The startup surge problem
Submersible well pumps are often 240-volt motors that draw several times their running current for the first second or so. A battery system has to deliver that surge on top of whatever else is running, or the pump won’t start and the system may trip. This is why we look at the pump’s nameplate, depth, and horsepower before recommending a battery.
When the surge is too high, a soft-start kit on the pump often brings it down enough to work. Your well contractor can tell you whether your pump and controller are compatible with one.
What to back up alongside the pump
Water isn’t the only thing that fails. A furnace blower (even on a propane or gas furnace), a pressure-tank controller, a heat tape on exposed lines, the refrigerator, and internet are the usual critical loads. A critical-loads panel keeps just those circuits on the battery so it lasts longer.
Many rural homes are served by electric cooperatives with long feeder lines through forest and open country, and outages there tend to last longer than in town. With solar, the battery recharges during the day, which matters more on a multi-day outage than raw capacity does.
Cooperative programs worth checking
Several Colorado co-ops pay for batteries. Holy Cross Energy’s Power+FLEX program has offered $500 per kW up to $12,500 plus monthly payments for five years; La Plata Electric has offered $1,000 to $2,000 battery rebates; Gunnison County Electric has offered $2,000 for batteries of 8 kWh or more. As of September 2026 these were the terms we found — confirm with your co-op, since programs change.
Colorado’s 10% state battery tax credit applies for tax years through 2026, and batteries are exempt from state sales tax.
What to do next
- 1Find your well pump’s horsepower and voltage on the controller or from your well contractor.
- 2Ask your well contractor whether a soft-start kit is compatible with your pump.
- 3List the other circuits you need in an outage: furnace blower, heat tape, fridge, internet.
- 4Run the blackout-runtime calculator with the well pump selected.
- 5Check your co-op’s battery program terms, then ask us for a critical-loads design sized for the pump surge.
FAQ
Questions we hear
Can a Tesla Powerwall run a well pump?
Often yes, depending on the pump’s startup surge and what else is running. We size from your pump’s nameplate, and a soft-start kit can make a marginal pump work reliably.
What is a soft starter for a well pump?
A device that ramps the pump motor up gradually instead of all at once, reducing the startup surge. It’s installed by a well or electrical contractor and is often inexpensive relative to adding battery capacity.
Will my propane furnace work in an outage with a battery?
The furnace needs electricity for its blower and controls. Put its circuit on the battery-backed panel and it will run on propane as usual.
Does my electric co-op offer a battery rebate?
Some do. As of September 2026, Holy Cross, La Plata Electric, and Gunnison County Electric had battery programs. Others don’t. Check your co-op directly — terms change.