The pick for a shallow well that has to feed a large home or irrigation as well as the house.
Amazon $460.60A well pump is usually bought in a hurry, when the taps run dry. These rankings compare what the makers publish on the same terms, so you can pick a replacement fast: how much water you get for the money, how much it pumps at a fixed depth, what it’s built from and how long it’s covered.
Type comes first, and the well decides it. A jet pump sits above ground and pulls water up: a shallow well jet works only when the water is within about 25 ft of the surface, and a convertible jet reaches 90 ft or so with an ejector kit down the well. Deeper wells need a submersible pump, which hangs in the well casing and pushes water up.
Match the old pump. On a replacement, the simplest choice is the same horsepower, voltage and wiring as the pump coming out. A 3-wire submersible needs a control box above ground; a 2-wire pump doesn’t. Upsizing the horsepower can overload the pressure tank, the wire or the well itself.
Flow depends on depth. Every pump moves less water the higher it has to lift it, so a rated flow means little without a depth. We compare every submersible at 200 ft of total head and every jet pump at 20 ft to water and 40 psi, read from the maker’s own performance chart.
Top Picks
Good value for homes on wells around 150 to 250 ft deep, with the same flow as the pricier stainless-head GS.
Amazon $536.73Shop by Type
Jet pumps
14 rankedShallow and convertible jet pumps that sit above ground, for wells with water within about 25 ft, or deeper with an ejector kit.
Top rated: Red Lion RJS-100-PREM $460.60
Submersible, 1/2 HP
6 rankedUp to 1/2 HP: shallower wells and smaller homes, up to about 150 ft to water.
Top rated: Goulds 10HS05422C $600
Submersible, 3/4 HP and up
12 ranked3/4 HP and up: deeper wells, bigger homes and irrigation.
Top rated: Goulds 10HS07422C $536.73
Narrow It Down
Prices were last checked November 2, 2026 and are subject to change; the price and availability shown by the retailer at the time of purchase apply.
Best Jet Well Pumps
- Red Lion RJS-100-PREM#1 of 14Full review
The pick for a shallow well that has to feed a large home or irrigation as well as the house.
Amazon $460.60$460.601 HP12.8 gpmCast iron - Wayne CWS100#2 of 14Full review
The 1 HP CWS for a family home on a shallow or medium-depth well that wants the most flow of the line. Budget for the jet kit.
Amazon $435.83$435.831 HP10.7 gpmCast iron - Wayne SWS100#3 of 14Full review
A 1 HP shallow well pump for a family home on a well, cistern or lake with water within 25 ft.
Amazon $389.99$389.991 HP9.2 gpmCast iron - Red Lion RJS-75-PREM#4 of 14Full review
A sturdy 3/4 HP shallow well pump for wells, cisterns or lakes with water within 25 ft.
Amazon $376.99$376.993/4 HP8.7 gpmCast iron - Wayne CWS75#5 of 14Full review
A 3/4 HP convertible jet pump for a family home on a shallow or medium-depth well. Budget for the jet kit.
Amazon $360.91$360.913/4 HP8.5 gpmCast iron
Best 1/2 HP Submersible Well Pumps
- Goulds 10HS05422C#1 of 6Full review
A cheaper way to get Goulds’ 10 gpm hydraulics for typical wells with water within about 200 ft, if you can live with a composite discharge head.
Amazon $600$6001/2 HP9.3 gpmStainless - Goulds 10GS05422C#2 of 6Full review
A durable stainless 10 gpm pump for typical wells with the water level within about 200 ft. Buy it from an authorized dealer to keep the warranty.
Amazon $863.88$863.881/2 HP9.3 gpmStainless - Red Lion RL12G05-2W2V#3 of 6Full review
A low-cost 1/2 HP submersible for wells with water within about 100 ft. Deeper wells need the 3/4 or 1 HP size.
Amazon $429.31$429.311/2 HP6 gpmStainless - Red Lion RL12G05-3W2V#4 of 6Full review
A 1/2 HP submersible for wells with water within about 100 ft, for owners who want a 3-wire setup with the start parts above ground.
Amazon $473.73$473.731/2 HP6 gpmStainless - Flotec FP2212#5 of 6Full review
A 1/2 HP submersible for wells with water within about 100 ft. Shop around, since the price found is high for the size.
Amazon $699.59$699.591/2 HP7.2 gpmStainless
Best 3/4 HP and 1 HP Submersible Well Pumps
- Goulds 10HS07422C#1 of 12Full review
Good value for homes on wells around 150 to 250 ft deep, with the same flow as the pricier stainless-head GS.
Amazon $536.73$536.733/4 HP12 gpmStainless - Goulds 10HS10422C#2 of 12Full review
For deeper wells or bigger households that want Goulds’ strongest 10 gpm flow without paying for the all-stainless GS.
Amazon $751.56$751.561 HP13.6 gpmStainless - Flotec FP2222#3 of 12Full review
A 3/4 HP submersible for household wells with water down to about 150 ft.
Amazon $529.99$529.993/4 HP11.3 gpmStainless - Red Lion RL12G10-2W2V#4 of 12Full review
For deeper wells or bigger homes that want strong pressure at the tap. Shallower wells do fine with the 3/4 HP.
Amazon $736.05$736.051 HP13 gpmStainless - Red Lion RL12G07-2W2V#5 of 12Full review
A solid 3/4 HP submersible for typical household wells with water around 100 to 200 ft down.
Amazon $595.95$595.953/4 HP11 gpmStainless
How We Rank
Each pump is ranked against others of the same type and motor size, and scored on its price per gallon a minute at the rating point, its flow there, its housing and its warranty.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | price per gallon a minute at the rating point | 30% |
| Flow | gallons a minute at the rating point | 25% |
| Housing | what the pump body is made of | 15% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 30% |
How we rank explains each factor in full.