Best Well Pump Battery Backup [2024 Updated]

What Is a Well Pump Battery Backup?

Millions of Americans rely on a well to get water for their home or cabin. Once the well is drilled, electromechanical equipment or a well pump is installed to pump and supply water to your home. Like any other home appliance, a well pump requires electricity to work and can not operate when there's a power outage. If you don't want to be left without water, the best solution is to choose a well-pump battery backup.

Jackery Solar Generators act as reliable battery backups for well pumps. These solar battery backups supply electricity to the home or outdoor appliances, including well pumps, for a relatively longer time. One of the best things about solar generators is that they provide stable power to multiple appliances simultaneously. These battery backups can be quickly recharged via Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels to deliver continuous power.

Why Do You Need a Battery Backup for a Well Pump?

Regardless of where you live, having a reliable water supply is essential. If you rely on well water, a power outage or blackout can stop it. With an efficient battery backup in place, the well pump will continue to work even if the primary electricity grid is not functioning. Here are some reasons to pick the best battery backup for well pumps:

• A battery backup ensures the well pump will continue working in the event of a power outage, blackout, or brownout — ensuring you get a continuous water supply.
• It's an easy-to-install, maintain, and convenient solution to keep the appliances working.
• With a well-pump battery backup,you can charge not only well pumps but also other appliances like refrigerators, space heaters, ACs, etc.

How Does Well Pump Battery Backup Work?

The well pump battery backup system uses heavy-duty batteries to pump water from the well and then supply it to the home. Jackery Solar Generators combine Jackery Explorer Portable Power Stations and Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels to charge appliances.

They work by converting the sunlight falling on the monocrystalline silicon solar cells of Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels into DC electricity. This DC energy is then supplied to the pure sine wave inverter of the Jackery Explorer Portable Power Stations to generate AC electricity. You can plug in the appliances to start recharging.

How Many Watts Does a Well Pump Use?

On average, a well pump draws anywhere between 700-800 watts of electricity. The larger well pumps consume around 2000-2500W. However, the exact answer to how many watts a well pump uses depends on its horsepower, how much water you pump, and how much time the well pump runs per day.

One important thing to note is that a water pump draws higher starting watts for a few seconds. For this reason, you'll need to look for a well-pump battery backup that can safely supply high starting watts for a few seconds and then deliver running wattage for a long time.

Best Well Pump Battery Backups

Well pumps typically use medium to high energy. If you want to charge well pumps off-grid, a reliable battery backup is worth the investment. Jackery provides many portable solar generators and battery backups to charge a lot of electrical appliances, including well pumps. They can supply stable electricity to appliances for long hours, ensuring you stay powered even if the primary electricity grid is down.

Here is one of the best battery backups for water pumps from Jackery that is easy to use, safe, and stable.

Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Double Kit 

Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Double Kit has a large capacity that's designed to charge most sizes of well pumps operating at 240V. It also features an advanced BMS (Battery Management System) to supply power safely to essential appliances. 

It is built by combining the two Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Portable Power Station in parallel. With this large battery backup, you can charge small to midsize well pumps that draw anywhere between 700W and 4000W. In order to charge heavy-duty well pumps, you can expand the battery capacity to 24kWh with Jackery Battery Pack 2000 Plus.

Customer Review

"Enough power for me for van camping or in a power outage. Holds charge well. Heavy, but the handle is sturdy, and so are the wheels, so easy to move. We haven't charged with solar panels yet, but they seem high-quality. Very impressed so far." — Mo.

How Long Does Jackery Battery Backup Run a Well Pump?

The exact running time of Jackery battery backup will directly depend on the wattage consumption of the well pump you are charging and the battery capacity of the power station. For example, if you want to power an 800W well pump for 5 hours a day, you'll need a solar battery backup that can deliver at least 4kW per day.

Here's an example to understand better:

Let's say you want to calculate the working time of Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Double Kit when it charges a well pump drawing 1000W. The mathematical formula is as follows: 

Working Time = Battery Capacity * 0.85 / Wattage Consumption of Well Pump = 4085.6Wh * 0.85 / 1000W = 3.4 hours. 

