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How many watts does a Well Pump (1 HP) use?
Running watts
2,000 W
Starting watts
11,200 W
Startup surge
+9,200 W
A Well Pump (1 HP) draws 2,000 watts continuously once it's running, but its motor needs a brief surge of up to 11,200 watts to start. A generator has to cover that starting surge, not just the running load, or the motor won't start. 1 HP+ submersible well pump motors conventionally step up to 230V. Based on a Franklin Electric nameplate (8.2A FLA / 48.7A LRA, the highest-confidence figure in this catalog's LRA research) — 48.7A × 230V.
Running it 3 hours/day costs roughly $30.60/month at the U.S. average residential rate (~$0.17/kWh, early 2026, per the EIA) — real rates vary a lot by state and utility. Use your own rate in the House calculator →
✓ Starting watts here is based on a real published/cited motor nameplate locked-rotor-amp (LRA) rating, not a rough multiplier. See the full LRA reference →
Generators that can run this
- Westinghouse WGen95009,500 W run · 12,500 W start · ~$1,100
- Westinghouse WGen9500DF9,500 W run · 12,500 W start · ~$1,300
- DuroMax XP12000EH Dual Fuel9,500 W run · 12,000 W start · ~$1,400
Prices as of July 2026 — check the current listing before buying.
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