Is there a pump in the hole now?
Borehole Pump Installation South Africa is where most borehole systems are won or lost. The pump has to match the yield of the hole, sit at the right depth and be protected against running dry. Say what the hole gives and what you need from it, and compare quotes on the pump, the pipework and the wiring.
- Know what a pump and its installation should cost, so you never pay too much.
- Say what the hole gives and what you need, and quotes come back fast.
- From LEADERR APPROVED providers, vetted and backed by many verified 5-star reviews. Peace of mind that the pump is sized to the hole rather than to the budget.
Say what the hole gives and what you need from it, and get pump quotes.
Get the Best QuoteBorehole Pump Installation Prices
Ballpark figures so you can check a quotation.
| Item | Ballpark price |
|---|---|
| 0.37kW to 0.75kW pump, supplied and installed | R15,000 - R30,000 |
| 1.1kW to 1.5kW pump, supplied and installed | R24,000 - R42,000 |
| 2.2kW pump, supplied and installed | R32,000 - R58,000 |
| Three phase pump above 3kW, installed | R45,000 - R120,000 |
| HDPE rising main, cable and rope, per metre | R120 - R320 |
| Control box with dry run protection | R2,500 - R9,500 |
| Variable speed drive, domestic | R9,500 - R28,000 |
| Pump pull and refit, existing pump | R4,500 - R12,000 |
| Electrical connection and compliance certificate | R3,500 - R12,000 |
Prices JUST UPDATED. Ballpark figures, rounded, excluding VAT. They reflect typical South African borehole drilling, pump and water treatment rates. They are not our prices or quotations, and no provider is bound by them. Drilling is quoted PER METRE and the depth is not known until the hole is down, so confirm what each quotation includes, such as mobilisation, casing, development and what you pay if no water is found.
Sizing the Pump
- Start from the yield test. Litres an hour and the pumping water level. Everything else follows from these two.
- Work out the head. The lift from pumping level to the outlet, plus friction in the pipe, plus the pressure you want.
- Then pick the flow. Below the sustainable yield, never above it. A pump that outruns the hole kills both.
- Check the power. Single phase to about 2.2kW on most domestic supplies. Above that, three phase or an inverter.
- Mind the cable. A long run drops voltage. Undersized cable is a slow way to burn a motor.
What Goes Down the Hole
- The pump and motor. A multistage submersible, stainless or cast, sized from the head and flow.
- Rising main. HDPE or galvanised. HDPE is lighter, cheaper and easier to pull for a service.
- Submersible cable. Rated for permanent immersion, taped to the rising main at intervals.
- A safety rope. Non negotiable. Recovery of a dropped pump costs more than the pump.
- A probe or sensor. For dry run protection, set above the pump inlet.
Protection and Control
- Dry run protection. Cuts the pump before the water level reaches it. The cheapest insurance on the system.
- Overload and phase protection. Guards the motor against a stalled rotor and, on three phase, against a lost phase.
- Soft start or a drive. Reduces the hammer on start up and lets a pump track demand on a weak hole.
- A float on the tank. Stops the borehole pump when storage is full rather than letting it cycle.
- A certificate of compliance. A fixed installation needs one, and your insurer may ask for it.
Get a price for your own hole rather than a range.
Get the Best QuoteWhat Affects the Price
- The depth it sets at. Pipe, cable and rope are per metre, and head drives the pump size.
- The flow you need. A bigger pump costs more to buy, more to run and more to protect.
- Single or three phase. Three phase pumps are cheaper per kilowatt but need the supply to exist.
- Stainless or cast iron. Aggressive or sandy water wants stainless and costs more.
- Cable run length. From the hole to the board, in trench, is a real material cost.
- Control gear. A plain box, a smart controller or a drive are a wide price range.
- Whether the old pump comes out. Pulling a seized pump on corroded galvanised pipe is slow work.
What to Include in Your Request
- The hole details. Depth, static level, pumping level and yield if you have them.
- What it must supply. A house, a garden, irrigation, livestock or a tank.
- The distance and lift. From the hole to the tank or house, and the height difference.
- Your electrical supply. Single or three phase, and how far the board is.
- The existing pump. Make, size and age, if there is one in the hole.
- The address. Suburb and town, so a contractor knows whether they cover it.
Before You Appoint an Installer
- Ask for the sizing calculation. Flow, head and the yield figure it came from, not just a model number.
- Confirm dry run protection is in. If it is not on the quote, ask what it costs. It is the item that saves the pump.
- Ask about the safety rope. And that it is tied off at the headworks, not coiled in the hole.
- Check the warranty terms. Most pump warranties require correct sizing and installation, so keep the paperwork.
- Ask for the compliance certificate. It should be part of the quote on a fixed installation.
- Ask what the old pump is worth. A serviceable pump pulled out has a trade value.
Borehole Pump Installation FAQs
What size borehole pump do I need?
It comes from two numbers: the sustainable yield of the hole in litres an hour, and the total head the pump has to lift against. The flow must sit below the yield and the head includes the lift from pumping level, the friction in the pipe and the pressure you want at the outlet. A pump chosen on price rather than on those two figures is the most common reason a borehole fails early.
How much does a borehole pump cost installed?
Roughly R15,000 to R30,000 for a small 0.37kW to 0.75kW domestic pump, R24,000 to R42,000 for 1.1kW to 1.5kW, and R32,000 to R58,000 at 2.2kW, including the rising main, cable, rope and basic control gear. Deep settings, long cable runs and a variable speed drive push it higher.
Why do borehole pumps burn out?
Most often because the pump is bigger than the hole can sustain, so it pulls the water level down to the inlet and runs dry. After that come undersized or damaged cable, a lost phase on three phase, and sand wearing the stages. Dry run protection prevents the first and by far the most common of those.
How deep should the pump be set?
Below the pumping water level with a sensible margin, and clear of the bottom of the hole so it is not sitting in silt. The yield test gives the pumping level, which is why a pump should not be set from the static level alone. A few metres of margin covers seasonal drop.
How long does a borehole pump last?
Eight to fifteen years is common for a correctly sized pump in clean water. Sandy or aggressive water, frequent starts and dry running all shorten that considerably. A pump that fails in under three years almost always points at sizing, water quality or the electrical supply rather than at the pump.
Do I need an electrician as well?
Usually, yes. A fixed pump installation is a permanent electrical connection and needs a certificate of compliance. Many pump installers either have a qualified electrician on the team or bring one in, and it is worth confirming which before you accept a quote.
Pump work is the service Borehole Drillers South Africa gets asked for most after drilling itself.
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