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Best Power Stations for Well Pump

We tested 33 portable power stations against the Well Pump (1 HP) (2392W running / 7176W surge). 4 passed our True Surge protocol — 12% compatibility rate.

Safe

3

Tight

1

With Soft-Starter

1

Incompatible

28

○ Device source: Engineering Est.

Derived from variant list (max of variants). Worst case = Red Lion RL12G10-2W2V (2392W running, 7176W surge).

This device requires 240V split-phase power

Most consumer portable power stations output 120V only. The Well Pump (1 HP) is incompatible with any 120V-only unit regardless of wattage capacity.

Our Top Picks

Ranked by value, balance, and endurance from 3 compatible generators.

Best Budget Safe

Anker SOLIX F3800

Running 6,000W
Surge 9,000W
Capacity 3,840 Wh
Weight 132.3 lbs (60.0 kg)
Carry Two-person recommended
Runtime 1.1h
Best Overall & Runtime Safe

Delta Pro Ultra

Running 6,000W
Surge 12,000W
Capacity 6,144 Wh
Weight 182.1 lbs (82.6 kg)
Carry Two-person recommended
Runtime 1.8h
#3 Overall Safe

Delta Pro Ultra X

Running 12,000W
Surge 24,000W
Capacity 6,144 Wh
Weight 187.4 lbs (85.0 kg)
Carry Two-person recommended
Runtime 1.8h

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Our methodology

Runtime at a glance

How long each station runs a Well Pump on a single charge (after 0.70 real-world derate)

Safe Tight margin With soft-starter

* Requires a soft-start device installed. Without one, these stations cannot handle the startup surge.

What to Know About the Well Pump (1 HP)

Power Profile

Running range: 1702W to 2392W across common 1 HP well pump designs. Startup range: 2553W to 7176W depending on motor/start behavior. Voltage: 240V class load in typical US installations.

Real-World Usage

Typical duty cycle is about 2 hours/day, with short frequent cycles. Daily energy falls around 3404 to 4784Wh depending on the model.

Pro Tip

For well pumps, startup behavior matters more than nameplate HP. A soft-start design can change a borderline pairing into a stable one.

Full Compatibility Matrix

All 33 generators tested against the Well Pump (1 HP) (2392W / 7176W).

