Sine wave Inverter type back up generator for well pump.?

[CalG]

I'm looking to up grade the 4500 watt Homelite generator for the single reason I don't want to burn up the well pump motor. My wife has little idea of "load" or "starting current requirements". And there have been some "close calls" in the recent past. (Why would you turn on decorative outdoor lights when running on a gen? ;-)

Anyway, I was looking at the Honda 7000 units. Mostly because they are advertised as being quiet. But I noticed the unit is an inverter type. Is that a plus, or a minus, for starting a single phase induction pump motor? It appears those units draw a premium sales price, and the last thing I want to do is pay more for something that doesn't work as well. ;-)

Clean power for electronics means nothing to me. I just don't want to burn out the 30 year old fridge, the 50 year old freezer, or the "pricey to replace" well pump.

Comments?

 

[LouNY]

It would depend on the response time of the generator when responding to the load. Is that inverter generator a 120/240 unit or is your well pump just a 120V?

 

[ericm979]

I have not needed to run the well pump on a generator as we have a 10k gallon tank and gravity fed to the house. But the EU7000i has run our 3 ton A/C unit. The well pump is only 1.5hp and on a smaller breaker so it should work. If your pump is larger then it might not.

There was a price decrease of $1k last year to $5k. Last year when I bought mine not all retailers were using the new pricing. It's definitely not a deal but it is a quality unit and is super quiet. A lot of people have done well with the Predator which is about half the price.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I recommend the Honda EU7000is for backup to solar systems for battery charging during the winter.
Being an inverter generator the plus is that once the load is started the units rpm will go down which uses less fuel. It will auto adjust the throttle based on the electrical load going up or down and still put out the correct voltage because of the inverter circuitry. This unit is also fuel injected, so it is more fuel efficient than a carburetor generator.

A quality generator that should get you thousands of hours of use.

 

[CalG]

It would depend on the response time of the generator when responding to the load. Is that inverter generator a 120/240 unit or is your well pump just a 120V?

The gen has 120/240 outlets With both three wire (dryer) and 4 wire (range) outlets. If I read the description correctly, It allows "disabling" of the 240 V output to provide full wattage to the 120V circuits. I can't imagine how this "feature" beats just not plugging anything into the 240 v plugs, but what do I know.

The well pump is straight 240 V Two wire. Must use the well casing for ground!

 

[CalG]

I have not needed to run the well pump on a generator as we have a 10k gallon tank and gravity fed to the house. But the EU7000i has run our 3 ton A/C unit. The well pump is only 1.5hp and on a smaller breaker so it should work. If your pump is larger then it might not.

There was a price decrease of $1k last year to $5k. Last year when I bought mine not all retailers were using the new pricing. It's definitely not a deal but it is a quality unit and is super quiet. A lot of people have done well with the Predator which is about half the price.

It appears

The customary price is $4500

One can pay more however.

 

[ericm979]

The customary price is $4500

Price has gone down since last year!

 

[ponytug]

The gen has 120/240 outlets With both three wire (dryer) and 4 wire (range) outlets. If I read the description correctly, It allows "disabling" of the 240 V output to provide full wattage to the 120V circuits. I can't imagine how this "feature" beats just not plugging anything into the 240 v plugs, but what do I know.

The well pump is straight 240 V Two wire. Must use the well casing for ground!

Do you know the well pump specifications? Other than the straight load (watts), what usually causes generators and pump motors problems is the pump starting current that can run 2-6 times the running current.

Inverter generators can be more efficient when supplying reduced loads, compared to ordinary gasoline generators. They will tolerate low loads better than standard gasoline and diesel generators, as the latter are susceptible to "wet stacking" under sustained low power loads. Inverters also generally produce cleaner power, however, as a rule, they are less tolerant of large starting loads compared to some other designs.

If you have home heating oil, you might want to consider a diesel, but otherwise, if the well pump starting surge current is low enough, I think the Honda EUi inverter series have a long history reliability and performance.

Some folks that I know seem to prefer to think that being on generator power is the same as being on grid power, and are reluctant to change habits. Which ends up being pricey one way or another.

