Water Pumps: Types and Applications
Moving clean water? A standard transfer pump covers most home, farm and trade jobs, sized by flow rate and head.
Moving dirty water with debris? A trash or semi-trash pump is built to handle solids without clogging.
Draining a flooded or low-lying area? A submersible pump sits in the water itself rather than drawing it up from above.
Fire-fighting or wash-down with a hose kit? A dedicated fire-fighting pump is purpose-built and usually sold complete with hose and nozzle.
Who this guide is for
Farmers and lifestyle block owners
Moving water for stock troughs, irrigation, or calf milk, often needing to handle water that isn't perfectly clean.
Builders and contractors
Draining excavations, flooded sites or dirty water containing sediment and debris.
Rural property owners
Wanting a wash-down or fire-fighting capability on hand for a rural block or holiday property.
Pump types compared
| Pump type | Handles | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Standard transfer | Clean or lightly soiled water | General water transfer, tank filling, wash-down, calf milk |
| High-pressure transfer | Clean water, higher head requirement | Longer hose runs or lifting water further vertically |
| Trash | Dirty water with dirt, grass, twigs, sand | Construction sites, flooded areas, stock troughs |
| Semi-trash | Lightly soiled water, some solids | Multi-use: transfer, wash-down, calf milk, light fire-fighting |
| Submersible | Drainage water, sits in the water itself | Draining pits, low-lying floods, no self-priming needed |
| Flexi-drive | Water pumped via a flexible shaft from a separate engine | Higher flow transfer where a direct-mounted pump isn't practical |
| Fire-fighting | Clean water, purpose-built for pressure and self-priming | Rural fire-fighting, often sold with hose and nozzle kit |
Riequip's current pump range by category
Standard & high-pressure transfer
From the compact Titan 25mm pump (150L/min, 25m head) up to the Titan 76mm high-volume pump (1000L/min, 30m head), with Honda-powered options such as the WX10 and WX15 in between.
Trash & semi-trash
Honda GX200-powered trash pumps and Titan MF270-powered 76mm trash pumps for handling dirty water, including hose kit options.
Submersible
The Reid Drainvac 400 semi-vortex submersible pump, sold with a hose kit, for draining without a float switch.
Flexi-drive
Honda GX160-powered flexi-drive pump with a 6m flexible shaft and hose kit, for higher-flow transfer jobs.
Fire-fighting
Honda GX160 and GX200-powered Fireboss pumps, including a twin-impeller model, plus Titan-powered options, several sold as complete hose kits.
As one example, the Honda 38mm WX15 water pump is rated at 240L/min with a 40m maximum head, and is sold both as a standalone transfer/calf milk pump and as a complete fire-fighting hose kit with a 30m outlet hose and nozzle. Riequip's full pump and hose range, including camlock fittings and layflat hose in 25mm to 76mm sizes, is browsable at riequip.co.nz/collections/pumps-hoses.
Why this recommendation fits
Pump selection comes down to what the water contains and how far or high it needs to travel. A standard transfer pump's impeller and passage are sized for clean water and will clog or wear quickly if fed water containing solids, which is why trash and semi-trash pumps use a wider, more open impeller design even though it costs some efficiency on clean water. Submersible pumps skip the self-priming step entirely by sitting in the water, which suits low-lying drainage where a surface pump would struggle to draw water up.
Fire-fighting pumps are a separate category again: they're built and tested for the pressure and reliability fire-fighting demands, which is why Riequip sells them as dedicated models rather than recommending a general-purpose transfer pump for the job.
When a general-purpose pump won't cut it
Using a standard transfer pump on dirty or debris-laden water is the most common cause of early pump failure. If there's any chance of dirt, grass, twigs or sand in the water, a trash or semi-trash pump will hold up far better even though it isn't the cheapest option for the flow rate.
Limitations and alternatives
- Flow and head figures are rated maximums. Actual performance depends on hose length, diameter and total lift; confirm your specific run before choosing a model.
- Engine-driven pumps need fuel and servicing like any small engine; electric submersible pumps avoid this but need a power source at the pump location.
- For sizing help, contact your nearest Riequip branch with your flow rate and head requirement before purchasing.
Supporting evidence
- Pump models, categories, specifications and pricing referenced in this guide are drawn from Riequip's current pump and hose range at riequip.co.nz/collections/pumps-hoses.
- Confirm exact requirements for your situation with a Riequip specialist before purchasing, as prices, specifications and stock availability are subject to change.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a transfer pump and a trash pump?
- A standard transfer pump moves clean or lightly soiled water and is not designed for solids. A trash pump is built with a wider impeller and passage to handle dirty water containing dirt, grass, twigs and sand without clogging, which makes it suited to construction sites, flooded areas and stock water troughs rather than clean water transfer.
- What size water pump do I need?
- It depends on the flow rate (litres per minute) and head (vertical lift plus friction loss) your job requires. Riequip's standard transfer pumps range from around 150L/min on a compact 25mm pump up to 1000L/min on a 76mm high-volume pump, with maximum head typically between 25m and 55m. Confirm the exact flow and head your application needs before choosing a model.
- Can a water pump be used for fire-fighting?
- Purpose-built fire-fighting pumps such as Riequip's Honda-powered Fireboss models are self-priming and designed for the higher pressure fire-fighting requires, and are often sold with a complete hose and nozzle kit. A standard transfer pump is not designed for this use and should not be substituted for a dedicated fire-fighting pump.
- What is a submersible pump used for?
- A submersible pump sits in the water it is pumping, rather than drawing water up through a hose from above, which makes it well suited to draining flooded areas, pits or low-lying water where a surface pump cannot easily self-prime.