Charlie
2024-05-13 23:55:11 UTC
I need help understanding my solutions because I already made a mistake.
Loading Image...![](https://alt.home.repair.narkive.com/oDxX93Rn/need-help-with-water-pressure-booster-pump-when-grid-is-down:i.1.1.thumb)
What options do I have?
Do you know anything about soft start additions to booster pumps?
https://i.postimg.cc/x8h0XzCL/pressurepump.jpg
The General Electric" booster pump plate says:
Mod: 5KC39QN1157AX
HP: 1
HZ: 60
V: 115/230
PH: 1
RPM: 3450
CODE: L
JET PUMP MOTOR
SF: 1.4
SFA: 17.0/8.5
FR: 56C
AMB: 40C
CLASS: B
TIME RATING: CONT
SER: NBG
What options do I have?
a. Bigger generator (expensive)
b. Soft start maybe (whatever that is)
c. Battery + inverter (sized to just run the motor)
d. ?
Background information:
I bought a 5,500 starting watts and 4,500 running watts portable home
generator but I probably bought the wrong one because it can handle
everything in the house except when the water pressure booster pump surge
trips the generator's 30A fast-blow circuit breaker. (The slow-blow
resettable 30A fuses in the cable to the home electric meter & the 30Amp
panel circuit breakers do not blow).
I can assume the surge current is too high, and the generator bogs down,
and that makes the voltage shoot up and the current exceeds 30Amps
momentarily (enough to always blow the generator breaker every time).
The result is that when the power goes out, everything works except the
water pressure (I turn off the well pump because I have 5K gallons stored).
So I need a solution to lower the surge current of the booster pump.
Obviously a bigger generator would work - but there must be something
cheaper.
Loading Image...
What options do I have?
Do you know anything about soft start additions to booster pumps?
https://i.postimg.cc/x8h0XzCL/pressurepump.jpg
The General Electric" booster pump plate says:
Mod: 5KC39QN1157AX
HP: 1
HZ: 60
V: 115/230
PH: 1
RPM: 3450
CODE: L
JET PUMP MOTOR
SF: 1.4
SFA: 17.0/8.5
FR: 56C
AMB: 40C
CLASS: B
TIME RATING: CONT
SER: NBG
What options do I have?
a. Bigger generator (expensive)
b. Soft start maybe (whatever that is)
c. Battery + inverter (sized to just run the motor)
d. ?
Background information:
I bought a 5,500 starting watts and 4,500 running watts portable home
generator but I probably bought the wrong one because it can handle
everything in the house except when the water pressure booster pump surge
trips the generator's 30A fast-blow circuit breaker. (The slow-blow
resettable 30A fuses in the cable to the home electric meter & the 30Amp
panel circuit breakers do not blow).
I can assume the surge current is too high, and the generator bogs down,
and that makes the voltage shoot up and the current exceeds 30Amps
momentarily (enough to always blow the generator breaker every time).
The result is that when the power goes out, everything works except the
water pressure (I turn off the well pump because I have 5K gallons stored).
So I need a solution to lower the surge current of the booster pump.
Obviously a bigger generator would work - but there must be something
cheaper.