Power Station Running W Surge W Capacity Weight Verdict Runtime Report
Delta Pro Ultra X 12,000 24,000 6,144 Wh
187.4 lbs
Two-person recommended
Safe 1.8h View
Delta Pro Ultra 6,000 12,000 6,144 Wh
182.1 lbs
Two-person recommended
Safe 1.8h View
Anker SOLIX F3800 6,000 9,000 3,840 Wh
132.3 lbs
Two-person recommended
Safe 1.1h View
DELTA Pro 3 4,000 8,000 4,096 Wh
113.5 lbs
Two-person recommended
Tight 1.2h View
Zendure SuperBase V4600 3,800 3,800 4,608 Wh
121.3 lbs
Two-person recommended
Soft Start 1.3h * View
Yeti Pro 4000 3,600 7,200 3,993.6 Wh
115.7 lbs
Two-person recommended
Voltage Fail N/A View
Delta Pro 3,600 7,200 3,600 Wh
99.2 lbs
Two-person recommended
Voltage Fail N/A View
Pecron E3600LFP 3,600 7,000 3,072 Wh
79.4 lbs
Two-person recommended
Voltage Fail N/A View
Explorer 3000 Pro 3,000 6,000 3,024 Wh
63.9 lbs
Two-person recommended
Voltage Fail N/A View
Elite 200 V2 2,600 3,600 2,073 Wh
53.4 lbs
Heavy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
AC200L 2,400 3,600 2,048 Wh
62.4 lbs
Two-person recommended
Voltage Fail N/A View
AC200MAX 2,200 4,800 2,048 Wh
61.9 lbs
Two-person recommended
Voltage Fail N/A View
DELTA 2 Max 2,400 4,800 2,048 Wh
50.7 lbs
Heavy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
Explorer 2000 Plus 3,000 6,000 2,042 Wh
61.5 lbs
Two-person recommended
Voltage Fail N/A View
Explorer 2000 v2 2,200 4,400 2,042 Wh
39.5 lbs
One-person carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
Yeti 1500X 2,000 3,500 1,516 Wh
45.6 lbs
Heavy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
DELTA (Gen 1) 1,800 3,300 1,260 Wh
30.9 lbs
One-person carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
AC180 1,800 2,700 1,152 Wh
36.2 lbs
One-person carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
Explorer 1000 v2 1,500 3,000 1,070 Wh
23.8 lbs
One-person carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
SOLIX C1000 1,800 2,400 1,056 Wh
28.4 lbs
One-person carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
DELTA 2 1,800 2,700 1,024 Wh
26.5 lbs
One-person carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
DELTA 3 Plus 1,800 3,600 1,024 Wh
27.6 lbs
One-person carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
VTOMAN Jump 1500X 1,500 3,000 828 Wh
36.2 lbs
One-person carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
SOLIX C800 Plus 1,200 1,600 768 Wh
24.0 lbs
One-person carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
AC70 1,000 2,000 768 Wh
22.5 lbs
One-person carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
RIVER 2 Pro 800 1,600 768 Wh
18.3 lbs
Easy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
Explorer 500 500 1,000 518.4 Wh
13.2 lbs
Easy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
RIVER 2 Max 500 1,000 512 Wh
13.4 lbs
Easy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
SOLIX C300 300 300 288 Wh
9.0 lbs
Easy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
Explorer 300 Plus 300 600 288 Wh
8.4 lbs
Easy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
EB3A 600 1,200 268.8 Wh
10.1 lbs
Easy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
RIVER 2 300 600 256 Wh
7.7 lbs
Easy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View
RIVER 3 300 600 245 Wh
7.7 lbs
Easy carry
Voltage Fail N/A View

* Runtime with soft-starter installed. Without a soft-starter, these units cannot handle the startup surge.

Why 85% of Power Stations Fail

28 of 33 generators tested cannot safely run this device. Here's why.

Voltage mismatch

This device requires 240V. 28 of 33 generators output a different voltage and cannot power it regardless of wattage.

What to consider instead

  • Consider a 120V alternative (window AC instead of central AC, gas dryer instead of electric) 120V vs 240V guide →
  • A soft-start device could make 1 additional power station compatible Soft-start guide →
  • A whole-home battery system (like Tesla Powerwall) or gas generator may be more appropriate for this load
  • Only 4 stations can handle this device. Check our top picks above for the best options

Model Variants

Different models have different power requirements. Check the specific report for your exact model.

Wayne SWS100 (1 HP Shallow Well Jet Pump)

Running: 1,840W
Surge: 5,520W
See compatibility report

Red Lion RL12G10-2W2V (1 HP Deep Well Submersible)

Running: 2,392W
Surge: 7,176W
See compatibility report

Grundfos 15SQ10-220 (SQ Series Soft Start)

Running: 1,702W
Surge: 2,553W
See compatibility report

Frequently Asked Questions

How many power stations can run a Well Pump?

Out of 33 portable power stations we tested, 4 can safely run a Well Pump (3 with full safety margin, 1 at tight margin). 28 are incompatible.

What specs should I look for to run a Well Pump?

Your power station needs at least 2,392W continuous output and 7,176W surge capacity at 240V split-phase. We recommend a safety buffer of 15% above these minimums for reliable operation.

How do we test compatibility?

Every pairing is evaluated using our True Surge protocol: we compare OEM-verified running watts, surge watts, and voltage requirements against each power station's published specs, with load-profile-specific safety buffers applied. Read our full methodology.

What makes one 1 HP well pump easier to run than another?

The startup profile. Two pumps with similar horsepower can have very different inrush behavior and therefore very different inverter compatibility.