The danger of weather effects has a high chance of causing a electric outage. In that case, we need to secure a proper source of energy to keep our sump pump working. To maintain the operation of it, we should get a generator capable of fueling it so let’s check out the best generator for sump pump.
Best Generator For Sump Pump in 2023
With a lot of available generators out there, it can be difficult to choose which one to go for. That’s why we’ll list out some of the best available items, keep in mind that the following list will mix up all of the available types of generators. They will later be brought up in dedicated sections of types they belong to as examples and explanations are offered.
- Best Small Generator
This sump pump backup generator is made to endure both in terms of time and dangers around it. With the longer run time, the Basement Watchdog batteries can act as a perfect way to provide extra energy for the continuous running of the sump pump. This item works exceptionally well with Basement Watchdog sump pumps.
Their unique construction provides longevity that’s appreciated no matter the place where we end up applying them. The maximum charge will be kept for quite a while and maintain the health of our item.
The Basement Watchdog AGM battery requires very little maintenance too. This simplicity does make the system much easier to run. Which does make our job a lot easier as we won’t run into unexpected malfunction due to skipped maintenances.
That doesn’t mean you should never check up on them, but they definitely won’t need you to take a glance too often.
The batteries are also included with the item, meaning there won’t be that extra price to include into our budgeting.
- Best Portable Electric Generator
Another in the line of good sump pump generators to use is Generac 76711. The powerful, compact, and lightweight source of electrical energy that can go toe to toe with just about any generator of its type.
The defining feature of this item is how convenient it is. Not only is it easy to maneuver around due to its low weight and built-in handle, it is also rather quiet. Generac will be easy to ignore even when operating at full capacity, providing you with an item that you won’t even notice.
Of course, there’s more to this generator than just these features. The economy mode feature automatically adjusts the amount of energy that’s spent in order to optimize its use. Engine speeds will vary whenever the generator detects that it could be using less power.
Generac 76711 is also readable at a glance, with LED lights showing you the current state of the battery. Additionally, this item comes in multiple packages. The most basic one only includes the generator while the other packages provide extra items that’ll get the generator integrated into our home quickly.
- Best Backup Generator For Sump Pump
Some generators are kept exclusively as backup, its function usually tied to the sump pump directly rather than offering a wider power generation for the household. They are often compact, even more so than regular small generators for sump pump.
822PS Sump Pump Backup System is our example of such an item. The system will automatically switch between AC and battery depending on which one’s available to it. That means immediate shifts without any time being lost when outages happen.
It is intended as a reliable and durable generator. Most of the damage that could otherwise disable or break the generator will be resisted by this item.
This system can even be wall mounted for extra convenience, taking up no space in the sump pit or around it. The installation won’t take long either. The item requires no extra wiring or plumbing, only asking for you to connect it to the corresponding sump pump to get it up and running.
The longevity of the item is reinforced with the 2 year warranty the item provides. That means whole two expected years of a fully functional experience. No matter the intensity of the weather, you’ll have a sump pump working as it should.
822PS Sump Pump Backup System will start recharging as soon as the power is back on. With that, you have even less to worry about when integrating this item into your household. Simply connect it to the sump pump and let it charge itself, providing backup when needed before going back to being recharged.
- Best Portable Solar Generator
The first item on our list is a solar generator. The power of which aims to provide effective backup for when you need it most. This generator is a capable of fueling multiple different devices with a simple generator. This includes items such as TVs, lamps, mini coolers, and much more. Being able to power these all at the same time means it’s decently good for our sump pump too.
While sump pumps have different requirements which varies based on their horsepower, this generator will still suffice. Providing more than enough wattage to start a sump pump and keep it operating.
This is a form of backup generator which will come in handy no matter your requirements. It’s possible to include other devices as well, leading to this item being an easy solution when we have multiple key devices to run.
The extra benefits of the Jackery generator are its overall protection. This generator is capable of resisting any form of disturbance in the electrical flow. The protection includes over-current protection, short-current protection, over-discharge protection, overcharge protection, and thermal protection.
All of these sources of protection ensure that even in the most troublesome weather, the generator will still operate without any problems. They come in different wattages but a 1000 and 2000 watt ones will probably work the best.
- Best Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator
With the availability of portable generators, we have WEN’s 56200i model to power our sump pumps well. The surge power of this item is around 2000 watts. With that comes 1600 watts of running electricity.
This will be quite a potent source of power for any general household, you can also get more wattage if you wish. The 2500 watts version will also power up your ½ hp sump pump.
- Best Home Portable Generator
Now a powerful portable generator is something we’ll find useful in cases of more intense requirements. When electricity goes out, even smaller backup portable generators can showcase themselves as exceptionally useful to fuel all of our electrical appliances.
With Westington’s entry on this list, we’ll get quite a fruitful addition to our household. Installation of this item is quite easy. It comes with remote start key fob, 12V battery charger, oil, funnel for the oil, a tool kit, and so on. Everything that you need to set up a generator in our home without any issue.
This is quite a heavy generator, weighing around 190 lbs. Additionally, runtime this generator can provide 11 hours of runtime with little issue. We are capable to control this generator with just a push of a button and start it without even approaching it.
Sump Pump Wattage
Sump pump requires electric power to operate. Their requirements aren’t huge but are nonetheless vital to proper operation. Of course, we should keep in mind the fact that sump pumps vary in wattage. The amount of wattage a sump pump requires will heavily depend on its strength. Let’s go over differently powered ones and check their requirements.
- ¼ hp sump pump
The weakest available sump pump is a ¼ hp one. While low in power, this type of sump pump are still useful. These sump pumps are capable of properly draining a basement that doesn’t face heavy flooding.
Regular level of flooding can be handled by a ¼ sump pump with no issue. They are capable of expunging up to 30 gallons of water per minute. This should do well enough in this situation.
- ⅓ hp sump pump
Between the quarter increase of sump pump power, we have ⅓ hp sump pump too. This type of sump pump can be considered okay for average households. These sump pumps are usually considered the lowest you’ll need to keep your house safe from flooding in case of outage.
The capabilities of the ⅓ sump pump are such that it can relocate about 42 gallons per minute. This is quite a big amount of water that can be found within our house. To cut off any risk of flooding, 42 gpm should be enough.
When we discern wattage of the sump pump, the difference can be quite important, we’ll also gain some insight into the required power of our generator. For a ⅓ hp sum pump, we will have to use 1300 watts to start the item up. After that, the sump pump of this power will require about 800 watts to run consistently. Which is a bit more than the ¼ hp sump pump and somewhat less than ½ hp sump pump.
- ½ hp sump pump
For most homes, ½ is the optimal and even more than enough power. The sump pumps with this level of power are capable of draining good amount of water quickly. Making them quite a tool to employ.
As expected, a ½ hp sump pump doubles the amount of water we can expunge per minute compared to ¼ one. Going all the way up to 60 gallons per minute. The usual requirement for an average homes is a ⅓ hp sump pump but considering how small the difference in price is, ½ hp one is often a better choice.
The wattage required to keep a ½ hp sump pump running is around 1000 and 1050 watts. However, it will require a higher initial surge of power to get started. This initial surge has to be around 2100 watts, double the requirement for consistent running of the sump pump.
- ¾ hp sump pump
Last two sump pumps whose wattage and utility we’ll cover are powerhouses meant for those who need an extra boost in keeping their basements dry. ¾ sump pump is very useful for those homes with deeper basements or homes that are located in areas with high flooding. Whether it’s a flood plain, an area with high water tables, or any other compromised location a ¾ hp sump pump will come in handy.
One of these pumps can easily provide extra pumping capacity that surpasses previous models by a decent margin. Most of these pumps are capable of pumping about 90 gallons per minute, once again a flat upgrade over the previous one.
As for wattage, ¾ hp sump pumps will require about 1500 watts. This is generalized requirement, do keep in mind different brands could have variable requirements. Always double check the item’s requirements before purchasing it or the generator meant to power the sump pump.
- 1 hp sump pump
Now for a real heavy duty sump pump, we have a 1 hp one. This powerful sump pump is capable of dealing with some extreme flooding. It’s not only the power and amount of water it can displace that matters, what also matters is that the pump can move the water quite far away.
Those with exceptionally deep basements or surroundings unsuited for disposal can use this pump to avoid issues with properly dumping water.
The 1 hp sump pump can lift water up to 200 feet so there should be no problem with depth when relocating water even if its position is quite deep.
The sump pump does require quite a bit of wattage. In the case of using this 1 hp sump pump, you’ll need 2000 watts to consistently run it. For the sump pump to even start, you’ll require 4000 watts of initial wattage.
The generator you use will need to be exceptionally powerful for these pumps with the advantage that 1 hp sump pumps will cover even the heaviest of floods.
When it comes to gallons this pump is capable of removing, it scales adequately with the other ones. Being able to empty even more water per minute with no issue.
Visible here is the variability of requirements depending on the sump pump. No matter what type or brand of generator you choose, make sure to take into account the type of sump pump you possess.
Those that are more powerful will require quite potent of a surge to get them running in the first place, while also consuming a ton of energy to stay running.
Getting a sump pump that’s too powerful for your needs will incur quite a bit of extra costs. These will usually manifest in higher electricity bills and a pricier generator we’ll have to purchase to ensure this item will work as expected. Additionally, you may have that same sump pump face some issues.
Read Also: Sump Pump Running But Not Pumping
Is it bad if I get too strong of a sump pump?
Using a sump pump that is somewhat beyond our needs is usually not that problematic. A ½ hp sump pump operating instead of a ¼ hp one will scarcely affect either the basement or the sump pump in a negative manner. However, having excess power in a sump pump and having it run in a situation where it quickly dispatches water and works on empty sump can be problematic.
Our sump pump could end up starting and stopping over and over again due to lacking water to expunge. This is a situation where a sump pump could end up wasting electricity and even get worn out faster. Picking a sump pump of ample power is recommended so we can avoid premature sump pump failure.
What size generator to run the sump pump and refrigerator
Although the sump pumps alone vary in consumption, from lower 1000s to 2000s of watts, Using generators that power them for something else will require quite a lot more power. Especially when other attached items have required wattage that could drain the power of the generator on its lonesome.
Refrigerators are one such item and a device we wish to keep running when outages happen. It’s frustrating to end up with a whole fridge of spoiled food, doubly so during a catastrophe. To fuel them both, we’ll need a bigger generator.
The usual required wattage will be around 3000 watts for both of these items. Usually, those types of generators will have much higher surge power as well which allows them to start and run the sump pump and refrigerator with no problem.
Plus, it’s more likely they’ll have more capacity, resulting in longer support of our electrical devices. From the ones we’ve listed, Westinghouse WGen7500 is what one could employ to keep both sump pump and refrigerator running. [1]
- Portable power station for sump pump
Portability of a power station can be quite important for those who wish to utilize their generator outside of it functioning as a sump pump backup.
The added uses of this type of power station mean we can apply it elsewhere and even outside of our home. Those who frequently engage with DIY work may find these generators a great pick.
As an example of a potent portable power station, we have Westinghouse WGen7500. The biggest one of the generators presented here but nonetheless portable. The smaller ones like Generac and Jackery will work if you don’t need that much power in your home.
- Indoor generator for sump pump
Most of our sump pump generators will end up being indoors. The bigger generators especially may be kept within our household, even in the basement itself, and provide energy to more than just our sump pump.
Considering the number of devices that need to stay operational throughout outages, such as refrigerators, we are often going to reap multiple benefits from bigger generators.
By using indoors generators, we do often end up requiring a bit of extra space than more specialized sump pump backup generators.
However, knowing our everyday life will be kept mostly normal with that extra source of electrical energy can be worthwhile for those who cannot afford or dislike being without electricity. Any potent generator can work as an indoor one, so most of ours fits.
Can a solar generator power a sump pump?
For greener homes, a solar generator may be a preferred method of producing and utilizing electric energy. Solar generators are especially useful for areas that have a ton of sun. Which isn’t uncommon for areas that also get sudden surges of rain which can overwhelm a basement and require a sump pump. However, are they capable of powering our sump pumps?
An average solar generator needs to be able to produce and circulate enough energy for a sump pump to work well. The requirements refer to the stored energy of a solar generator as well.
Being incapable of providing good enough energy flow means our generator won’t be able to provide a working sump pump when needed.
So we need to make sure our generator is capable of fueling the sump pump both in terms of turning it on and running it consistently. With the availability of some more potent generators, this is easy to achieve.
Jackery Solar Generator 1000 is one such, providing 1000 watts of running energy. If we need even more potent one, the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 can provide the required energy. [2]
Will a 1000 watt generator run a sump pump?
As we’ve seen before, the wattage of sump pumps differs depending on their power. The difference also becomes more apparent when we take into account the initial power surge required for the sump pumps to even run.
The 1000 watt generator can run a sump pump after it has already been turned on, at least the ¼ hp sump pump. However, the other sump pumps won’t even be able to run at all. The sheer amount of required wattage to both run and start a sump pump will make a 1000 watt generator unusable for this purpose.
- Portable Option to Consider
By using a portable generator we are able to relocate the generator as needed. When our sump pump is safely operating, or the danger of flooding isn’t present, the generator can be used elsewhere.
Using the generator in sheds or on other floors of our house can be quite a bit useful when missing a source of energy elsewhere. In the end, it will also depend on the power and wattage of a generator.
As you may have noted, a lot of the listed best generators for sump pump are portable. Some more than the others, owing to their smaller size, but nonetheless aimed at more versatile and mobile application. To point out a few, Westinghouse WGen7500, WEN 56200i 2000-Watt, and Generac 76711 work quite well for our needs.
- Compact options to Consider
The size of our generator is important. It can be almost impossible to position a generator properly inside of our basement. With all the excess items we may keep in it and the lack of proper connections between the generator and the sump pump, it’s worth using a more compact generator.
When it comes to best small generator for sump pump, Basement Watchdog or some of the other small sump pump generators will work well. There are other available ones too, Generac 76711 works exceptionally well although it requires just a bit more space.
Best Generator For Sump Pump
Picking out the correct generator is important. We need to know what sort of wattage our sump pump requires. Additionally, knowing what type of generator fits our needs the best is the best way to optimize our cash and space.
While most sump pumps of ⅓ hp power or more will do fine clearing our basement of flood water, we still need to make sure it’s properly supplied with electric energy.
Our sump pump cannot perform well without it so it’s important. Don’t neglect the difference between surge power and running power, it’s an important detail for any interaction between a generator and sump pump.
