Scenarios › Watts to run a sump pump on battery backup
What size power station / battery backup for a sump pump?
A sump pump only runs when the pit fills — minutes per hour, even in heavy rain — so its energy is modest, but its startup surge is brutal. The inverter has to clear about 1,500 W on a 1/3 HP pump. Here is the size that starts it reliably and keeps the basement dry through a storm.
1,067 Whcapacity needed
800 Wrunning watts
1,500 Wsurge to clear
6.0 hruntime horizon
This load: Sump Pump (1/3 HP). Want to tweak it? Open the full sizing tool and adjust the appliances and hours.
What size you need
You need about 1,067 Wh — and 17 units fit. The smallest sufficient is the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2; we never push more capacity than your load can use. Surge to clear: 1,500 W.
The math
Running watts (everything on at once) = 800 W
Surge watts (worst single startup + the rest running) = 1,500 W
Average draw (cyclic loads counted by their duty cycle) = 160 W
Watt-hours = 160 W × 6.0 h ÷ 90% usable reserve = 1,067 Wh
1
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2smallest that fits
1,070 Wh 1,500 W cont · 3,000 W surge ~6.0 h on this load $$
The popular 1 kWh do-everything unit — runs a fridge, CPAP, and lights through an outage.
LiFePO4 · ~1.7 h AC; up to 400 W solar · 24 lb
2
Bluetti AC180
1,152 Wh 1,800 W cont · 2,700 W surge ~6.5 h on this load $$
A 1.15 kWh / 1,800 W unit that undercuts the 1 kWh class on price — strong outage value.
LiFePO4 · ~45 min to 80% AC; up to 500 W solar · 35 lb
3
Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus
1,264 Wh 2,000 W cont · 4,000 W surge expandable ~7.1 h on this load $$$
A 2,000 W inverter in a portable body, and it scales to 5 kWh with add-on batteries.
LiFePO4 · ~1.7 h AC; expandable to 5 kWh · 32 lb
4
Goal Zero Yeti 1500Xstep-up
1,516 Wh 2,000 W cont · 3,500 W surge expandable ~8.5 h on this load $$$
A 1.5 kWh / 2,000 W unit; pairs with Goal Zero’s home-integration kit and tanks.
NMC · ~14 h AC; up to 600 W solar · 46 lb
5
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus
2,042 Wh 3,000 W cont · 6,000 W surge expandable ~11 h on this load $$$
Whole-essentials backup: 3,000 W continuous, runs a well pump or furnace blower, scales to 12 kWh.
LiFePO4 · ~2 h AC; expandable to 12 kWh · 62 lb
6
Bluetti AC200L
2,048 Wh 2,400 W cont · 3,600 W surge expandable ~12 h on this load $$$
Partial-home backup that scales to 8 kWh with B300K add-on batteries.
LiFePO4 · ~1.5 h AC; expandable to 8 kWh · 62 lb
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Disclosure.
The load, appliance by appliance
⚡ Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician. Appliance wattages are representative chart values and vary by model; check your nameplates. Duty cycle (how much of the time a load actually draws) is how we keep the watt-hour estimate from overselling capacity.
Common questions
What size power station / battery backup for a sump pump?
For Sump Pump (1/3 HP) over 6.0 h, you need about 1,067 Wh of capacity, 800 W continuous output, and at least 1,500 W of surge. The smallest unit that clears all three is the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2; a step-up like the Goal Zero Yeti 1500X adds headroom for longer outages.
How many watt-hours does this load need?
About 1,067 Wh for 6.0 h — we take the duty-weighted average draw (160 W, since cyclic loads like fridges and pumps don't run constantly), multiply by the hours, and divide by a usable-capacity reserve. Running watts are 800 W; surge is 1,500 W.
Other scenarios
Sources: appliance wattages — standard appliance/generator sizing charts; station specs — manufacturer published specifications (compiled 2026-06-15; approximate). Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician.