P&ID pump symbols
A pump symbol tells you two things at a glance: how it moves fluid (the body shape) and what drives it (the motor and any speed control alongside). Here are the common pump and fan glyphs, drawn in clean ISA style — plus how the same symbol turns into a live, multi-state object on an HMI screen.
The common pump & fan symbols
Pumps are grouped by the way they add energy to the fluid. The two big families are kinetic (centrifugal — velocity, then pressure) and positive-displacement (a trapped volume pushed each cycle):
Within positive displacement you'll meet gear, lobe, screw, progressive-cavity, diaphragm and reciprocating piston/plunger pumps. The legend distinguishes them with the internal mark; the outer body stays a circle or rounded box. Metering / dosing pumps are a small reciprocating PD pump with a stroke adjustment.
Reading the volute on a centrifugal pump
The centrifugal symbol is the one you'll see most. The circle is the casing; the small triangle (or hook) tangent to it is the volute that collects flow and turns it into discharge pressure. Suction enters on the centerline (the axis), and the discharge leaves at the tangent — so the orientation of the triangle tells you which way the line runs. Multi-stage and vertical pumps reuse the same casing glyph with extra detail.
Pairing the pump with its driver
A pump rarely appears alone — it is shown with the equipment that turns it:
- Motor — an electric motor is a circle marked
M, connected to the pump by a short shaft line. This is the motor half of a pump set. - VFD / VSD — a variable-frequency drive that varies pump speed is shown as a block (often a rectangle with a diagonal arrow, or tagged
VFD/VSD) feeding the motor. It implies a controllable speed setpoint rather than fixed-speed on/off. - Turbine / engine drive — where used, a turbine or engine symbol replaces the motor circle.
Pumps carry an ISA-5.1 tag in the P-NNN form — P-101 is pump on loop 101. A duty/standby pair is often P-101A and P-101B. The full letter table is in our ISA-5.1 reference.
From P&ID glyph to live HMI object
On a P&ID the pump is a single static glyph. On an operator HMI the same outline becomes a multi-state object whose fill or outline color follows the PLC, exactly like a motor:
- Stopped — gray.
- Running — green (animated/flashing while starting).
- No feedback — yellow (commanded but no run confirmation).
- Fault / tripped — red, usually with an alarm badge.
In practice you import the pump PNG as a multi-state lamp and map each state to a value in a PLC status word — the same workflow as the 9 motor states guide, because a pump set is a motor plus a hydraulic body. Keep the icon monochrome and let color carry state, in line with the calm ISA-101 palette.
Geometry varies by project legend
There is no single universal pump glyph. ISA-5.1, ISO 10628 and individual company standards each draw the volute, the PD mechanism and the driver slightly differently, and every drawing set has its own legend sheet that is the authority for that project. Read the legend first; treat the symbols here as the common, recognizable conventions, not a fixed rule. When you export from the catalog you can match line weight and style to your legend.
Browse by category
Jump straight into the catalog for the families on this page:
Download pump symbols as PNG / SVG
Filter the catalog to Pumps, tweak the palette, and export — or compose a pump-and-motor set in the builder. Free, no account.
Browse pump symbols → Open the builder →Frequently asked questions
What does a centrifugal pump symbol look like?
A circle (the casing) with a small triangle or hook tangent to it (the volute discharge). Flow enters on the axis and leaves at the tangent. It is tagged with a P loop number such as P-101.
Centrifugal vs positive-displacement — what's the difference?
A centrifugal pump is a circle with a volute tangent (it adds velocity, then pressure). A positive-displacement pump is a circle/rounded body holding a mechanism mark — gear teeth, lobes, a piston bar or a screw — because it moves a fixed volume per cycle.
How does a pump symbol become a multi-state HMI object?
On a P&ID it's a static glyph; on an HMI the same outline becomes a multi-state object — gray stopped, green running, yellow no-feedback, red fault — driven by a multi-state lamp mapped to a PLC status word.
Where can I download pump symbols?
Browse and download ISA-style pump symbols as PNG or SVG from the catalog (Pumps), or build a pump-and-motor set in the Symbol Builder.
Keep reading
- P&ID symbols explained — the full guide to every symbol family.
- P&ID valve symbols — bodies, actuators & fail-safe positions.
- The 9 motor states every HMI should show — how a pump set comes alive on screen.
- Build your own symbols — free online editor.