What solar generator can run a well pump?
Updated 2026-11-11 · Pick: Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus: $2,599.99 on ankersolix.com (checked 2026-11-07): https://dealectric.com/go/anker-solix-f3800-plus
Short answer. A solar generator can run a well pump if its 240V output covers the pump's start surge. Pick: Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus (240V, 6000W, 80 A locked-rotor rating). A 1 HP well pump uses about 2 Wh per gallon, so one 400 W panel at rated output covers a 300-gallon day in 2.4 hours.
Searched as: EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 240V 4000W surge specifications Anker SOLIX F3800 240V 6000W well pump BLUETTI AC500 240V split phase
How this table was made: each figure comes from the maker's own US product page or manual, or from the reviewer named next to it, checked 2026-11-11. Dealectric does not test units itself. Rows with a Buy link are products Dealectric lists: the links are affiliate links, and their codes are re-tested in the brand's own cart every day (last check 2026-11-13).
| Model | Start current at 240 V (published) | Largest Franklin 230 V motor it clears on paper | Battery | Gallons per charge if it starts the pump (1/2 HP / 1 HP) | Watch for | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus | 80 A locked-rotor rating (Anker user guide, quoted by The Home Battery Report); 6,000 W, 25 A continuous on the L14-30R | 1.5 HP 2-wire (66.2 A), 1.21× | 3,840 Wh | about 2,920 / 1,620 gal | Sold out at Anker's US store on Nov 11, 2026; no 240 V output while charging from 120 V AC | $2,599.99 on ankersolix.com, 2026-11-07 | Buy |
| Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus | 14,400 W surge = 60 A; 7,200 W rated | 1 HP 2-wire (48.7 A), 1.23×; 1.5 HP 3-wire (51.4 A), 1.17× | 5,040 Wh | about 3,840 / 2,120 gal | Pre-order on Nov 11, 2026; Jackery says it ships Nov 28 | $3,499 (Jackery US, 2026-11-11) | |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | 8,000 W surge = 33.3 A; 4,000 W rated (OutdoorGearLab spec table) | 1/2 HP 2-wire (32.2 A), 1.04× | 4,096 Wh rated; 3,790 Wh measured (OutdoorGearLab) | about 3,120 / 1,730 gal | Standalone unit listed unavailable at EcoFlow US (Willrun, Nov 10, 2026) | $2,799 (EcoFlow US as read by Willrun, 2026-11-10) | |
| Anker SOLIX S5000 | 8,000 W peak = 33.3 A; 4,500 W rated; Anker's page gives no locked-rotor rating | 1/2 HP 2-wire (32.2 A), 1.04× | 5,024 Wh | about 3,820 / 2,120 gal | Anker does not say the 8,000 W peak is available on the 240 V L14-30R port | $2,599.99 on ankersolix.com, 2026-11-10 | Buy |
| OSCAL PowerMax 6000 | 7,200 W surge = 30 A; 6,000 W rated | 1/2 HP 3-wire (23.0 A), 1.30× | 3,600 Wh | about 2,740 / 1,520 gal | In stock on Nov 11, 2026; 30 A is short of a 1/2 HP 2-wire motor (32.2 A) | $1,659.99 on store.oscal.hk, 2026-11-06 | $1,494 through this link discount applied by the link; tested 2026-11-13 |
| BLUETTI Apex 300 | 3,840 W = 16 A continuous; 7,680 W is labelled Lifting Power, not a motor surge rating | None: 16 A against 23.0 A for the smallest motor, 0.70× | 2,764.8 Wh | about 2,100 / 1,170 gal | Orderable on Nov 11, 2026, with BLUETTI saying it ships from early December; its published figures do not cover a 240 V pump start | $1,499 on bluettipower.com, 2026-11-05 | $1,424.05 through this link discount applied by the link; tested 2026-11-13 |
What the differences mean
A conventional 230 V submersible pump asks for several times its running current for the instant it starts. Franklin Electric's AIM manual lists that locked-rotor current for its 4-inch motors, here as tabulated by Willrun (The Home Battery Report lists the same 2-wire figures): 1/2 HP 23.0 A (3-wire) or 32.2 A (2-wire); 3/4 HP 34.2 A or 40.7 A; 1 HP 41.8 A or 48.7 A; 1.5 HP 51.4 A or 66.2 A. The generator has to deliver that at 240 V or the pump never turns.
- Surge watts into amps: surge W ÷ 240 V. Jackery 14,400 ÷ 240 = 60 A. EcoFlow and Anker S5000 8,000 ÷ 240 = 33.3 A. OSCAL 7,200 ÷ 240 = 30 A. BLUETTI Apex 300 has no surge rating, so 3,840 ÷ 240 = 16 A continuous is all its page supports.
- The F3800 Plus is rated differently: Anker's product page lists only 6,000 W and 25 A on the L14-30R outlet. The 80 A figure is the locked-rotor rating in Anker's user guide, as quoted by The Home Battery Report. 80 ÷ 66.2 = 1.21× on a 1.5 HP 2-wire motor.
