I Have Two Sump Pumps—Can My Standby Generator Keep Up for Both During Heavy Rainfall? 

I Have Two Sump Pumps—Can My Standby Generator Keep Up for Both During Heavy Rainfall? 

During heavy rainfall, many home and business owners depend on sump pumps to protect their properties from flooding. Sump pumps, however, rely on electricity—which means that if there’s a power outage, a sump pump will stop working. One solution may be to install a standby generator to power sump pumps during heavy rainfall. Here’s what you should know—

What Is a Sump Pump?

Found in both commercial and residential settings, sump pumps are designed to protect a property from water buildup and flooding. When water collects in a sump basin, commonly found in basements, as a result of rain or groundwater, the sump pump is used to remove the water. As mentioned above, sump pumps rely on electricity, and are usually wired into a home’s electrical system as such. If electricity to the sump pump is lost, the sump pump will stop working if it doesn’t have a backup battery system. 

Will a Standby Generator Keep My Sump Pumps Running During Heavy Rainfall?

A standby generator provides automatic power to a home. As soon as a generator senses that power to the home has been lost, which usually occurs within a few seconds of power loss, it will kick on. This allows a homeowner to keep appliances running. 

Whether or not a standby generator will be able to keep a sump pump running—or two sump pumps running—during heavy rainfall depends on the power requirements of the sump pump and the power output of the generator. Start-up watts for a sump pump can vary between 1,300-2,150, and running watts usually vary between 600-1,000 watts. This means that one of the first things that you should do when determining whether or not a standby generator can support your sump pumps is to figure out start-up and running wattage for your pumps.

Then, you also need to figure out your home’s other electrical needs that you’d like to support in the event of a blackout. In addition to the sump pump, what other appliances do you plan to run if there’s an outage? 

Find the Right Size of Standby Generator for Your Home

With the right planning, a standby generator can indeed support two sump pumps during heavy rainfall. However, it’s important that you work with a professional to calculate your home’s energy needs and then choose a standby generator that supports those needs.

At Generator Technologies Inc., our team can help. To learn more about our generator installation process, call us directly today.