This pump provides a cost-effective solution for a variety of reliable water applications, and installation, as well as maintaining of these pumps, is easy.
Submersible Pumps
Alternate names of these pumps are septic, sewage, and stormwater pumps. These pumps are used in industrial, domestic, commercial, municipal, rural and recycling of rainwater applications. These pumps are mainly used for supplying water like a storm, bore water, subsoil, black, trade waste, sewage, grey, rain, chemicals & foodstuffs.
The submersible pumps are used in various impellers such as contra-block, closed, grinder, multi-stage, vortex, cutter, and single-channel pumps. The selection of these pumps for different types mainly depends on its flow capacity like low flow, high, low-head and high-head.
Fire Hydrant Systems
These pumps are also called as fire pumps, fire water pumps, and hydrant boosters. These types of water pumps are high force pumps mainly used to improve the ability of fire fighting of buildings by enhancing the strength within the hydrant service when mains is not adequate. These systems are used in applications like water transfer as well as irrigation.
2). Positive Displacement Pumps
Positive displacement pumps are classified into different types but some of them are listed below.
- Diaphragm Pumps
- Gear Pumps
- Peristaltic Pumps
- Lobe Pumps
- Piston Pumps

positive-displacement-pumps
Diaphragm Pumps
Diaphragm pumps are applicable in several industries that handle different varieties of liquids. These pumps come under positive displacement as their supply rates do not differ much by the pressure or discharge head.
These pumps are mainly used for pushing the liquids with high, low otherwise medium viscosities as well as huge solids content. They also handle acids as they designed with a broad range of diaphragms as well as body materials.
Gear Pumps
This pump uses the set-up of gears to push liquid by one revolution. These pumps are commonly used in hydraulic liquid power applications as well as in chemical equipment to push high thickness liquids. There are two gear pumps like inside and outside, where inside gear pumps use an inside as well as outside spur gears & outside gear pumps use two outside spur gears.
These pumps are fixed displacement or positive displacement which means they supply a fixed amount of liquid for every rotation. Some kinds of pumps are mainly designed to work as a motor otherwise a pump.
Peristaltic Pumps
This is one kind of PD pump, used to push different types of liquids. An alternate name of these pumps is roller pumps or tubing pumps. These pumps can push different kinds of fluids ranges from the transfer of chemical, pharmaceutical processing and treatment of wastewater.
This pump has a unique design, includes a drive system. This system activates rollers to reduce & discharge flexible tubing once they turn. This squeezing action makes a vacuum to draw liquid throughout the tubing. These pumps are gentle and its low-shear pumping act makes a pump perfect to handle live cells, huge proteins & other sensitive fluids.
Lobe Pumps
A lobe pump is one kind of PD pump and it is related to a gear pump apart from the lobes which are designed to almost touch to turn each other. The best example of this pump is the roots blower, which blows ignition air to dissolve iron within blast furnaces, however, currently used as an engine supercharger.
The applications of these pumps include in industries like pulp, paper, food, chemical, beverage, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical. They offer excellent hygienic qualities, reliability, high efficiency, high-quality CIP (clean-in-place) and SIP (steam-in-place) characteristics.
Piston Pumps
A piston pump is one kind of PD pump wherever the high force seal responds by the piston. These Piston pumps are used to push fluids otherwise squeeze gases. Piston pumps operate over a broad range of forces. Piston pumps deal with viscous media as they contain hard particles. These pumps are frequently used in reliable force as well as in water irrigation otherwise delivery systems.
Thus, this is all about the classification of pumps. These pumps are used mainly applicable in buildings to make the movement of liquid materials simpler. There are some pumps used in commercial and housing and they handle water. Fire pumps are used to supply quick water for firefighters, and automatic sprinklers. Booster pumps to supply fresh water for apartments. Here is a question for you, what is the function of the screw pump?