- Margins: Jackery 60 ÷ 48.7 = 1.23× on a 1 HP 2-wire. DELTA Pro 3 and S5000 33.3 ÷ 32.2 = 1.04× on a 1/2 HP 2-wire, and 33.3 ÷ 41.8 = 0.80× on a 1 HP 3-wire. OSCAL 30 ÷ 23.0 = 1.30× on a 1/2 HP 3-wire.
- Gallons per charge: battery Wh × 0.85 ÷ Wh per gallon. F3800 Plus: 3,840 × 0.85 = 3,264 Wh; 3,264 ÷ 2.02 = about 1,620 gallons with a 1 HP pump, 3,264 ÷ 1.117 = about 2,920 gallons with a 1/2 HP pump. The 0.85 usable share is Willrun's allowance.
These are paper comparisons of published ratings, not bench tests, and none of these makers' pages says how long the surge is held. A margin near 1.0× is a maybe.
| Your pump (230 V) | What fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 HP, 3-wire (23.0 A start) | OSCAL PowerMax 6000 $1,659.99 on store.oscal.hk, $1,494 through this link: https://dealectric.com/go/oscal-powermax-6000-3600wh-240v | 30 A surge, 1.30×, and in stock on Nov 11, 2026 |
| 1/2 HP, 2-wire (32.2 A) | Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus; DELTA Pro 3 or S5000 only at 1.04× | 80 A rating leaves 2.5× headroom; 33.3 A leaves almost none |
| 3/4 HP to 1 HP, either wiring (34.2 to 48.7 A) | Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus $2,599.99: https://dealectric.com/go/anker-solix-f3800-plus, or Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus | 80 A and 60 A; both were out of stock at their makers on Nov 11, 2026 |
| 1.5 HP, 2-wire (66.2 A) | Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus | The only portable here with a published figure above 66.2 A |
| Permanent off-grid well, 1 HP | Sun Gold Power SPH6548P inverter $1,035: https://dealectric.com/go/sungoldpower-sph6548p-6-5kw-48v-hybrid-inverter | 13,000 VA peak ÷ 240 V = 54.2 A, 1.11× on a 1 HP 2-wire; it is an inverter only, so a 48 V battery and panels are bought and wired separately |
Match the horsepower and the 2-wire or 3-wire type on your motor nameplate to the rows above. For a hardwired pump, Anker says the F3800 Plus connects to a transfer switch or inlet box through its L14-30R outlet.
How much sun and battery a well pump needs
Starting the pump is the hard part. Keeping it supplied from panels is easy, because a pump runs for minutes a day.
- Energy per gallon: Franklin's full-load figure for a 1 HP motor is 1,210 W. At 10 gallons per minute (600 gallons an hour, the flow in Willrun's household duty cycle), 1,210 ÷ 600 = 2.02 Wh per gallon. A 3/4 HP motor: 940 ÷ 600 = 1.57 Wh. A 1/2 HP motor: 670 ÷ 600 = 1.12 Wh. A pump that delivers fewer gallons per minute uses proportionally more per gallon.
- A 300-gallon day, 1 HP: 300 ÷ 10 = 30 minutes of pumping. 1,210 W × 0.5 h = 605 Wh, plus the inverter left on all day at 15 W × 24 h = 360 Wh (Willrun's allowance; The Solar Lab measured about 20 W idle on the Apex 300), total 965 Wh.
- Panel hours: 965 ÷ 400 W = 2.4 hours of rated output from one 400 W panel, or 965 ÷ 500 = 1.9 hours from a 500 W panel. For a 1/2 HP pump: 335 + 360 = 695 Wh, 695 ÷ 400 = 1.7 hours. Panels rarely reach their rated watts, so read these as minimums.
- Gallons per panel-hour: 400 Wh ÷ 2.02 = about 198 gallons for each hour a 400 W panel holds its rating, with a 1 HP pump.
| Station | Solar input | Full refill at maximum solar |
|---|---|---|
| Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus | 2 ports, each 11 to 165 V, 17 A, 1,600 W; 3,200 W total (Anker) | 3,840 ÷ 3,200 = 1.2 h; from one 400 W panel, 3,840 ÷ 400 = 9.6 h |
| Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus | Up to 4,000 W, high- and low-voltage panels (Jackery) | About 2 hours, per Jackery |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | Up to 2,600 W across two ports (OutdoorGearLab) | 4,096 ÷ 2,600 = 1.6 h |
| BLUETTI Apex 300 | Up to 4,000 W, only with the SolarX 4K add-on (BLUETTI) | 2,764.8 ÷ 4,000 = 0.7 h |
Charging and pumping at once. Anker states: "The 240V output cannot be used while the device is charging via 120V AC." A 240 V pump is therefore off while an F3800 Plus tops up from a 120 V wall outlet or a 120 V gas generator. Anker's page states that limit for 120 V AC charging only, which makes panels the practical way to refill it while the well stays live.
