How Water Well Pumps Can Keep Going in Power Emergencies

On Backup Power, Soft Starters Help Water Keep Flowing

CORAL SPRINGS, FL, UNITED STATES, August 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The heavy rains and high winds of the storm have passed, but the main power has been knocked out.

After checking if everyone is safe, it’s time to see which electronics and appliances the backup power system will support without overloading and shutting down. Lights and TVs don’t draw much power, so most backup systems will keep those running.

However, if a private well supplies water for a house or irrigation system, the high startup power demand of a water pump can overload many backup generators or trip power inverters off, forcing one to go without a vital water supply for as long as the emergency lasts.

“That’s why more private well owners now use soft starters for their water well pump,” said Doug Curtis, co-founder of SoftStartUSA, makers of the SoftStart Well Pump™ soft starter. “It can cut a pump’s startup demand by up to 50%.”

According to Curtis, such a drop in startup power means that generators and solar power inverters that produce as little as 3,000 watts or 30 amps can start a water pump while other electronics on the circuit keep running.

Kieran DeWolf, Montesano, WA, describes what his 10-kilowatt solar power inverter system was experiencing with his 1-3/4 HP well pump. It had become “basically a bomb for every other electronic on the circuit” when the pump started, said Dewolf.

“The lights in our garage would flicker or shut down entirely for a split second when (the well pump) kicked on. I have had sensitive electronics shut down or need to be restarted almost every single time. That includes routers, computers, servers,” DeWolf continued.

“After installing a well pump soft starter, I have not had a single issue,” said DeWolf. “I can have massive loads on the inverter and have no problems. I can have a car charging on the circuit. I can have a car charging while a mini split is running, and a heater, and several other things, and this (pump) can still kick on, and there is no flicker,” concluded DeWolf.

Doug Curtis said, “With the uptick in power emergencies over the last few years – whether they’re related to storm damage or stress on overtaxed power grids – we’ve seen more homes and businesses come to rely on off-grid and backup power to keep their daily life as normal as possible,” said Curtis. “And that includes having water available even in emergencies,” he said.

For private well owners that don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on surge capacity upgrades, Curtis said, newer soft starters such as the SoftStart Well Pump™ model offer a reliable and economical solution. “The soft starter extends the use of the private well owner’s existing off-grid power to include well pumps without needing extra power equipment,” Curtis continued.

In addition, said Curtis, the SoftStart WellPump soft starter also helps protect and extend the life of the alternate power system and the pump itself. “By reducing the pump’s startup power, this soft starter also reduces mechanical and electrical stress on the pump motor to help extend its life,” concluded Curtis.

SoftStart Well Pump™ is a product of SoftStartUSA, an industry leader in RV and home power management products. For more information, go online to https://softstartusa.com/products/softstartwellpump.
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Doug Curtis
SoftStartUSA
+1 954-298-1648
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SoftStart Well Pump keeps water pumps running with backup generators and other off-grid power

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