Is a deep-well pump suitable for a ring well?

This is one of the common questions we hear from installers at our company when selecting a solution for a specific water intake. In short: yes, a deep-well pump can be installed in a ring well, but this involves several unexpected complications. In practice, however, a submersible pump with a float switch is often a much better choice. Below, we explain when each option makes sense and how to approach the selection reliably.

Ring well vs. deep well – key differences

A ring well, also known as a dug well, is a traditional water intake made of concrete rings with an internal diameter most commonly of 80, 100, or 120 cm. The well is rarely deeper than 10–15 m, and its water comes from the first aquifer. The water level in such an intake fluctuates significantly throughout the year – higher in spring and lowest in midsummer.

A deep well (i.e. a drilled well) is a narrow borehole with a diameter of 4–6 inches, reaching strata below 30 m and often more than 60–100 m deep. A drilled well offers stable output, but requires dedicated deep-well pumps with a slim, cylindrical design.

From the perspective of equipment selection, this difference is fundamental: deep-well pumps are designed to operate in a narrow pipe, where water flows around the body and cools the submersible motor. In a wide concrete ring, these conditions must first be created.

Can a deep-well pump operate in a ring well?

Yes – under one condition. Installing a deep-well pump in a ring well requires the use of a casing pipe (with a diameter appropriately matched to the diameter of the deep-well pump – typically 4" or 6"), along which a stream of cold water will flow. Without this pipe, the submersible motor will not be cooled properly, and its service life will decrease significantly – in some cases to just a few months.

When choosing this type of deep-well pump installation, the installer must also ensure:

 
• stable vertical mounting of the pump, with particular attention to the safety of the power cable;
 
• maintaining a minimum distance from the bottom of the well (usually 50–100 cm) so that the pump does not draw in sediment;
 
• filters and protection against abrasive media – sand is more common in dug wells than in drilled wells. A mesh filter significantly extends pump life under such conditions. The market and our range also include pumps with increased resistance to abrasive media, which perform well in such situations;
 
• protection against dry running – a level sensor or pressure switch with a protective function, because the water level in ring wells can drop faster than in drilled wells.

Purchasing a deep-well pump for a ring well makes sense if the well is deep (more than 8–10 m), the required water head exceeds 30–40 m, or a high water flow rate must be maintained at constant pressure. In other cases, purchasing a deep-well pump for such a water intake can be complicated to install and expensive—both to purchase and to operate.

Ring well requirements – what to check before choosing a pump

A ring well equipped with an incorrectly selected pump can quickly fail. Therefore, before choosing the right pump, you should gather specific technical data to help select the appropriate equipment. When making this decision, you should take into account information such as:

 
• total well depth – from the cover to the bottom of the ring;
 
• static water level – measured after at least 2 hours without water withdrawal;
 
• dynamic water level – measured during continuous pumping at full capacity (important information for protecting the installation against dry running);
 
• internal diameter of the rings (important if a casing pipe is to be installed);
 
• water quality – presence of sand, silt, and turbidity;
 
• household demand – usually 1.5–3.0 m³/h for a single-family house with a garden. To calculate the average demand for your home, you can use our calculator.

A ring well also requires regular maintenance—disinfection once a year, checking the tightness of the rings and cover, and ensuring that the discharge pipeline is unobstructed. Equipping it with reliable automatic controls (a pressure switch, diaphragm pressure tank, and dry-run protection probe) makes it practically maintenance-free. Adding a pre-filter and a check valve to the installation ensures even longer operation without service intervention. Every properly prepared ring well equipped with a complete set of accessories is ready for various types of pumps—submersible pumps, deep-well pumps with a casing pipe, or surface suction pumps.

Why is a submersible pump with a float switch a better choice?

When we are asked at our company to recommend a suitable pump for a ring well—as a manufacturer of submersible pumps and well accessories—in the vast majority of cases we recommend a submersible pump with a float switch, rather than a deep-well pump. The reason is simple: the float switch automatically turns the device off when the water level falls below the set level and switches it back on when the water level rises again. This is exactly the operating mode needed in a dug well, where the water level changes seasonally.

Advantages of a submersible pump with a float switch in a dug well:

 
• Lower total cost – no casing pipe, centralizers, longer cable, or higher-grade automation required.
 
