Appliance · Water
How many watts does a 1/2 HP well pump use — and what can run it?
A 1/2 HP 115 V submersible well pump: up to 1,000 W running and 7,056 W locked-rotor at start (Franklin). Which stations and generators can start it.
Franklin also builds this motor for 230 V (244505), which cannot plug into a 120 V outlet; check the motor nameplate. Runs only when the pressure switch calls for water.
The figures come from the Franklin Electric AIM manual, which tabulates its 4-inch submersible motors. For the 1/2 HP, 115 V, 2-wire motor (244504, G suffix) it lists 10.0 A / 660 W at full load, 12.0 A / 1,000 W at maximum service-factor load, and a locked-rotor current of 58.8 A. The site takes the higher running figure and turns the locked-rotor current into 7,056 W (58.8 A × 120 V). Both choices lean cautious. The same manual prints different figures for the same model prefix without the G suffix, so the motor nameplate is the figure to trust.
What changes the draw
A well pump runs when the pressure switch calls for water and stops when the tank is full. Well depth, pipe run and household demand decide how long each run lasts and how close the motor works to its service-factor load. The page assumes two hours a day.
Why the starting draw decides everything
Locked-rotor current is what the motor draws before it turns — the ceiling of a start. Generic charts are far lower: the Champion chart says 1,500–2,000 W for a 1/2 HP well pump. With the maker's figure, though, most power stations fail, because their peak is under 7,056 W; see the fit rule.
Reading the tables
Runtime assumes nonstop pumping at 1,000 W. Example: the Jackery HomePower 3000 record has no maker factor, so the default 0.85 applies: 3,072 Wh × 0.85 ÷ 1,000 W = 2.6 hours of pumping.
Power stations that can run it
Pass = continuous output ≥ 1000 W and peak output ≥ 7056 W. Runtime = capacity × maker's factor ÷ 1000 W, nothing else plugged in. Method.
| Model | Fits | Runtime at 1000 W | Capacity | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARBERO 88Wh Portable Power Station (M82) | No | — | 89 Wh | $119.99 |
| DARAN R100 (89.6Wh) | No | — | 90 Wh | $149.99 |
| Bluetti EB3A | No | — | 269 Wh | $219 |
| EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus | No | — | 286 Wh | $299 |
| Anker SOLIX C300 | No | — | 288 Wh | $429.99 |
| Anker SOLIX C300 DC | No | — | 288 Wh | $349.99 |
| Jackery Explorer 300 | No | — | 292 Wh | $289 |
| Goal Zero Yeti 500 | No | — | 499 Wh | $499.95 |
| Bluetti AC70 | No | — | 768 Wh | $359 |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | No | — | 1,024 Wh | $499.99 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 | No | — | 1,024 Wh | $699 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic | No | — | 1,024 Wh | $599 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | No | — | 1,024 Wh | $799 |
| Anker SOLIX C1000X | Unclear — no peak figure | — | 1,056 Wh | $469.99 |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | No | — | 1,070 Wh | $559 |
| Bluetti AC180 | Unclear — no peak figure | — | 1,152 Wh | $499 |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus | No | — | 1,264 Wh | $699 |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1500 | No | — | 1,505 Wh | $1,499.95 |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1500X | No | — | 1,516 Wh | $1,124.89 |
| EcoFlow DELTA Max (2000) | Unclear — no peak figure | — | 2,016 Wh | — |
| Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 | No | — | 2,042 Wh | $999 |
| Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus | No | — | 2,043 Wh | — |
| Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 | No | — | 2,048 Wh | $899.99 |
| Bluetti AC200L | Yes | 1.7 h | 2,048 Wh | $899 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | No | — | 2,048 Wh | $1,299 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max | No | — | 2,048 Wh | $1,199 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus | No | — | 2,048 Wh | $1,599 |
| Bluetti Elite 200 V2 | Unclear — no peak figure | — | 2,074 Wh | $899 |
| Jackery HomePower 3000 | Yes | 2.6 h | 3,072 Wh | $1,499 |
| Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus | Unclear — no peak figure | — | 3,840 Wh | $2,599.99 |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | Yes | 3.5 h | 4,096 Wh | $3,299 |
Generators that can run it
| Model | Fits | Load | Published run time | CO sensor | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion 100396 3400W Electric Start Dual Fuel Inverter | No | 32 % (gasoline) | 7.5 h @ 25 % | No | — |
| Champion 201241 13,500W Electric Start Tri Fuel Generator | Yes | 7 % (gasoline) | 8 h @ 50 % | Yes | — |
| Champion 201319 4500W Electric Start Dual Fuel Inverter | No | 29 % (gasoline) | 14 h @ 25 % | Yes | — |
| DuroMax XP13000EH | Yes | 10 % (gasoline) | 17 h @ 25 % · 8 h @ 50 % | Yes | $1,299 |
| DuroMax XP9500iH | Yes | 13 % (gasoline) | 21 h @ 25 % · 11 h @ 50 % | Yes | $1,999 |
| Generac GP8000E (with COsense, model 7715) | Yes | 13 % (gasoline) | 10 h @ 50 % | Yes | — |
| Generac iQ3500 (with COsense) | No | 33 % (gasoline) | 14.1 h @ 25 % · 8.9 h @ 50 % | Yes | — |
| Honda EU2200i | No | 56 % (gasoline) | 8.1 h @ 25 % · 3.2 h @ 100 % | Yes | $1,199 |
| Honda EU3200i | No | 38 % (gasoline) | 8.6 h @ 25 % · 3.3 h @ 100 % | Yes | $2,799 |
| Honda EU7000iS | No | 18 % (gasoline) | 16 h @ 25 % · 6.4 h @ 100 % | Yes | $4,899 |
| WEN DF680iX | No | 20 % (gasoline) | 6.1 h @ 50 % | Yes | $803.40 |
| WEN GN400i | No | 29 % (gasoline) | 7 h @ 50 % | No | $479.99 |
| Westinghouse WGen7500DFc | Yes | 13 % (gasoline) | 11 h @ 25 % | Yes | $1,299 |
| Westinghouse WGen9500DF | Yes | 11 % (gasoline) | 12 h @ 25 % · 8 h @ 50 % | No | $1,249 |
| Westinghouse WGen9500DFc | Yes | 11 % (gasoline) | 12 h @ 25 % · 8 h @ 50 % | Yes | $1,399 |
| Westinghouse WGen9500DFc EFI | Yes | 11 % (gasoline) | 15 h @ 25 % · 10 h @ 50 % | Yes | $1,549 |
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a 1/2 HP well pump use?
Why is the starting figure so high?
Can a portable power station run a well pump?
What size generator runs a 1/2 HP well pump?
Sources
Page updated 2026-10-31.