Short answerPower it from a battery bank through an inverter that matches the pump's voltage (most deep-well pumps are 240V, which needs a split-phase or 240V inverter) and can carry its starting surge. Size the battery for the pump's daily energy plus reserve, and the panels to replace that energy in your worst month.
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Key takeaways
- Match the inverter to the pump's voltage (often 240V split phase) and starting surge.
- A soft starter can cut the surge and the inverter size.
- A portable power station only works if it outputs 240V and its surge covers the pump's locked-rotor watts.
- If nothing else needs the battery, a DC pump to a cistern may cost less.
Step 1: read the motor
- Voltage. Deep-well submersibles are usually 240V; some shallow jet pumps are 120V. A 240V pump needs a 240V or split-phase 120/240V inverter.
- Running watts. Full-load amps x volts on the nameplate, or measure with a clamp meter.
- Starting current. Induction motors draw several times their running current for a moment at start. The nameplate's locked-rotor amps or code letter tells you how much. Two-wire submersibles start across the line and are usually the hardest on an inverter; three-wire pumps have a separate control box.
Step 2: choose the inverter
The inverter's continuous rating must exceed the pump's running watts plus anything else on at the same time, and its surge rating must cover the start. A soft starter fitted to the pump can cut the inrush substantially and lets a smaller inverter start it. Pure sine wave output is required for motors.
As an example of what the market offers, the Eco-Worthy Liber 6kP lists 6,000 W continuous and 12,000 W peak at 120/240V split phase from a 48V battery, with a merchant-stated motor rating of 4.8 hp and a built-in solar charger. We have not tested it.
Eco-Worthy Liber 6kP off-grid split-phase inverter
Runs an existing 120V or 240V AC well pump from a 48V battery bank, with solar charging built in.
- Output
- 6,000 W rated, 12,000 W peak, 120/240V split phase
- Motor loading (merchant figure)
- 4.8 hp
- Battery
- 48V (40 to 60V)
- Solar input
- 9,000 W max, 125 to 425V MPPT, 500V Voc max
on eco-worthy.com, 18 October 2026
Eco-Worthy Cubix100 48V 100Ah LiFePO4 rack battery
About 5.1 kWh at 48V: the battery side of an inverter-driven AC well pump.
- Chemistry
- LiFePO4
- Capacity
- 51.2V 100Ah (about 5.12 kWh)
- BMS
- 100 A
- Expands
- Up to 32 units in parallel (merchant figure)
on eco-worthy.com, 18 October 2026
We have not tested these products; specifications are the merchant's own. Affiliate disclosure.
Step 3: size battery and panels
Daily pump energy is running watts x run time. A 1,000 W pump running 30 minutes uses 0.5 kWh. A 48V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery holds about 5.1 kWh, about 4.1 kWh usable at 80% depth of discharge, which covers that pump for several days before counting the inverter's own standby draw. The panels then replace the daily energy: see the table of panel watts by running watts and hours.
Can a portable power station run it?
Sometimes, and mostly for outages rather than everyday pumping. The same two numbers decide it: the unit must output the pump's voltage, and it must survive the start. Multiply the nameplate's locked-rotor amps by the voltage to get the starting watts. For most deep-well submersibles that is several times the running watts and often well beyond what a portable unit can deliver, even when its continuous rating looks generous.
Most portable power stations are 120V only, so they cannot run a 240V well pump at all. A few all-in-one units list 240V output: the Nature's Generator Powerhouse Gen 2 lists up to 7,200 W at 120/240V from a 4,800 Wh battery, and the BLUETTI Apex 300 lists 3,840 W at 120V and 240V from 2,764.8 Wh. Neither listing publishes a motor-starting surge figure, and the higher "lifting" numbers some makers print are for resistive loads such as heaters, not motors. Ask the maker for the surge rating, compare it to your pump's locked-rotor watts, and fit a soft starter if the margin is thin. We have not tested either unit.
Battery size then sets how long the water lasts. A 1,000 W pump running 30 minutes a day uses 0.5 kWh, so a 2.7 to 4.8 kWh unit covers several days of household water if the pump is the only load and the unit is recharged from panels or the grid when power returns.
Nature's Generator Powerhouse Gen 2
One of the few all-in-one units that lists 240V output, so it is a candidate for a 240V well pump in an outage. No surge figure is published: check it against the pump's locked-rotor watts first.
- Output (merchant figure)
- Up to 7,200 W, 120/240V, pure sine
- Starting surge
- Not stated on the listing
- Battery
- 4,800 Wh
- Solar input
- Up to 2,000 W
- Home hookup
- Transfer switch or power inlet box
BLUETTI Apex 300 home battery backup
Lists 120V and 240V output and expands with extra batteries. Its 3,840 W rating is below the start of many 240V deep-well pumps, so it suits smaller or soft-started pumps.
- Output (merchant figure)
- 3,840 W, 120V and 240V
- Starting surge
- Not stated (7,680 W 'lifting power' is for resistive loads)
- Battery
- 2,764.8 Wh LiFePO4
- Solar input
- Up to 4,000 W with the SolarX 4K add-on
BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 portable power station
120V only. Fits a 120V booster or transfer pump drawing from a cistern; it cannot run a 240V well pump.
- Output (merchant figure)
- 2,600 W, 120V
- Starting surge
- Not stated (3,900 W 'power lifting' is for resistive loads)
- Battery
- 2,073.6 Wh LiFePO4
- Solar input
- 1,000 W, 12 to 60V
We have not tested these products; specifications are the merchant's own. Affiliate disclosure.
When replacing the pump is cheaper
If the house has no other power need, a battery and a large inverter just to start a well pump is expensive. A DC solar pump filling a cistern by day, with a small booster pump at the house, often costs less and keeps working when the battery is flat. See cistern and booster pump and DC vs AC solar pumps.
Questions
- What size inverter do I need to run a well pump?
- One whose continuous rating exceeds the pump's running watts and whose surge rating covers its starting current, at the pump's voltage (usually 240V for a deep well). Check the motor's locked-rotor amps; a soft starter can reduce the surge needed.
- Can a portable power station run a well pump during a power outage?
- Only if it outputs the pump's voltage (usually 240V for a deep well, which rules out most portable units) and its surge rating covers the pump's locked-rotor watts, which for many deep-well pumps is several thousand watts. A 120V jet or booster pump is a much easier load.
- Can a 12V inverter run a 240V well pump?
- Rarely well. A 240V well pump's start needs a large, split-phase or 240V pure sine inverter, and at 12V the battery current is very high. A 48V battery system is the usual choice.
Merchant specs for a split-phase inverter and a 48V battery, beside the DC pumps.
- NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (Article 690 covers solar PV systems; Chapter 9 Table 8 gives conductor resistance)
- Eco-Worthy off-grid inverter listings (specifications and prices as stated by the merchant, read 18 October 2026)
- Eco-Worthy store listings (prices read 18 October 2026)
- Nature's Generator, Powerhouse Gen 2 listing (specifications as stated by the merchant, read 18 October 2026)
- BLUETTI, Apex 300 listing (specifications as stated by the merchant, read 18 October 2026)