All the best,

Peter

 

[steve tym]

If it's a two wire motor, no bigger than 1.5 hp. It should draw 3 times running amps to start. I'll send Franklin Electric an email and see what there take is on inverter generators. I know their VFD's don't like them, or at least didn't, but there have been a lot of changes since I last asked that question. I'll try to remember to post when I hear.

 

[TN8Man]

The gen has 120/240 outlets With both three wire (dryer) and 4 wire (range) outlets. If I read the description correctly, It allows "disabling" of the 240 V output to provide full wattage to the 120V circuits. I can't imagine how this "feature" beats just not plugging anything into the 240 v plugs, but what do I know.

The well pump is straight 240 V Two wire. Must use the well casing for ground!

I use the EU7000i generator for home back-up and use it in the 120V mode for more power.

 

[CalG]

I use the EU7000i generator for home back-up and use it in the 120V mode for more power.

View attachment 1444498View attachment 1444499

Well, that little detail right there is a show stopper!

4500 watts from a 240V circuit is what I've got going now. And I'm not going to rewire the service panel to split out the well pump from the 120V requirements.

Oh well, technology....

 

[TN8Man]

Well, that little detail right there is a show stopper!

4500 watts from a 240V circuit is what I've got going now. And I'm not going to rewire the service panel to split out the well pump from the 120V requirements.

Oh well, technology....

I don't use the 240V mode but I think its running wattage is 5,500W and a starting wattage of 7,000W.

I use a custom cable to get two 30A in the 125V mode.

 

[ericm979]

22.9A @240v is exactly the same power as 45.8A @ 120v.

 

[TN8Man]

22.9A @240v is exactly the same power as 45.8A @ 120v.

?
P=IxE

 

[bigtiller]

I also have the Honda EU7000is but I have city water, no well.

This genny is heavy, and rolling around is a chore. If anyone needs to move it off the concrete I recommend getting the optional lifting kit.

Honda Hanger Kit

Honda Hanger Kit - 06531-Z11-E00ZA

www.acmetools.com

 

[ericm979]

?
P=IxE

Not sure what the question mark is for as the equation shows they're the same power.

One advantage of the EU7000 in 120v mode is that it gangs the two sides of the generator together so you do not need to try to balance the load between them.

 

[not2old]

I don't know the HP of my well pump but it's on a 15A 240V breaker and runs just fine on my B&S Q6500 generator.

 

[CalG]

I don't know the HP of my well pump but it's on a 15A 240V breaker and runs just fine on my B&S Q6500 generator.

Yes

Really all I desire to do is bump up to about 6500 watts as "wife protection". ;-)

I do not want a whole house back up power station.

the 4500 watt unit has worked for the past several years under supervision.

There is a second hand winco 6000 (11 HP) offered on the local craigslist.

For $350, it will be hard to make too great an error.

The Honda "QUIET" part might have been too enticing. ;-)

I bet the Winco is loud as anything!

 

[IXLR8]

I have the Honda eu7000i inverter generator. It is 5500 watts continuous, 7000 watt peak, and has had no issue running the well pump at either of my homes. At the house in Maine, the generator was outside, less than 15 ft from the bedroom. We can't hear it running when we go to bed. We love how quiet it is. Yes it is heavy but I don't find it all that difficult to move around. We do make sure the breakers are off for the oven, dryer and the 5 ton AC unit before we fire up the generator. As generator can't handle the well pump and any of those 3 items. It handles everything else with no issues. We do have propane cook top and water heater so the generator doesn't need to handle those loads. Wife loves that it is push button start with fuel injection so no worry about pulling a cord and properly applying the choke.

 

[aesanders]

I have the smaller eu3000is Honda (also a 6850 what regular generator..Snapper with a Briggs). Both are 17 years old, and mostly get used when a hurricane comes by and knocks out power for extended portions of time. Both have Longest stretch was Irma in 2017….10 days. Both have been the same for reliability, always working when needed. The Honda is an excellent generator, and I never don’t regret the expense. That said, if buying a larger inverter, I would most likely get the Predator 9500 watt super quiet model. It’s larger and half the cost of the Honda. I know the Honda has an excellent track record, and I can certainly understand why people choose it.

I used to use the Honda more with plug in power tools, but mostly have battery tools need eliminating the need.