Which statement best describes static water head and friction head in relation to PDP?

• A. Static water head is the vertical height water must be pumped; friction head is pressure loss from movement; both increase PDP.
• B. Static water head is the pressure loss due to friction; friction head is the vertical water column; both decrease PDP.
• C. Static water head and friction head are the same concept; only one affects PDP.
• D. Static water head is the horizontal distance; friction head is flow velocity; both have no effect on PDP.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the pump must overcome two kinds of head: static water head and friction head. Static water head is the vertical lift the water must be raised to reach the discharge point. Friction head is the pressure loss caused by moving water through the piping system—pipe length, fittings, valves, and roughness all add to this loss. The pump discharge pressure (PDP) is the sum of these heads, so both static head and friction head push PDP higher. This is why the correct description says static head is the vertical height to pump and friction head is the pressure loss from flow, and both increase PDP.