Menu

Can a Power Station Run a Well Pump?

By Hicham M. · Updated October 11, 2026 · How we calculate

Start with the voltage. Many well pumps run on 240 V, and most portable power stations only put out 120 V. The tables below assume a 240 V pump, so only the few models with 240 V output make the first list.

Then the start, which is the hard part. A 1/2 HP pump runs at about 800 W, but for an instant it pulls around 5,300 W, based on the motor maker’s locked-rotor figures below. Daily energy use is modest: the pump only runs long enough to refill the pressure tank.

Running800 Wtypical range 670–1,000 W
Starting (surge)5,300 Wfor a split second
Average33 Wincluding on/off cycling
Per day0.8 kWhat 24 h/day
Calculate with your model Find the right size

Runtime by power station

Nonstop runtime for one well pump at 33 W average, with 85% inverter efficiency. Models that can't supply its running or starting power are listed separately below.

How long each power station runs a well pump: longest 5
Power stationBatteryRuntimeBar
Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus5,040 Wh5.4 days
EcoFlow DELTA Pro 34,096 Wh4.4 days
Anker SOLIX F38003,840 Wh4.1 days
Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus3,840 Wh4.1 days
BLUETTI Apex 300 May not start it: surge not published2,765 Wh3 days

Models that can't run it

Power stationOutputSurgeWhy
Goal Zero Yeti PRO 40003,600 W7,200 WNeeds 240 V
EcoFlow DELTA Pro3,600 W7,200 WNeeds 240 V
Anker SOLIX F30003,600 W7,200 WNeeds 240 V
BLUETTI Elite 3002,400 W4,800 WNeeds 240 V
BLUETTI Elite 200 V22,600 W—Needs 240 V
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max2,400 W4,800 WNeeds 240 V
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus3,000 W6,000 WNeeds 240 V
EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max2,400 W4,800 WNeeds 240 V
BLUETTI AC200L2,400 W4,800 WNeeds 240 V
BLUETTI AC200MAX2,200 W4,800 WNeeds 240 V
Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 22,400 W4,000 WNeeds 240 V
Anker SOLIX F2000 (767)2,400 W—Needs 240 V
DJI Power 20003,000 W—Needs 240 V
Jackery Explorer 2000 v22,200 W4,400 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus3,000 W6,000 WNeeds 240 V
BLUETTI AC200P2,000 W4,800 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 1500 v22,000 W4,000 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra1,800 W3,600 WNeeds 240 V
Goal Zero Yeti 1500X2,000 W3,500 WNeeds 240 V
Goal Zero Yeti 15002,000 W3,600 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus2,000 W4,000 WNeeds 240 V
Anker SOLIX F1200 (757)1,800 W—Needs 240 V
BLUETTI AC1801,800 W2,700 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 1000 v21,500 W3,000 WNeeds 240 V
Anker SOLIX C10001,800 W2,400 WNeeds 240 V
EcoFlow DELTA 31,800 W3,600 WNeeds 240 V
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus1,800 W3,600 WNeeds 240 V
EcoFlow DELTA 21,800 W2,700 WNeeds 240 V
BLUETTI Elite 100 V21,800 W—Needs 240 V
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 22,000 W3,000 WNeeds 240 V
DJI Power 10002,200 W4,400 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro1,000 W2,000 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 10001,000 W2,000 WNeeds 240 V
Goal Zero Yeti 10002,000 W3,600 WNeeds 240 V
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro800 W1,600 WNeeds 240 V
Anker SOLIX C800 Plus1,200 W—Needs 240 V
BLUETTI EB70S800 W1,400 WNeeds 240 V
Goal Zero Yeti 700600 W1,000 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 500500 W1,000 WNeeds 240 V
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max500 W1,000 WNeeds 240 V
DJI Power 5001,000 W—Needs 240 V
Jackery Explorer 300300 W500 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 300 v2300 W600 WNeeds 240 V
Anker SOLIX C300300 W600 WNeeds 240 V
EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus600 W1,200 WNeeds 240 V
BLUETTI EB3A600 W1,200 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 240 v2300 W600 WNeeds 240 V
EcoFlow RIVER 3300 W600 WNeeds 240 V
Jackery Explorer 240200 W400 WNeeds 240 V

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes our numbers, and every model in our database is included whether or not it pays us. Learn more.

What the motor maker says

Franklin Electric makes many of the submersible motors in US wells. Its manual gives these figures for a 1/2 HP motor:

Franklin Electric 1/2 HP motor ratings
Franklin 1/2 HP motorRunningAt start (locked rotor)Minimum generator
2-wire, 115 V10 A (670 W)64.4 A3 kW
2-wire, 230 V5 A32.2 A3 kW
3-wire, 230 V5 A (670 W)23 A2 kW

The starting current is about 4.5 to 6.5 times the running current. Multiply it out and a 3-wire 230 V pump needs about 5,300 VA for an instant (our 5,300 W figure), a 2-wire 230 V pump about 7,400 VA, and a 2-wire 115 V pump about 7,400 VA too. The wire count is on the motor label or the control box (3-wire pumps have one).

Don’t read Franklin’s generator minimums as enough for a power station. Franklin notes that a minimum-size generator “acts as a soft start” because its voltage sags while the motor gets going; an inverter usually just shuts off when it’s overloaded instead.

Soft-start pumps are friendlier

Some newer pumps ramp up gently. Grundfos says its SQ pumps reach full speed over about 2 seconds with “a low starting current”, while a conventional motor started directly can draw up to seven times its normal current. A soft-start or constant-pressure pump is much easier on a power station.

Before you rely on it

Questions

What power stations can run a 240 V well pump?
Only models with 240 V output, and only if their surge rating covers the pump’s start. The ones that qualify are in the first table above; a soft-start pump widens the choice.
How many watts does it take to start a well pump?
Going by Franklin Electric’s locked-rotor figures, a 1/2 HP submersible pulls about 5,300 VA for an instant if it’s a 3-wire 230 V motor, and about 7,400 VA if it’s 2-wire. A generator can get away with less (Franklin’s minimums are 2–3 kW) because its voltage sags; a power station usually can’t. Soft-start pumps need far less.

Related

Sources

Wattage figures are typical values from the sources below. Your appliance may differ, so check its label or measure it with a plug-in watt meter.

  1. webtrol.com/assets/franklin-aim-manual.pdf
  2. championpowerequipment.com/generator-wattage-chart
  3. dwee.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/water/2026_60Hz_AIM_Manual_Submersib…
  4. api.grundfos.com/literature/Grundfosliterature-6511590.pdf
  5. grundfos.com/us/learn/ecademy/all-courses/grundfos-sq-sqe/sq-sqe-prot…