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What size power station runs a sump pump (1/2 hp)?

A bigger pump for higher water tables — needs a 2,150 W+ surge rating.

1,050 Wrunning watts
2,150 Wstartup surge
20%duty cycle
700 Whfor 3.0 h

Need to run it alongside other things? Add it to the full sizing tool with the rest of your load.

What size you need for 3.0 h

You need about 700 Wh — and 20 units fit. The smallest sufficient is the Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core; we never push more capacity than your load can use. Surge to clear: 2,150 W.
The math
Running watts (everything on at once) = 1,050 W
Surge watts (worst single startup + the rest running) = 2,150 W
Average draw (cyclic loads counted by their duty cycle) = 210 W
Watt-hours = 210 W × 3.0 h ÷ 90% usable reserve = 700 Wh
1
Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Coresmallest that fits
983 Wh 1,200 W cont · 2,400 W surge ~4.2 h on this load $$
A 1 kWh / 1,200 W unit for outage essentials at a friendlier price.
NMC · ~9 h AC; up to 600 W solar · 32 lb
Check price at Goal Zero → Full specs
2
EcoFlow DELTA 2
1,024 Wh 1,800 W cont · 2,700 W surge expandable ~4.4 h on this load $$
The benchmark 1 kWh / 1,800 W outage unit — fridge + CPAP + lights, expandable to 3 kWh.
LiFePO4 · ~50 min to 80% AC; expandable to 3 kWh · 27 lb
Check price at EcoFlow → Full specs
3
Anker SOLIX C1000
1,056 Wh 1,800 W cont · 2,400 W surge expandable ~4.5 h on this load $$
A strong 1 kWh / 1,800 W outage unit; SurgePad mode briefly runs 2,000 W resistive devices.
LiFePO4 · ~58 min AC; expandable to 2.1 kWh · 28 lb
Check price at Anker SOLIX → Full specs
4
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2
1,070 Wh 1,500 W cont · 3,000 W surge ~4.6 h on this load $$
The popular 1 kWh do-everything unit — runs a fridge, CPAP, and lights through an outage.
LiFePO4 · ~1.7 h AC; up to 400 W solar · 24 lb
Check price at Jackery → Full specs
5
Bluetti AC180
1,152 Wh 1,800 W cont · 2,700 W surge ~4.9 h on this load $$
A 1.15 kWh / 1,800 W unit that undercuts the 1 kWh class on price — strong outage value.
LiFePO4 · ~45 min to 80% AC; up to 500 W solar · 35 lb
Check price at Bluetti → Full specs
6
Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus
1,264 Wh 2,000 W cont · 4,000 W surge expandable ~5.4 h on this load $$$
A 2,000 W inverter in a portable body, and it scales to 5 kWh with add-on batteries.
LiFePO4 · ~1.7 h AC; expandable to 5 kWh · 32 lb
Check price at Jackery → Full specs
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Can a specific unit run a sump pump (1/2 hp)?

20 of the units we track deliver enough watts to run a sump pump (1/2 hp). Check a specific one for the runtime and the full verdict:

Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core
983 Wh · 1,200 W cont
runs it
EcoFlow DELTA 2
1,024 Wh · 1,800 W cont
runs it
Anker SOLIX C1000
1,056 Wh · 1,800 W cont
runs it
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2
1,070 Wh · 1,500 W cont
runs it
Bluetti AC180
1,152 Wh · 1,800 W cont
runs it
Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus
1,264 Wh · 2,000 W cont
runs it
Goal Zero Yeti 1500X
1,516 Wh · 2,000 W cont
runs it
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus
2,042 Wh · 3,000 W cont
runs it
EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max
2,048 Wh · 2,400 W cont
runs it
Bluetti AC200L
2,048 Wh · 2,400 W cont
runs it
Bluetti AC200MAX
2,048 Wh · 2,200 W cont
runs it
Anker SOLIX F2000
2,048 Wh · 2,400 W cont
runs it

Common questions

What size power station do I need to run a sump pump (1/2 hp)?

A sump pump (1/2 hp) draws about 1,050 W running, with a startup surge near 2,150 W. So you want a unit with at least 1,050 W continuous output and 2,150 W+ surge. For 3.0 h of runtime that's roughly 700 Wh of capacity — the Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core is the smallest unit that clears all of it.

How many watts does a sump pump (1/2 hp) use?

About 1,050 W while running, spiking to roughly 2,150 W on startup. It only draws power about 20% of the time, so over an outage its energy use is well below 1,050 W × the hours — which is why a modest battery lasts longer than you'd expect.

Sources: Sump Pump (1/2 HP) wattage — Standard appliance-wattage / generator-sizing charts (representative values; verify your nameplate); station specs — manufacturer published specifications (compiled 2026-06-15; approximate). Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician.