Well pump backup power, split phase inverter or cheap 220 generator?

[dieselrealtor]

I have a Honda eu3000is generator (5th wheel) that I can use to power necessities in the house in the event of an extended outage.

The only issue is our deep well pump is 220v. I have done some looking but there are SO many different options & I don't know what I really need.

2 different options I can think of;

• cheap inverter with primary (possibly sole) purpose is emergency well pump ran off a deep cycle battery charged by generator/solar.
• cheap 220v generator with same purpose, possibly one large enough to run our central AC.
• an inverter for my camper that I can use in conjunction with solar that could double to power house necessities in an extended outage.
• an option that I haven't considered or know about yet.

Any suggestions?

 

[Butch627]

Another option, replace the 3000 with a pair of EU2000i. Otherwise I would go with a backup cheapie gen that puts out 220, Get one big enough that you can backfeed the panel. I would not want to use an inverter. Ive been through so many variations with that game from extension chords through the house and hot wiring the furnace and well, it is always a mess. If you don't want the expense of a wired in standby but much of the convenience and no kids will be near the circuit panel then backfeed it.

 

[churchmouse]

Genny. Just do it. The size of inverter needed to run a well pump makes it not so cheap.

 

[dieselrealtor]

I am "invested" in the 3000 for the camper, mounted in ft basement, remote start, exhaust kit, heat exhaust etc so replacing it is a last resort.

I sold an ETQ 220v genny a few years ago, it was massive & overkill.

I have backfed a genny via dryer outlet (pulling main breaker so no backfeeding into grid) in the past when we were in a tornado, then again after the flood of 08.

 

[churchmouse]

I am "invested" in the 3000 for the camper, mounted in ft basement, remote start, exhaust kit, heat exhaust etc so replacing it is a last resort.

I sold an ETQ 220v genny a few years ago, it was massive & overkill.

I have backfed a genny via dryer outlet (pulling main breaker so no backfeeding into grid) in the past when we were in a tornado, then again after the flood of 08.

Thats how we feed our genny's on both houses you just have to remember to throw the main for safety.

 

[indyjohn]

How deep is your well? The well pump tech today does as much on 115v as the 220s did two decades ago.

Grundfos 10SQ05-160-115V, 10GPM, 1/2HP, 115V, 2 Wire, 96160167, 3" Stainless Steel Submersible Well Pumps

3-inch submersible pump for all residential groundwater needs. Several built-in protection features and soft start to reduce stress on the pump and electrical service.

www.aquascience.net

 

[snapping turtle]

The JENNY.

look at Costco. Harbor freight also makes a nice one.

Water can be hard to handle and store but filling the bathtub means toilet flushes ect.
Drinking water should not have to be electrically pumped out of the ground if you are thinking that the power will never come back on style of prepping. I have been thinking of the old farm windmill that ran the pump at my great uncles. It ran into a cement tub in what he called the milk shed. I remember beer in soft drinks in the tub with water running into and out of them and they were always cold as a kid. Now I have become one who wants Pilsner beers near freezing so maybe I would need to stock up on english ales for the end of the world for this to be fresh water and refrigerator. My guess is they keep the milk cold in the water.

 

[dieselrealtor]

How deep is your well? The well pump tech today does as much on 115v as the 220s did two decades ago.

Grundfos 10SQ05-160-115V, 10GPM, 1/2HP, 115V, 2 Wire, 96160167, 3" Stainless Steel Submersible Well Pumps

3-inch submersible pump for all residential groundwater needs. Several built-in protection features and soft start to reduce stress on the pump and electrical service.

www.aquascience.net

Not sure on the depth, I have never had to have any work done on it.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Not sure on the depth, I have never had to have any work done on it.

Do you know what HP or wattage pump you have, and the size of the AC unit you also want to run?

 

[indyjohn]

Genny. Just do it. The size of inverter needed to run a well pump makes it not so cheap.

