Shut-off " head is a condition,when a centrifugal pump runs with discharge valve closed.

-When a serviced pump is to be tested for its performance , we are running pump with different discharge condition to ensure that the pump is capable of performing as designed. -Shut-off head is the maximum head generated by a centrifugal pump with zero flow and relatively less power. Because it has to overcome very small head[upto discharge valve],less frictional losses and inertia loads. -So, shut off head is a part of the charactoristic curves. #Caution: Dont run the centrifugal pump for a prolonged period in shut-off condition ,or else the liquid will get vaporise and pump will run dry and damaged the important part of the pumps like mechanical seal/gland packings,bearing ,etc. #It IS A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE "to operate a cf pump with closed discharge valve during start-up after proper priming to minimise the heavy loading of the liquid column .As the pump gain its normal speed,gradually open the discharge valve .Like-wise , when stopping a pump,close the discharge valve and then stop the pump. #At its BEP(best efficiency point) the pump should be running between 80% and 85% of its shutoff head. #"Head pressure" on the other hand is more complicated. "Head" may be simply defined as any resistance to the flow of a pump. When pump manufacturers list the head pressure, they are referring to the vertical discharge pressure head. Described in very simple terms, a pump's vertical discharge "pressure-head" is the vertical lift in height (usually measured in feet of water) at which a pump can no longer exert enough pressure to move water. At this point, the pump may be said to have reached its "shut-off" head pressure. When you look at a flow curve chart for a pump, the "shut-off head" is the point on the graph where the curved line becomes horizontal as the flow rate at that point is zero. The higher a pump's head pressure, the more powerful the pump.