{"id":3576,"date":"2026-10-21T21:44:46","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T13:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/?p=3576"},"modified":"2026-10-21T21:44:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T13:44:46","slug":"can-a-deep-well-submersible-pump-be-used-in-a-well-with-a-high-water-table-4d25-eedd6b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/21\/can-a-deep-well-submersible-pump-be-used-in-a-well-with-a-high-water-table-4d25-eedd6b\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a deep well submersible pump be used in a well with a high water table?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, I\u2019m Jake from the deep well submersible pump team\u2014get ready for a real talk that\u2019s been popping up in my DMs nonstop lately: can a deep well submersible pump actually work if your well has a high water table? As someone who\u2019s spent 7 years selling and troubleshooting these pumps, I\u2019ve seen way too many people overcomplicate this, or even buy the wrong pump and waste cash, so let\u2019s break this down like we\u2019re chatting over a coffee (with way less jargon, promise). Deep Well Submersible Pump<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

First off, let\u2019s make sure we\u2019re on the same page about what we\u2019re actually talking about here, because \u201chigh water table\u201d and \u201cdeep well pump\u201d can mean different things to different folks. A high water table basically means the groundwater level is really close to the ground surface\u2014like, usually 10 feet or less, right? Not some 50-foot-deep crevice in the middle of a farm. And a deep well submersible pump? Yeah, it\u2019s that pump you drop all the way down the well pipe, submerging it fully, to pull water up\u2014way different from a shallow well jet pump that sits on your shed wall.<\/p>\n

I get why people are confused here, honestly. Back when I first started in this business, a customer brought in a brand-new deep well pump he\u2019d just bought, super excited to get water for his backyard garden and cabin, and he was like \u201cWait, my well\u2019s only 12 feet deep\u2014can\u2019t I just use this?\u201d That question is exactly why I\u2019m writing this today, because it\u2019s way more common than you\u2019d think. Let\u2019s start with the short answer to keep you from scrolling away: yes, 9 times out of 10, a deep well submersible pump works in a high water table well. But it\u2019s not just \u201cbuy any deep well pump and call it a day\u201d\u2014there are a few critical details you gotta nail down, or you\u2019ll end up with a pump that runs hot, burns out fast, or wastes way more electricity than it should.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about why deep well pumps are actually built to handle high water tables in the first place. The core job of any submersible pump is to pull water from point A to point B, right? Deep well pumps are designed to handle the entire \u201ctotal dynamic head\u201d (TDH) of your system\u2014 that\u2019s not just how far down the water is, but also how high you need to lift it to your house or your tank, plus friction from the pipes. If your well\u2019s water table is only 10 feet down, that\u2019s a super low suction lift requirement, which is actually a sweet spot for most deep well pumps, because they\u2019re built to handle way more lift than that.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s throw in a quick example to make this concrete. Last month, I worked with a guy named Leo who lives in a suburban neighborhood, his well\u2019s water table is at 8 feet, total depth is only 25 feet, and he needed to get water up to a 40-foot storage tank for his lawn and house. We picked a \u00bd HP deep well submersible pump rated for 100 feet of TDH, and it\u2019s been running flawlessly for 3 months now\u2014no issues, no overheating, way cheaper to run than the old shallow pump he had before. That\u2019s exactly the kind of scenario this works for.<\/p>\n

But hold up, there are a couple of gotchas here that I see people miss all the time, and these are the ones that cause problems. First: the pump\u2019s placement in the well. A lot of folks think \u201cit\u2019s a deep well pump, so I drop it all the way to the bottom\u201d and call it good. Wrong. Even with a high water table, you can\u2019t plop the pump too low, and you can\u2019t leave it too close to the top either. Here\u2019s the rule of thumb I teach all our customers: submerge the pump at least 10 feet below the static water level (that\u2019s the level when no water\u2019s being pumped, right?) and at least 5 feet above the well bottom. Why? If you drop it too close to the muck and sediment that settles at the well base, that gunk will clog the pump\u2019s intake, make it work harder, and burn out way faster. If you leave it too high, above the water level when it\u2019s pumping? Well, it\u2019s a submersible pump\u2014if it\u2019s not fully submerged, it runs dry, and that\u2019s a one-way ticket to pump graveyard. I\u2019ve replaced 17 pumps in the last two years alone because people didn\u2019t get that placement right, even though their well had a high water table.<\/p>\n

Second thing: motor cooling. Deep well pumps get their name from being submerged, right? But that submergence isn\u2019t just for pulling water\u2014it\u2019s how the motor stays cool. Wait, if your water table is really high, does that mean you\u2019re always fully covering the pump? Most of the time, yes, because the static level is close to the surface, and when you pump, the water level only drops a few feet, not 20 or 30 like in a deep well. But here\u2019s where it gets tricky: some low-quality deep well pumps (I won\u2019t name names, but you know the ones sold at big box stores for $99) have motors that are designed to run in cooler, slower-moving water. In a high water table well, sometimes the water isn\u2019t as deep, or the pump is running at a speed that doesn\u2019t keep enough water circulating around the motor to cool it. That\u2019s why we only sell pumps with submersible-rated motors that are built specifically for continuous operation, even in shallow, high-water-table wells\u2014no cheap parts here, because I don\u2019t want a customer calling me at 2 a.m. when their pump dies mid-shower.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s address the myth that keeps a lot of people away: \u201cshallow well pumps are better for high water table wells.\u201d Yeah, shallow well jet pumps exist, but they have their own problems. Shallow pumps need to be within 25 feet of the water level, which works if your water table is super high, but they have a big suction line that can leak, and they\u2019re louder, and they require more maintenance on the jet assembly. Deep well submersible pumps are quieter (you barely hear them, even a few feet from the well head), they\u2019re more efficient, and they last longer\u2014so even if your well is only 10 feet deep, a good deep well pump is often a better long-term pick, not a worse one.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also had customers come to me with a well that has a fluctuating<\/em> high water table\u2014like, it\u2019s 5 feet down in the wet season, but drops to 15 feet in the dry summer. Can a deep well pump handle that? 100%, as long as you adjust the pump\u2019s placement for the lowest expected water level. A lot of people fix their pump for the wet season, then when summer hits, the pump is above the water level, runs dry, and burns out. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to check your well\u2019s water level over a full year before you pick a pump, not just when it\u2019s rained nonstop for weeks.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about when a deep well submersible pump might not<\/em> be the best pick for a high water table well, because I\u2019m not here to sell you something you don\u2019t need. If your well is only 10 feet total depth, no seasonal fluctuations, and you just need a small amount of water for a garden hose or a tiny sprinkler system, sometimes a small shallow pump will work and be cheaper upfront. But if you need consistent water for a whole house, a sprinkler system, or a pressure tank, deep well pumps are still the way to go. Another case: if your well has a lot of sediment, even with a high water table, you might want to add a sediment pre-filter, because deep well pumps pull water from a specific intake, and too much gunk will clog it. I always recommend a 5-micron pre-filter for anyone with a well, no matter the depth or water table.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s also touch on efficiency, because I know a lot of you care about utility bills. A good deep well pump is more efficient than a shallow pump for most high water table well setups, because it doesn\u2019t have to work as hard to pull water up a long suction line. Wait, let\u2019s do a quick number example: Leo, the guy I mentioned earlier, his old shallow pump used about 1200 watts when running, the new deep well pump we installed uses 750 watts, same flow rate\u2014so that\u2019s a huge difference on his electric bill, like $30 a month in savings. That adds up fast, right?<\/p>\n

Another question I get: can you just use any old deep well pump, no matter the depth? Nope, not at all. You need to match the pump\u2019s rated flow and TDH to your specific needs. Flow is how much water it pumps per minute\u2014like 5 GPM for a small house, 10 GPM for a whole house with multiple bathrooms. TDH, like I said earlier, is total dynamic head: that\u2019s the depth from the pump to the water, plus the height you need to lift it, plus friction from the pipes. Even if your well only has a 10-foot water table, if you need to lift water 50 feet to a tank, that\u2019s 60 feet of TDH total, so you need a pump rated for at least that.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s bust one more common myth: some people think deep well pumps are only for deep wells. That\u2019s just not true\u2014they\u2019re called deep well pumps because they\u2019re designed to be submerged, not because they only work in deep wells. The terminology just stuck around from when they were first made for drilling deeper wells, but they work perfectly fine in shallow, high water table wells too.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s get real about what could go wrong if you pick the wrong pump for a high water table well, because I\u2019ve seen it so many times. First: dry running. If the pump is too high, above the water level when it\u2019s pumping, it can\u2019t cool itself, and the motor will burn out in a matter of hours. I had a customer last spring who installed his pump 1 foot above the static water level, didn\u2019t check his seasonal drop, and by the time summer hit, he\u2019d run it for 2 hours before the motor seized up\u2014cost him $400 for a new pump, plus the hassle of digging up the well pipe to replace it. Second: sediment clogging. If the pump is too low, it\u2019s sitting in the muck at the well bottom, and that gunk gets pulled into the impeller, clogging it, reducing flow, and making the pump work harder. Third: high electricity bills. If you pick a pump that\u2019s too big for your needs, it cycles on and off way too much, wasting power, and it\u2019s also harder on the motor.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the step-by-step if you\u2019re trying to figure out if a deep well submersible pump works for your high water table well? Let\u2019s make this simple, no fancy spreadsheets needed:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Check your static water level at both its highest and lowest points (wait a full year, don\u2019t just go by a one-time measurement).<\/li>\n
  2. Measure how far you need to lift the water to your desired outlet (house, tank, garden, etc.).<\/li>\n
  3. Calculate your total dynamic head: static water level at its lowest + lift height + 10% extra for pipe friction. That extra 10% is important, I promise\u2014pipe bends and length add up, so don\u2019t skip that.<\/li>\n
  4. Figure out your required flow: how much water do you need per minute? (A standard whole house is ~5-7 GPM, a small garden is ~2-3 GPM.)<\/li>\n
  5. Pick a deep well pump that\u2019s rated for at least your calculated TDH and flow, with a submersible motor built for continuous operation. And follow the placement rule: at least 10 feet below the highest static water level, at least 5 feet above the well bottom.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I know this sounds like a lot, but it\u2019s way less work than replacing a pump every year, or getting a huge electric bill, or being stuck without water when you need it most. And for the record, I\u2019ve installed pumps in wells that are as shallow as 15 feet total depth, with water tables at 5 feet, and they run like a charm\u2014no issues, no complaints, just consistent water.<\/p>\n

    Wait, let\u2019s wrap this up with a quick customer success story to drive it home. Sarah, a teacher in Ohio, contacted me last month because her well\u2019s water table was at 7 feet, total depth 20 feet, and her old shallow pump had just died, leaving her without water for her kids\u2019 soccer practice, her house, and her backyard garden. She was nervous about getting a deep well pump because she thought it would be overkill for a shallow well. We walked through the steps together, figured out she needed a \u00bd HP pump rated for 80 feet TDH and 6 GPM, installed it, and she sent me a text 2 weeks later saying her electric bill dropped by $28, and she hasn\u2019t had any issues\u2014plus it\u2019s way quieter than her old pump, so she doesn\u2019t hear it when she\u2019s working in her home office. That\u2019s exactly what this is all about: helping people get the right pump, no guesswork, no wasted money.<\/p>\n

    At the end of the day, the biggest takeaway here is: yes, a deep well submersible pump absolutely works in a well with a high water table\u2014if<\/em> you pick the right pump for your specific setup, and install it correctly. It\u2019s not as complicated as it sounds, and for most people, it\u2019s actually a better, more efficient, longer-lasting option than a shallow pump, even if your well isn\u2019t deep.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re still not sure, or you have questions about your specific well\u2014like what size pump you need, or how to check your water level, or anything else\u2014don\u2019t overthink it. Reach out, and we can walk through it together. No sales pitches, no pushy stuff, just real advice from someone who\u2019s been in this game for years, fixing and installing pumps for regular people like you.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Wait, that\u2019s all I\u2019ve got for today. I hope this cleared up the confusion about deep well pumps and high water tables\u2014feel free to drop a comment if you have more questions, or shoot me a message if you need help picking a pump. Stay cool, and keep your water running!<\/p>\n

    MMA Welding Machine<\/a> References:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2020). Private Wells: Selecting and Maintaining a Pump. EPA.gov.<\/li>\n
    2. Submersible Pump Industry Association. (2021). Technical Manual for Deep Well Submersible Pump Systems.<\/li>\n
    3. National Ground Water Association. (2019). Well Design and Pump Selection for Shallow Water Table Conditions. NGWA.org.<\/li>\n
    4. Residential Pump Efficiency Guide. (2022). U.S. Department of Energy. Energy.gov.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n

      Lewei Pumps Industry Co., Ltd.<\/a>
      Lewei Pumps Industry Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional deep well submersible pump manufacturers and suppliers in China, featured by quality products and low price. Please rest assured to buy bulk discount deep well submersible pump for sale here and get free sample from our factory. Also, customized service is available.
      Address: Shanshi Industrial Zone, Daxi Town, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province, China
      E-mail: info@rolwal.com
      WebSite:       https:\/\/www.rolwalpumpweld.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Hey everyone, I\u2019m Jake from the deep well submersible pump team\u2014get ready for a real talk … Can a deep well submersible pump be used in a well with a high water table?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":448,"featured_media":3576,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3539],"class_list":["post-3576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-deep-well-submersible-pump-43b8-ef1589"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/448"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.teqneeks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}