Booster Pumps

Select a high quality booster pump from Mitchell, Lewis & Staver for extreme pumping needs in municipal or industrial markets.

We offer energy-efficient pumps that will give low flows at high heads, that are built to last and designed for continuous operation without damage to the motor or other parts of the system. We can help you choose a stock pump, or our in-house engineering staff can design the best packaged system for your unique needs.

What are booster pumps?

A type of centrifugal pump used to increase the pressure of liquid that is already flowing from one place to another in a pipeline. They are employed in many varied applications and may be used in combination with vertical turbine pumps or vertical submersible pumps to further boost the pressure (head) of irrigation or drinking water being pumped from wells. Booster pumps are often used in pipelines to add pressure (head) to move the liquid along to the next pump or to its final destination at the end of the pipeline. And they are used in many process applications, where the pressure (head) required for the service is more than one pump can deliver, or where a second pump is required to make sure that the pumps do not cavitate. Booster pumps may be end suction, horizontal split case, multistage, or vertical turbine, depending on the flow and head (pressure) requirement. They generally work within the following ranges:

Flow rate ranges between 5 and 10,000 gpm
Total head (pressure) ranges between 200 and 7,500 ft
Horsepower ranges between 1 and 5,000 hp

How do booster pumps work?

Most are centrifugal pumps, relying upon one or more impellers to draw the pumped fluid into the intake of the pump, and to boost its pressure as the fluid passes through the impeller and the volute or diffuser casing. Some are single-stage, meaning that they have a single impeller. These are generally used in applications where the amount of additional pressure (head) that is required is not significant. There are also multi-stage configurations involving more than one impeller, which are used to deliver higher heads such as would be required to move water up to substantially higher elevations or through much longer pipelines.

Where are booster pumps used?

Moving water up a hill
Boiler feed
Municipal pressure maintenance
Pumping water up through a high-rise building
High-pressure cleaning and spraying systems
Filtration and reverse osmosis systems
HVAC
General purpose cleaning
Anywhere where higher pressures are required

Single-stage booster pumps are used in private residences or other buildings that are far from the municipal water supply, or where water pressure at the building is inadequate. They’re also useful for irrigation systems if the well pump doesn’t have sufficient pressure (head) for the distance the water needs to travel and how big of a field needs to be irrigated.

Multi-stage configurations are often used to boost water supply in hilly areas, for both agricultural, commercial, and residential uses. They’re also essential in tall buildings. In industrial applications, booster pumps are used in pipelines, and some process systems.

Types of booster pumps include: vertical and horizontal multi-stage, split case & submersible multi-stage. Our booster pump lines include: Berkeley, Burks, Goulds, Price Pump and Sta-Rite.

Want to talk about booster pumps? Call us at 866-748-8077, or contact us online. Also see our Accessories Catalog.