Will a power station run a sump pump?

Pumps Also called: submersible sump pump, basement pump, 1/3 hp sump pump

Two numbers decide whether a power station runs a sump pump, and readers arrive using them interchangeably. Watts are the ceiling on what the inverter can hold at any instant — this load needs 720 W of them while it runs, and 2,645 W for the moment it starts. Watt-hours are how much energy the battery holds. A machine can have plenty of one and not enough of the other.

Of the 26 station records we publish — every model we hold a page for, with its US and EU versions counted separately — 13 run it, 0 are a tight fit and 13 are out of reach. Each of those is a calculation against that machine’s continuous output, its surge ceiling and its inverter waveform — not a lookup table — and the reasoning is on every row.

The three numbers a power station is judged against

Running power 720 W Official spec · verified 2026-08-08 · medium confidence

Start-up surge 2,645 W engine checks 2,645 W Official spec · verified 2026-08-01 · high confidence

Duty cycle Not found in the sources we checked no figure to date

Start-up figure: Manufacturer nameplate (locked-rotor)

This record publishes both an absolute inrush and a multiple of running power. They do not agree exactly, so the engine checks against the more demanding of the two — 2,645 W — rather than picking the flattering one.

Measured duration 500 ms · Official spec · verified 2026-08-01 · low confidence

Official specverified 2026-08-08appliance record

What actually decides it

A motor load: the first half-second decides it

An induction motor with a stationary rotor is close to a short circuit. For the fraction of a second before it turns, it pulls several times its running current, and that peak — not the running figure — is what trips an inverter. This is why a machine drawing well under a station’s continuous rating can still fail to start on it, and why the start-up figure at the top of this page matters more than the running one.

What kind of motor is inside

The motor is a plain induction motor, so the start-up figure is a locked-rotor current: the draw while the rotor is still stationary. It is over in well under a second, but an inverter has to survive all of it.

How long the start-up actually lasts

The inrush lasts a couple of tenths of a second, which is the window a station’s surge rating is written for. This is the one case where the surge figure and the surge ceiling are directly comparable.

Watts are not what the inverter is holding

At a power factor of 0.69 this load presents 1,043 VA to the inverter. An inverter is sold in watts and limited in volt-amps, so a machine that looks comfortable on the watt figure can be at its ceiling on the VA one. The engine checks both.

Which power stations run it

Every row is a live calculation against that machine's continuous output, surge ceiling and inverter waveform. Of the 26 station records we publish — US and EU versions counted separately — 13 run it, 0 are a tight fit and 13 are out of reach. The percentage is this load as a share of that machine's continuous output; anything past 82% drops out of the green. Rows are ordered by verdict, then by price — cheapest first inside each band.

BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 BLUETTI · US 120 V 1,800 W continuous · 3,600 W surge ceiling Runs it40%

720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we do not hold a duty cycle for this load, and no figure is estimated to fill the gap. $499 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Jackery · US 120 V 1,500 W continuous · 3,000 W surge ceiling Runs it48%

720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we do not hold a duty cycle for this load, and no figure is estimated to fill the gap. $549 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus EcoFlow · US 120 V 1,800 W continuous · 3,600 W surge ceiling Runs it40%

720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: 3 of EcoFlow’s own published documents, read 2026-08-08, carry no depth of discharge or inverter efficiency for the US 120 V build, so there is no defensible usable-capacity figure to divide. $719 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Jackery · US 120 V 3,000 W continuous · 6,000 W surge ceiling Runs it24%

720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we do not hold a duty cycle for this load, and no figure is estimated to fill the gap. $899 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus Jackery · US 120 V 2,000 W continuous · 4,000 W surge ceiling Runs it36%

720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we do not hold a duty cycle for this load, and no figure is estimated to fill the gap. $999 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max EcoFlow · US 120 V 2,400 W continuous · 4,800 W surge ceiling Runs it30%

720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: 5 of EcoFlow’s own published documents, read 2026-08-08, carry no depth of discharge or inverter efficiency for the US 120 V build, so there is no defensible usable-capacity figure to divide. $1,049 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 EcoFlow · US 120 V 4,000 W continuous · 8,000 W surge ceiling Runs it18%

720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: 4 of EcoFlow’s own published documents, read 2026-08-08, carry no depth of discharge or inverter efficiency for the US 120 V build, so there is no defensible usable-capacity figure to divide. $2,799 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Jackery · EU 230 V 1,500 W continuous · 3,000 W surge ceiling Runs it48%

720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we have found no depth of discharge or inverter efficiency for the EU 230 V build, so there is no defensible usable-capacity figure to divide. €519 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus EcoFlow · EU 230 V 1,800 W continuous · 3,600 W surge ceiling Runs it40%

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max EcoFlow · EU 230 V 2,400 W continuous · 4,800 W surge ceiling Runs it30%

Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus Jackery · EU 230 V 2,000 W continuous · 4,000 W surge ceiling Runs it36%

Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Jackery · EU 230 V 3,000 W continuous · 6,000 W surge ceiling Runs it24%

EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 EcoFlow · EU 230 V 4,000 W continuous · 8,000 W surge ceiling Runs it18%

BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 BLUETTI · US 120 V 600 W continuous Too big120%

limited by continuous output 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we do not hold a duty cycle for this load, and no figure is estimated to fill the gap. We have found no published surge rating for the US 120 V build. The start-up check runs against its continuous output as a conservative floor, which is ours, not a manufacturer specification. $239 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus EcoFlow · US 120 V 600 W continuous · 1,200 W surge ceiling Too big120%

limited by continuous output 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: 4 of EcoFlow’s own published documents, read 2026-08-08, carry no depth of discharge or inverter efficiency for the US 120 V build, so there is no defensible usable-capacity figure to divide. $279 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Jackery · US 120 V 300 W continuous · 600 W surge ceiling Too big240%

limited by continuous output 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we do not hold a duty cycle for this load, and no figure is estimated to fill the gap. $299.99 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 BLUETTI · US 120 V 2,600 W continuous Too big102% of assumed surge ceiling

limited by surge ceiling 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we do not hold a duty cycle for this load, and no figure is estimated to fill the gap. We have found no published surge rating for the US 120 V build. The start-up check runs against its continuous output as a conservative floor, which is ours, not a manufacturer specification. $899 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

EcoFlow STREAM Ultra EcoFlow · US 120 V 800 W continuous Too big130% of assumed VA ceiling

limited by VA ceiling 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: 3 of EcoFlow’s own published documents, read 2026-08-08, carry no depth of discharge or inverter efficiency for the US 120 V build, so there is no defensible usable-capacity figure to divide. We have found no published surge rating for the US 120 V build. The start-up check runs against its continuous output as a conservative floor, which is ours, not a manufacturer specification. $1,279 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 BLUETTI · EU 230 V 600 W continuous Too big120%

limited by continuous output 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we do not hold a duty cycle for this load, and no figure is estimated to fill the gap. We have found no published surge rating for the EU 230 V build. The start-up check runs against its continuous output as a conservative floor, which is ours, not a manufacturer specification. €219 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

Anker SOLIX C300 Anker SOLIX · EU 230 V 300 W continuous · 600 W surge ceiling Too big240%

limited by continuous output 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we have found no depth of discharge or inverter efficiency for the EU 230 V build, so there is no defensible usable-capacity figure to divide. €269.99 · checked 2026-08-01 · 17 days ago Show the working →

Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Jackery · EU 230 V 300 W continuous · 600 W surge ceiling Too big240%

EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus EcoFlow · EU 230 V 600 W continuous · 1,200 W surge ceiling Too big120%

limited by continuous output 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we have found no depth of discharge or inverter efficiency for the EU 230 V build, so there is no defensible usable-capacity figure to divide. €299 · checked 2026-08-01 · 17 days ago Show the working →

BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 BLUETTI · EU 230 V 1,800 W continuous Too big147% of assumed surge ceiling

limited by surge ceiling 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we do not hold a duty cycle for this load, and no figure is estimated to fill the gap. We have found no published surge rating for the EU 230 V build. The start-up check runs against its continuous output as a conservative floor, which is ours, not a manufacturer specification. €579 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

EcoFlow STREAM Ultra EcoFlow · EU 1,200 W continuous Too big220% of assumed surge ceiling

limited by surge ceiling 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we have found no depth of discharge or inverter efficiency for the EU build, so there is no defensible usable-capacity figure to divide. We have found no published surge rating for the EU build. The start-up check runs against its continuous output as a conservative floor, which is ours, not a manufacturer specification. €599 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

Anker SOLIX Solarbank 3 E2700 Pro Anker SOLIX · EU 1,200 W continuous Too big220% of assumed surge ceiling

BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 BLUETTI · EU 230 V 2,600 W continuous Too big102% of assumed surge ceiling

limited by surge ceiling 720 Wh per hour — while it is actually running No runtime in hours: we do not hold a duty cycle for this load, and no figure is estimated to fill the gap. We have found no published surge rating for the EU 230 V build. The start-up check runs against its continuous output as a conservative floor, which is ours, not a manufacturer specification. €1,149 · checked 2026-08-17 Show the working →

Which one to buy, ranked

Our pick for this load

BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 · US 120 V

The cheapest US 120 V machine in the list that runs a sump pump outright, and it holds it at 720 Wh per hour.

$499 · price checked 2026-08-17

The buy link is in the bar at the bottom of the screen — one action per page, and it goes to the merchant we last checked the price at.

Everything else we hold on this load

Each figure carries the tier it came from and the date it was checked. Sizing guidance is kept apart from measured draw on purpose: one says what the machine pulls, the other says what a manufacturer or a standard thinks you should buy for it.

Measured and published draw

Standby draw 0 W Official spec · verified 2026-08-01 · medium confidence

Power factor 0.69 Derived from official coefficients · verified 2026-08-08 · medium confidence

The inverter is loaded to 1,043 VA — 720 W ÷ 0.69 — which is the figure its ceiling is actually measured against.

Sizing guidance — not a draw figure

Minimum continuous output 1,116 W Official spec · verified 2026-08-01 · medium confidence

A sizing figure, not a draw: it is what this class needs a machine to be RATED at, headroom included.

Minimum surge capability 2,645 W Official spec · verified 2026-08-01 · high confidence

The start-up headroom this class needs an inverter to have. Where it comes from a manufacturer’s inverter recommendation rather than a measured inrush, it is deliberately generous.

Where to go next

From the Knowledge channel

A sump pump has a dedicated guide: the same records this page computes from, worked through in prose with room for the reasoning a table can only summarise — Can a power station really keep my sump pump running through a storm?

Questions people ask about this load

How many watts does a sump pump use?

720 W while it is running, with 2,645 W demanded at the instant it starts. Those are different questions and most pages answer only the first. The running figure decides whether a machine can hold it; the start-up figure decides whether it can get it going at all, and it is usually the one that fails. The start-up figure here is the manufacturer’s own..

What size power station do I need for a sump pump?

For a sump pump, the BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 (US 120 V) is the cheapest machine in our library that runs it, at 1,800 W continuous · 3,600 W surge ceiling and $499 against a running draw of 720 W and a start-up demand of 2,645 W. That is a verdict computed from this load’s running watts, its start-up demand and the inverter waveform — not a rule of thumb about doubling the wattage. 13 of 26 machines clear it.

How long will a power station run a sump pump?

No machine in our library can answer that honestly yet, and none of the 26 rows above pretends otherwise. A runtime needs a usable-capacity figure; for the machines that reach a sump pump the brands publish a nameplate watt-hour rating and nothing about depth of discharge or inverter efficiency. Dividing that nameplate by this load would give a confident-looking figure that is typically 20–35% too high. Every row gives the energy rate instead — watt-hours per hour — which needs no battery figure at all.

Why does a sump pump need so much more power to start?

The start-up figure is the manufacturer’s own locked-rotor rating, off a spec sheet for a real model in this class — not a category multiple. Where a standards table and the nameplate disagree, this library uses the nameplate: the standards figure is a selection envelope for breakers and controllers, and sizing a battery to it over-specifies the machine by two to four times. The engine works the check against 2,645 W, which is what a station's surge ceiling has to cover for the moment the machine starts. A station whose continuous rating is comfortably above the running figure can still refuse the start, and that is the single most common way a purchase goes wrong for this class.

Which power stations run a sump pump?

13 of the 26 we hold, listed above cheapest-first within each verdict band, starting with the BLUETTI Elite 100 V2. The other 13 cannot run a sump pump. Every one of those is a live calculation against that machine's own record, and opening a row shows the working.