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Can a power station run a well pump?

A 120 V well pump up to 1/2 HP, yes, on a station with at least 875 W of output and 1,750 W of surge: 43 of the 54 power stations in our data run one on its own. A 1 HP pump runs on 240 V, and 8 stations supply that on their own. Then the battery sets how many hours of pumping you get.

Updated

The numbers for two pump sizes

Well pump classes in the data
PumpVoltageRunningStartingMotor hours a day counted
Well pump (1/2 HP)120 V875 W1,750 W2
Well pump (1 HP)240 V1,500 W3,000 W2

Running watts vary with the pump and the depth it lifts from: 750 W to 1,000 W for the 1/2 HP class in the data. The motor hours are the run time a day the data uses, with the motor running flat out while it is on. The plate on your pump or its manual gives the exact figures.

The start decides first

A pump motor needs about 2 times its running watts for a moment at each start: 1,750 W for the 1/2 HP class. 11 of the 54 stations fail on that start, 10 of them for lack of running watts as well. Where a maker publishes no surge rating, we check the start against the continuous output, so a station without one has to carry 1,750 W as its rated output.

A pump with a pressure tank starts each time the tank pressure falls to its low setting, so a station must cover the start many times a day, with everything else on the same station running. The runtime calculator adds the other loads to the pump's start.

The battery sets the hours

Once the pump runs, divide the usable watt hours by its running watts for the hours of pumping. The table shows stations near three sizes from the ones that run a 1/2 HP pump.

A 1/2 HP well pump on its own, at 85% efficiency
Power stationCapacityHours of pumpingAt 2 h a day
BLUETTI Elite 100 V21,024 Wh60 min0.5 days
Jackery Explorer 2000 v22,042 Wh2.0 h1 day
BLUETTI Elite 3003,014 Wh2.9 h1.5 days

A well pump runs whenever water is drawn, so showers, laundry and watering use most of the battery. Saving water saves watt hours: every minute the pump does not run saves about 15 Wh. The smallest station in the data that covers 2 hours of pumping in a day is the BLUETTI Elite 200 V2. The well pump setup lists every station that is enough for a day.

240 V pumps

The 1 HP class in the data runs on 240 V: 1,500 W running and 3,000 W to start. A station needs split phase 240 V output to run it. 8 of the 54 stations in the data supply it on their own, 2 with a second unit linked, 24 not at all, and for 20 the maker does not publish it.

Connecting a pump safely

Check how your pump connects before you count on a station. A pump with a cord can plug straight into it. A hard wired pump needs a transfer switch or an inlet fitted by an electrician, and a station must never be connected to house wiring without one.

A sump pump is the other pump a household plans for. A 1/2 HP sump pump draws about 925 W and 1,725 W to start; the sump pump setup works it out.

Check your own label

Watts vary by model and age. Check the label on your own appliance and enter it for an exact answer.

Questions

What size power station runs a 1/2 HP well pump?
One with at least 875 W of output and a surge rating of 1,750 W. For a day at 2 hours of pumping, about 2,059 Wh of rated capacity. The smallest of the 54 stations in the data that lasts the day is the BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 (2,074 Wh).
Can a power station run a 240 V well pump?
Only one that supplies split phase 240 V. 8 of the 54 stations in the data do so on their own and 2 with a second unit linked; for 20 the maker does not publish it. A 1 HP pump also needs 3,000 W to start, and 23 stations pass every check, 15 of them only because their 240 V support is not published.
How long will a power station run a well pump?
Usable watt hours divided by the running watts give the hours of motor run time. A 2,000 Wh station gives 1,700 Wh usable, about 1.9 h of pumping with a 1/2 HP pump at 875 W, which lasts 1 day at 2 hours a day.