A booster pump is a surface pump that takes water from a tank or a weak supply and pushes it to the house at a steady pressure. It is what makes showers usable when the water comes from a plastic tank, when the municipal pressure is low, or when a tank sits on the ground instead of high on a stand. Boosters also run the pressure sets in flats and offices. This page explains the ways a booster is controlled, how it is sized, where to put it and how to compare prices.
Three ways to control a booster
- Pressure switch and pressure tank: the pump starts when pressure falls and stops at a set level; the pressure tank stores a little water so it does not start for every glass of water. Simple and easy to repair.
- Pressure controller (a flow switch): starts the pump when a tap opens and stops it when flow stops. Compact, but small leaks can make it cycle.
- Variable speed drive (VSD): changes the motor speed to hold an even pressure, with soft starts. Smoother and often quieter, at a higher price.
Sizing by taps and bathrooms
A booster is sized by flow and pressure. Flow comes from how many taps and showers may run at once: a flat with one bathroom needs far less than a house with three bathrooms, a kitchen and a garden tap. Pressure is what you want at the highest or furthest tap plus the height and pipe losses. Tell the supplier the number of bathrooms, the number of storeys and whether the pump feeds the garden too. A pump that is too small gives weak showers; one too large wastes power and wears switches. Check that your geyser and old pipes can take the higher pressure too: some older houses need a pressure reducing valve on the geyser feed.
Placement and noise
Put the booster close to the tank and below its outlet, so the pump is flooded and does not have to suck. Fit it on a firm plinth with a cover against sun and rain, and away from bedroom windows, since a pump starting at night can be heard. Fit an isolating valve each side, a non-return valve and a strainer on the suction. Pumps on mains power should be wired by a qualified electrician. For tank setups, see tank pumps.
Pressure sets and price
Multi-storey buildings use pressure sets: two or more boosters on one frame, often with VSDs, that share the load and stand in for each other. The booster pump price depends on the kW, the control type, the body (cast iron, stainless or plastic), and whether the tank, valves and installation are included. Compare quotes on the flow and pressure, the control method, and the full parts list. Spares such as pressure switches should be easy to find.
What to put in your request
- Where the water comes from: tank or mains
- Number of bathrooms, taps and storeys
- Pressure problem now: weak, uneven or none
- Where the pump can stand and power nearby
- Preferred control: switch, controller or VSD
Booster Pumps for homes, farms and businesses
- Homeowners: a booster on the tank so showers and taps work during water cuts
- Smallholdings and plots: steady pressure from a ground tank fed by the borehole
- Farms: boosting tank water to the farmhouse, cottages and stores
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: pressure sets for complexes where upper units get weak water
- Offices, shops, hotels and lodges: pressure sets for offices, hotels, schools and hospitals
- Factories, plants and depots: boosting process and wash water from storage tanks
- Mines and quarries: boosting water to offices, change houses and workshops on site
- Municipalities, schools and clinics: boosting supply to high lying areas and public buildings
- Contractors and drillers: plumbers fitting boosters and pressure sets on new builds
Frequently asked questions
Why does my booster pump keep switching on and off?
Can I fit a booster pump on the municipal supply?
How noisy is a booster pump?
Will your team install the booster?
Booster Pumps by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg