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gas engine generator

NUTTSGT

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Sep 14, 2009
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50,968
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Northern Central Ohio
What size breaker is the well pump on? Why, my well is a 3hp, 240 volt, single phase.The breaker is a 50 amp breaker and the distribution pump is 1.5 hp, 240 volt, single phase on a 30 amp breaker. I need a minimum of a 11000 watt generator just to run the well pump and 6600 watts for the distribution pump. If I what to run just the Well pump and the distribution pump is adds up to 17,000 watts.

Before guessing what size generator, do your homework and know what size pump you have, and determine how much other power you need. if you need to convert amps to watts use the calculator:

https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/Amp_to_Watt_Calculator.html

Good advice. You need to know what you want to power up and how often it needs to be getting juice.

Our well pump runs on 120V, I can't say how amps it draws but I know it's either on a 15 or 20 amp breaker. So off hand, I'd think my Honda would run it to pump up the pressure tank.

I found a "nice" used Honda EU2000 for less than half price. I'd suggest checking out your local HD tool rental dept and see what they have for sale. You may find something that fits your needs.
 
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SGKent

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Feb 12, 2010
Messages
1,959
Location
Citrus Heights CA
So thinking out of the box here. How much water do you use in say 10 days? Why not get a good tank that size, fill it with good water that you treat to keep bacteria out, and use a smaller 120V pump, or gravity, or both to move water from it into the house for baths, toilets, washing dishes etc. Use bottled water from Arrowhead or someone for drinking and cooking. Then have the other 120V items you need on a smaller generator just for that purpose and the smaller pump. A 1500 gallon tank is under $1000. The Democrats in Sacramento passed a new law last year that Jerry signed setting the allowable water use per person per day not to include landscape etc at a max of 55 gallons per day - they just haven't enforced it yet but plan to as soon as they can pass legislation to have two water meters per household (inside and outside use). Use that number as your basis. It was chosen from numbers from the Santa Barbara area (Hollywood donors funded the bill - my guess is it was calculated per bedroom on a property, and with a big empty estate it skews what is actually being used per person). In your case if there are 3 people in your home then 3 x 55 = 165 gallons per day. 1500 gallons would last 9 days. If the power comes back on for a day you fill the big tank again.
 
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