Well Pump Power Outage: How to Keep Water Running

Well pumps typically need a continuous few hundred to over a thousand watts depending on depth and motor size, plus a much higher surge to start the motor — check your pump's nameplate rating before sizing a generator or power station.

A generator or power station rated for your pump's running watts alone may not have enough surge capacity to start the motor. Look for rated watts, then add real headroom for the starting surge.

For most residential well pumps, a mid-size power station or portable inverter generator is enough; larger or deeper wells may need a full-size generator — our sizing calculator estimates this for common well pump loads.