Pump Head Calculator

What is Pump Head?

Pump head (Total Dynamic Head, TDH) is the total energy a pump must impart to fluid, expressed as the height of liquid column it can raise. TDH accounts for all energy losses and gains in the system and is used to select the right pump from a pump curve.

Total Dynamic Head Formula

TDH = Static Head + Friction Head + Velocity Head + Pressure Head

• Static head: Vertical height from water source to discharge point (m)
• Friction head: Pressure loss in pipes and fittings (calculated from Darcy-Weisbach or Hazen-Williams)
• Velocity head: v²/2g (usually small, often neglected)
• Pressure head: If pumping against pressurised system = ΔP/ρg

How to Use This Calculator

Enter suction and discharge elevations, pipe lengths, diameters, flowrate, and fitting counts. The calculator computes each head component and total TDH.

Practical Examples

Example: Pump water from a sump (−2m) to an overhead tank (15m). Pipe: 50mm, 60m, Q = 5 L/s. Friction loss ≈ 3.5m per 100m → loss = 60 × 3.5/100 = 2.1m. TDH = (15−(−2)) + 2.1 = 19.1m. Pump power = ρgQH/η = 1000 × 9.81 × 0.005 × 19.1 / 0.7 = 1,337W = 1.34 kW.

Pump Selection

Always add 10–15% margin to TDH. Choose a pump whose performance curve intersects the system curve near its best efficiency point (BEP) for optimal energy use and pump life.