Elevation head is the additional pressure needed to lift water to the target height.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It depends on the nozzle
• D. It is always zero outdoors

Answer: (A)

Elevation head is the pressure add‑on required to lift water to a higher point. When water is raised to a greater height, gravity gives the water potential energy that must be overcome, so the pump must supply extra pressure at the discharge to push the water upward. In practice, you can think of it as the pressure equivalent of the vertical lift: about 0.433 psi per vertical foot of water (in imperial units), or ρgh in consistent units. This means the discharge pressure must include this elevation component in addition to friction losses and other factors.

The nozzle or outlet size doesn’t change the height you’re lifting, so elevation head isn’t determined by the nozzle. And elevation head isn’t zero outdoors unless there’s no height difference between the source and discharge point.