Measured capacity. OutdoorGearLab measured 3,790 Wh from the DELTA Pro 3's rated 4,096 Wh (92.5%); 3,790 ÷ 1.117 = about 3,390 gallons with a 1/2 HP pump, more than the 85% estimate in the table. The original Anker SOLIX F3800, not the Plus, delivered 2,980 Wh for StorageReview and 2,905 Wh at a steady 260 W for Notebookcheck, 76 to 78% of its 3,840 Wh. If the Plus behaves the same, 2,905 ÷ 2.02 = about 1,440 gallons with a 1 HP pump instead of 1,620.
One hands-on start. Robb Sutton reports that his DELTA Pro 3 started a 1 HP 240 V submersible pump without a soft starter. He does not name the pump or say how the start draw was measured, so it is one pass on one well, against a paper margin of 0.68× to 0.80× for Franklin 1 HP motors.
Not recommended for a 240 V well pump
BLUETTI Apex 300. BLUETTI US was taking orders on Nov 11, 2026, with shipping from early December. Its page publishes 3,840 W of output and a 7,680 W figure called Lifting Power. The Home Battery Report notes BLUETTI does not present that as a motor surge rating. On the published numbers it has 16 A at 240 V against 23.0 A for the smallest Franklin 230 V motor.
A single Growatt HELIOS 3600. Growatt's listing gives one unit a 240 V outlet limited to 2,200 W, and 2,200 ÷ 240 = 9.2 A against 23.0 A for the smallest Franklin 230 V motor. It says 240 V whole-home power is supported when two HELIOS 3600 units are paralleled.
Sources
- Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus: 3,840 Wh, L14-30R 120/240 V 25 A 6,000 W, two solar ports 11-165 V 17 A 1,600 W each, 240 V output unavailable while charging via 120 V AC, Sold Out (read 2026-11-11) — www.ankersolix.com
- Anker user guide quote 'The LRA (Locked Rotor Amps) of Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus is 80A'; Franklin 2-wire locked-rotor amps; Apex 300 Lifting Power is not a published surge rating (The Home Battery Report, read 2026-11-11) — homebatteryreport.com
- Franklin Electric AIM manual motor table (full-load watts, locked-rotor amps, 2-wire and 3-wire), 300 gal/day at 10 gpm duty cycle, 15 W idle and 85% usable allowances, DELTA Pro 3 at $2,799 with standalone unit unavailable on 2026-11-10 (Willrun, read 2026-11-11) — willitrunpower.com
- Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus: $3,499, pre-order shipping Nov 28, 7,200 W rated, 14,400 W surge, 120/240 V, 5,040 Wh, up to 4,000 W solar input (Jackery US store listing, read 2026-11-11) — www.jackery.com
- EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3: 4,000 W, 8,000 W surge, 240 V outlet, up to 2,600 W solar on two ports, 3,790 Wh measured of 4,096 Wh rated (OutdoorGearLab, Kenji Mowrey, Jan 13, 2026; read 2026-11-11) — www.outdoorgearlab.com
- OSCAL PowerMax 6000: 6,000 W (surge 7,200 W), 3,600 Wh, 120/240 V dual voltage in one unit, in stock (OSCAL store listing, read 2026-11-11) — store.oscal.hk
- Anker SOLIX S5000: 4,500 W continuous, 8,000 W peak, 120/240 V, L14-30R; no locked-rotor rating on the page (read 2026-11-11) — www.ankersolix.com
- BLUETTI Apex 300: 3,840 W, 2,764.8 Wh, 7,680 W Lifting Power, up to 4,000 W solar with SolarX 4K, orderable, 'Apex 300 ships from early December' (BLUETTI US, read 2026-11-11) — www.bluettipower.com
- Original Anker SOLIX F3800 delivered 2,980 Wh before inverter cutoff (StorageReview, Kevin OBrien, June 21, 2024; read 2026-11-11) — www.storagereview.com
- Original Anker SOLIX F3800 delivered 2,905 Wh at a constant draw of about 260 W (Notebookcheck, Marcus Schwarten; read 2026-11-11) — www.notebookcheck.net
- BLUETTI Apex 300 idle draw of about 20 W (The Solar Lab, read 2026-11-11) — www.thesolarlab.com
- DELTA Pro 3 started a 1 HP 240 V submersible pump with no soft starter (Robb Sutton, Feb 12, 2026; read 2026-11-11) — robbsutton.com
- Sun Gold Power SPH6548P: 6,500 W rated, 13,000 VA peak, 120/240 V split phase, inverter for 48 V batteries (Sun Gold Power store listing, read 2026-11-11) — sungoldpower.com
- Growatt HELIOS 3600: 240 V outlet on a single unit at 2,200 W max; 240 V whole-home power supported when two units are paralleled (Growatt store listing, read 2026-11-11) — growattportable.com
Published 2026-11-11; updated 2026-11-11. The buy links are affiliate links; see the disclosure. Corrections welcome at [email protected] or /feedback.