• Easier installation and servicing – the pump is lowered on a rope and does not require careful vertical installation.
 
• Dry-run protection built into the float mechanism – no additional probes required.
 
• Better suited to shallow wells – where the lifting height rarely exceeds 20–25 m.
 
• Lower energy consumption – the pump operates only when there is actually water to be supplied.

Submersible pumps are currently our broadest segment – we offer submersible pumps for clean water, dirty water, and wastewater. A surface pump with a hose lowered into the well opening can also be a good solution; an appropriate filter at the end is all that is needed to prevent the motor from seizing. Based on our experience, multistage surface pumps are the best choice if, in addition to supplying the house, you also power garden irrigation – several impeller stages provide stable water-pump pressure with varying consumption. You can find our full range in the surface pumps category.

Pumps for ring wells from the IBO and IPRO range

Our IBO brand includes a full range of pumps for ring and dug wells – from simple models with a float switch to multistage units for demanding installations. For more extensive applications, such as apartment buildings or farms, we recommend the IPRO line – with a higher ingress protection rating and a more durable shaft.

Under our IBO and IPRO brands, we offer several categories of water pumps suitable for ring wells. The one you choose depends on the well depth, water demand, and whether constant pressure needs to be maintained in the system.

 
• IBO submersible pumps for clean and slightly contaminated water – the basic solution for a single-family home with a dug well. They operate fully submerged. These are the most common submersible pumps for this type of well.
 
• IPRO line – our professional series, intended for more demanding installations: larger farms, agricultural facilities, irrigation systems, and installations with increased performance and durability requirements.
 
• Surface pumps (with a suction pump) – suitable for very shallow water intakes, where the water level does not drop below approximately 7–8 m from the pump axis. The suction pump is installed above the well, which makes servicing easier, but requires a properly functioning check valve and a leak-tight suction pipeline.
 
• Multistage pumps – used where higher water pump pressure and greater head are required. Each successive impeller stage increases the pressure by a constant increment, which enables multistage pumps to perform better when pumping water to a great height.

How to choose a pump for a ring well – a practical guide

Choosing the right pump for a ring well should follow four steps. Our experience shows that following this process eliminates most selection errors.

Step 1. Measuring the well depth and water level. We measure the depth of the well from the cover to the bottom, as well as the static and dynamic water levels. From these figures, we calculate the required water head – the sum of the difference in levels, pipeline losses and the required pressure at the outlet. For a standard single-family home, the head is between 25–45 m.

Step 2. Determining the demand. We calculate the maximum simultaneous water flow rate (l/min) and (m³/h). The standard for a house with 4 people and a garden is 2–3 m³/h, while for larger properties it is 4–6 m³/h. We then verify whether the water intake can keep up with replenishing the supply. You will find a calculator on our website to help you make these calculations.

Step 3. Comparing the parameters. We check the parameters of the submersible and immersion pumps available in the IBO/IPRO catalogue – Q-H curves, hydraulic efficiency and motor class. We compare the parameters of the submersible pumps with the operating point of the installation so that the operating point is located in the central section of the curve, where efficiency is highest. We select the pump motor power with a 15–20% reserve above the value calculated from the operating point – this reserve protects against overheating when the voltage drops. An undersized pump motor is the most common cause of premature equipment wear. In applications requiring constant pressure in a long pipeline, we use multistage pumps – IBO and IPRO multistage pumps have 3 to 9 impeller stages and perform well when pumping water to greater heights, because each successive stage increases the pressure by a constant increment. Pumping water through several dozen metres of PE pipeline requires checking the hydraulic resistance.

Step 4. Selecting the accessories. Buying a water pump is only the beginning – a complete installation requires: filters, valves, diaphragm tanks, a pressure switch and, depending on the complexity of the installation, other types of installation accessories.

Our technical department can help you choose the right type of pump for a specific task—please contact us! Selecting the right deep-well pump and analyzing the requirements for purchasing one usually takes us one business day. Choosing the right pump together with dedicated accessories guarantees safe use and many years of trouble-free operation. If you are looking for specific models, visit our website—you will find pumps for dug wells there, along with the appropriate accessories dedicated to our products.

FAQ – frequently asked questions