A booster pump is a machine which will increase the pressure of a fluid. They may be used with liquids or gases, but the construction details will vary depending on the fluid.

On current new construction and retrofit projects, water pressure booster pumps are used to provide adequate water pressure to upper floors of high rise projects.

Boosters may be driven by an electric motor, hydraulics, low or high pressure air or manually by a lever system.

Booster pumps work in conjunction with other pumps, meaning by themselves they cannot transport any fluid in a system. They are designed only to “boost” the performance of an existing pumping system. Booster pumps are considered centrifugal pumps, relying on one or more impellers to draw and move fluid.

Specifications

The primary specifications to consider when selecting booster pumps are flowrate, pressure boost, horsepower, and power rating.

Maximum flowrate describes the highest achievable rate of volume discharge through the pump.

Maximum pressure boost indicates the highest achievable pressure addition to the existing pressure or head of the system. This may be expressed as either pounds per square inch (psi) or as feet head (ft). The pressure which the booster pump must provide is the difference between the required system pressure and the existing pump pressure. This pressure difference is the pressure boost that the booster pump needs to supply at the desired flow rate in order to fulfill the application requirements.

Horsepower indicates the output power of the pump, measured in units of horsepower (hp).

Power rating indicates the power required to operate the pump, measured in Watts (W) or horsepower (hp). In the case of electric pumps, some manufacturers will instead specify the required voltage (in volts or V) and current (in amps or A). The power rating is the product of the voltage and current ratings (power = voltage x current).