The Jackery Solar Generators have a pass-through charging feature, meaning they can charge appliances when the battery backup is being charged via Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels.

Here's a table comparing the technical specifications and running times of different Jackery Solar Generators.

How to Choose the Best Well Pump Battery Backup?

There's no doubt that having access to clean water is extremely important. But power outages can occur anytime and disrupt the flow of electricity to the well pump, leaving your household without access to water. Only a reliable battery backup for well pumps can supply continuous electricity to the appliances, including well pumps.

Here are some essential factors to consider while choosing the best well pump battery backups.

Capacity

The first step is to identify the power consumption of the well pump, usually measured in watts or kilowatts. This will determine the battery capacity of the battery backup you need to purchase. It's advised to consider the desired duration for which you need to run the well pump. For example, if you have a well pump drawing 700W and want to run it for 3 hours daily, consider a well pump battery backup supplying around 2100-2500W.

Size

Next, you'll need to consider the size and weight of the well-pump battery backup. For example, if you want a solar well pump with battery backup for your home, you may consider a large battery backup that can meet the wattage requirement of the appliances that need to be recharged. The large Jackery Solar Generators have double wheels and a robust handle to make transportation easy from one place to another.

Quiet

Battery backups for well pumps should be quiet so you can charge appliances indoors or outdoors. Jackery Solar Generators work by using safe and clean solar energy. They do not emit toxic fumes, making these battery backups safe for indoor use. Additionally, they do not have moving parts and operate by emitting only 30-45dB.

Input/Output Ports

The higher the number of input and output ports of the battery backup, the more appliances can be recharged simultaneously. Jackery Solar Generators feature multiple AC, DC, and USB ports to charge different appliances, including well pumps, electric grills, refrigerators, ACs, sump pumps, etc., at the same time. These battery backups can be recharged via Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels, wall outlets, and car chargers.

Long Battery Life

The battery backup you choose to run the well pump should have a long battery life. LiFePO4 batteries offer a high energy density, long lifespan,  and require little to no maintenance. While they have a high upfront cost, their durability and efficiency make them a great choice. Jackery Solar Generators feature highly efficient LiFePO4 or NMC batteries with a lifespan of up to 10 years.

Well Pump Battery Backup FAQs

Can a battery backup run a well pump?

Yes, a reliable battery backup can run a well pump during a blackout. However, you'll need to ensure the battery backup can supply sufficient electricity to the well pump for a long time. For example, if the well pump draws 1000W and operates at 240V, you'll need a battery backup like Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Double Kit with a power capacity of 4085.6Wh and 240V.

How many batteries does it take to run a well pump?

The number of batteries required to run a well pump will depend on the well pump's running and starting watts. For example, if your well pump consumes around 700W, the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Double Kit can run it for 4.9 hours.

How do you power a well pump during a power outage?

A solar generator is one of the best methods to run a well pump during a power outage. It uses solar panels to convert the free solar energy into DC electricity, which can then be used to charge the battery backup. You can plug in the well pump, and the solar generator will start charging it with the stored energy.

Can a portable power station run a well pump?

Yes, portable power stations can run various appliances, including well pumps. However, it will depend on some factors, such as the size of the water pump and battery backup capacity. It's best to invest in a large solar generator like Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Double Kit that can efficiently run a water pump operating at 240V for hours. 

Conclusion

The battery backups for well pumps are a viable option to keep water flowing even during unexpected and long-lasting power outages. Well pump battery backups are easier to install and do not emit much noise.

The fact that solar generators use sunlight for electricity makes them a cost-effective choice for well pumps in the long run. The right choice of battery backup will depend on the battery capacity, well pump watt requirements, and hours of usage.

If you are unsure what size solar generator you need for a water pump, consider the expandable Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Double Kit. With additional battery packs, you can expand its capacity and run more appliances relatively longer.