How deep is your well? The well pump tech today does as much on 115v as the 220s did two decades ago.

Not sure on the depth, I have never had to have any work done on it.

Upon further review...

cm has the right solution. Set up a 220v genny that is dedicated to the well and the A/C. Changing out a well pump is not that hard. Central A/C is a different story. My genny has a 220v 30A circuit so I can run my central A/C with it.

 

[firecadet613]

You can hardwire in a genny inlet to your circuit breaker (Lowe's has the outlet and everything you need) and buy a lockout kit on Amazon so you can't turn the generator breaker on unless the main is off...

 

[tscherry70]

I had done this to my house in Idaho. We often lost power where I lived especially in the winter. I had an 8k Briggs gas generator wired to the main breaker box with a sub-panel that had powered all the devices I needed. Fridge, microwave, kitchen lights, and my well pump. The pump was 220v and 260 ft deep. The generator breaker sitting in the main panel was a 50 amp with an interlock switch that ensured the main was off when the sub-panel breaker was switched on for safety. I could run for about 9-12 hours on 5 gals of gas this way and with careful management, I could go for weeks.

For my new house here in Indiana, I'm planning on doing a pure solar solution with a charge controller, inverter, and battery array. It should be close to the old generator output in the summer: 7.2 kw system using 24 x 300-watt panels. I'm hoping to get my hands on an Eco Flow Delta Pro battery system as a backup and to get away from gas generators completely.

 

[Floki]

Solar, always get sunlight but gas for a generator in a shtf? Not likeley.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Genny. Just bite the bullet. We had a water-in-basement event in July 2015 after a record rainfall. Thought we dodge it then the power went out. No power= no sump pump. F-that. I said no more. Now I wait for it to do its weekly exercise run at 6:30 pm every Wednesday. Hooked up to propane tank so no diesel or gas issues.

Bite the bullet, you'll sleep better.

 

[indyjohn]

Solar, always get sunlight but gas for a generator in a shtf? Not likely.

True, solar is great but it's a significant investment. And also true finding gasoline in a shtf scenario is not likely, but practically every house has a gas grill.

 

[Brandon]

Got a like new genny at a pawn shop. Oil was clean, all the outlets worked.

She has served me well over the past few years.

Its a honeywell, 5500 running watts, 4 120v and a 220v. Believe I payed around 400 for it

We do not power the ac or well with it. We have fans and water for the toilets if needed and a seperate supply of drinking water.

 

[hoglegs]

I had done this to my house in Idaho. We often lost power where I lived especially in the winter. I had an 8k Briggs gas generator wired to the main breaker box with a sub-panel that had powered all the devices I needed. Fridge, microwave, kitchen lights, and my well pump. The pump was 220v and 260 ft deep. The generator breaker sitting in the main panel was a 50 amp with an interlock switch that ensured the main was off when the sub-panel breaker was switched on for safety. I could run for about 9-12 hours on 5 gals of gas this way and with careful management, I could go for weeks.

For my new house here in Indiana, I'm planning on doing a pure solar solution with a charge controller, inverter, and battery array. It should be close to the old generator output in the summer: 7.2 kw system using 24 x 300-watt panels. I'm hoping to get my hands on an Eco Flow Delta Pro battery system as a backup and to get away from gas generators completely.

Have you picked out an inverter yet? I'm still on the fence with low freq vs high freq inverter tech, lots of contradicting info out there. Very curious to hear others real-world experience with running a 220v well pump on solar. My pump is 1hp, I'd hate to buy brand X only to find it doesn't work.

 

[tscherry70]

Have you picked out an inverter yet? I'm still on the fence with low freq vs high freq inverter tech, lots of contradicting info out there. Very curious to hear others real-world experience with running a 220v well pump on solar. My pump is 1hp, I'd hate to buy brand X only to find it doesn't work.

For a system that will run a high surge load such as a well pump, a low-frequency inverter is the way to go in my opinion. Magnum Energy LF inverters are pretty good.