Just like garden pumps, booster pumps - also known as boosters or pressure-boosting pumps - are self-priming. The pump is often used to increase water pressure in the water pipes, but also to spray/irrigate gardens and lawns, and to supply water to toilets, washbasins, and washing machines.
The main differences between a booster and a garden pump are:
A booster is fitted with a tank
The booster switches on and off automatically
If the pump has a tank, the first water requirement will come from the tank to avoid the pump also needing to switch on to supply small amounts of water. Furthermore, the tank reduces water hammer, which means that it intercepts 'blows' in the water pipes caused by an abrupt change in the rate of flow when a tap is opened and closed.
A booster pump is self-priming, which means that it draws water from the source and then applies high pressure to use it mainly for irrigation purposes. Scientifically, it is not possible to draw water from a depth greater than eight metres, but it can be drawn from a distance longer than eight metres, provided that this is done horizontally.
If you want to irrigate your garden, a booster pump will be most suitable for you: for example, in combination with a hand-held sprayer. The pump will switch off as soon as you release the handle. Of course, you can also connect impellers or sprinklers to it. If you use rainwater in your home, for example for a toilet or washing machine, a booster pump is most suitable because it automatically supplies relatively small amounts of water. The pump will also need to switch on and off automatically for these appliances.
For irrigation, you can make use of a conventional booster pump such as the DAB Aquajet or the Tallas D-BOOST. If you live next to a canal, a river, rapidly running water, or have a clean-water well, you can opt for an underwater booster such as the DAB Divertron or the Tallas D-ESUB. Either one is a very easy plug & play booster pump, and perfect for using rainwater in the house for a toilet or a washing machine. If you want to boost the water pressure in the house, for example in the shower, the booster needs to be installed indoors. A fully controllable, compact pump that is also quiet and powerful is not a luxury. But if that is what you want, you can opt for a DAB e.sybox (Mini) or a Tallas D-ECONCEPT.