Will this generator adequately power my sump pump?

16 years ago

I am considering a generator that has the following features:

* 6.5HP OHV Engine

* 3250 watt surge

* 2500 watt rated

* produces 20 amps at 120V

* runs 8 hours at 1/2 load on 4 gallons of fuel

* includes one 12-volt DC and two 120-volt AC outlets

* lightweight, compact size; EPA approved

I'm considering this unit to back up my sump pump (electricity seems to go out after a lot of rain). Anyway, my sump pump is a 1/3 HP unit. The owners manual doesn't say what the wattage it will draw, but this site says 800W to run with a starting wattage of 1300 to 2900.

http://www.donrowe.com/inverters/usage_chart.html

Should I look for a generator that has a 3000W minimum? Or will this fill my needs?

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Comments (5)

regus_patoff
16 years ago
The sump pump sgould have some numbers on the voltage / rating plate

brand / model ?

other thoughts:

what if you're not home to start the generator ?

how long does the power stay OFF for ?

have you thought about a battery backup sump pump ?
onward-upward
Original Author
16 years ago
Here's what I was able to decipher:
Power supply requirements: 120V, 60 hz
circuit requirements 15 amps (min)
Blue angel BWST is the model.

Ideally, I would be home to start the generator.

This is one of those cases where I'd rather be safe than sorry. There was a time when we had gotten about 5 inches of rain so the pump was running pretty regularly. Anyway, there was a storm that blew in and knocked down some power lines. Fortunately, they were able to restore power in about 1-2 hours, so we were lucky. You could see the water coming up the pit/well.

Yes, I am looking into a backup pump, but my pump is fairly new and it just came out of it's 2 year warranty. I still think I can get 1-2 more years out of it. I heard that these pumps last 7 years, but I'm not going to wait that long.
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regus_patoff
16 years ago
That info is from the instruction manual.

There's (3) models of the BWST

BWST25 & BWST30 = 5.6A
BWST50 = 9.5A

The model number and electrical rating should be a plate on the pump.

The generator should work.

There should be enough room to install a back-up sump pump along with the primary pump.
netlos
16 years ago
You can add a battery back-up pump to any existing sump pump system as long as your pit is at least a minimun of 14"x14",it is the best way to avoid trouble ,it kicks in automatically if the power goes out(no need to get the gen ready)and most batteries are rated to run the pump for 7-9 hour continuous which is like cycling the pump about 1000 times or more,and as soon as the 12volt pump kicks in an alarm will sound,it not only protects you when power goes out but also if your primary pump dies.My mother wanted to do pretty much what you want to do with the generator(she is 60 years old) i did not want her to have to get a generator stared in who knows what kind of weather conditions, so i put in a Zoller battery back up pump system ,she loves it,and i highly recomend it!
Are you going to be there every time it rains and the power goes out?
seniorscoot
16 years ago
Looks good to me. You have the right voltage and are within the current limit.