For Vertical Turbine Pumps, the Total Head is defined as the distance from the pumping liquid level to the center of the discharge gauge plus the total discharge head.

• A. Total Head
• B. Elevation Head
• C. Total Head (H), Vertical Turbine Pumps
• D. Discharge Head

Answer: (C)

In vertical turbine pumps, the total head is the energy the pump must develop to move water from the source to the discharge point, and it’s defined as the distance from the pumping liquid level to the center of the discharge gauge plus the total discharge head. This quantity is denoted by the symbol H, which is why the precise NFPA 20 reference calls it “Total Head (H), Vertical Turbine Pumps.” That combo—the vertical lift plus the discharge-side energy—captures the full pressure-energy the pump must overcome to deliver flow.

This is why the choice with the explicit term and the H designation is best: it communicates both the exact quantity being defined and the pump type. The other terms are incomplete for this context: Elevation Head would reflect only the vertical lift, Discharge Head would cover only the discharge-side energy, and simply saying Total Head without the specified context could be ambiguous.