How Many Amps Does a Sump Pump Draw

There is no certain answer about how many amps a sump pump draws as it varies according to various factors. So today I will give you a quick review of the factors which influence the amps of the sump pump. Moreover, if you want your sump pump to work efficiently then get along to find out the right type of sump pump for your precious home.

How Many Amps Does a Sump Pump Draw

One more thing that I would like to add here is as we all know that a sump pump is a necessity for homes that struggle with basement water issues, so due to few electricity used by sump pumps or amps, one should never compromise and should definitely install a sump pump. Moreover, a sump pump might look expensive but it can save you from a huge disaster and you will realize how beneficial it is in the future. So let’s get started.

How Many Amps Does a Sump Pump Draw

Firstly, I would like to discuss hp over here for the people who are not aware of it as it is connected with what I am going to explain later on. Hp stands for horsepower, and it is the power that depends on how huge your house is. The greater the sump pump the greater the horsepower. This means that the sump pump will use more power to eliminate water from your house.

As I said more power will be used, it means more energy/amps/watts will be required by the sump pump. This is the basic physics applied here. The more power used by a sump pump the more watts/amps will be required by the machine. But the question arises, is it a good idea? Well no! You must have heard that the bigger the better, right? But that’s not the case here. When it comes to sump pumps, the smaller or average-sized sump pumps are the best for domestic use.

Now as you know that the amps that sump pumps draw depend on the horsepower, thus now I will explain the various types of horsepower of sump pumps. There are 4 major types of horsepowers and that are, 1 hp, ¾ hp, ½ hp, and ¼ hp. Now I will explain the amps drawn by each sump pump.

  • A 1hp sump pump is used in the areas where the flood rate is maximum. It is the strongest sump pump and thus draws 2000 watts, which means it draws 10 amps.
  • ⅔  hp sum pump uses fewer watts or amps but is heavy duty as well. It draws around 1500 watts and draws 8 amps. These are used in most domestic areas. 
  • ½ hp sump pumps can be seen in most of the houses as they are half price and work well for the houses which are in moderate critical areas. The watts drawn by ½ hp sump pump is 1,000 to 1050 and if we measure in amps then it draws 6 amps.
  • ¼ hp sum sums are the smallest ones but are capable of eliminating huge volumes of water especially when you live in noncritical areas. The energy used by these sump pumps is 550-600 watts and in amps, the energy is 3-5 amps almost.

 So before you select the sump pump for your house make sure it suits the area and the area of your house because if the sump pump is greater than the area of the house then it might take more power and unnecessarily repeated cycles can burn out the sump pump. Also check out how long should a sump pump run per cycle.

FAQs

Does a sump pump need a dedicated circuit?

Ground fault circuit interrupters are the form of dedicated circuits and yes a sump pump definitely needs one. The circuit breaker makes sure that the breaker doesn’t trip and keeps on working even if one is not at home and prevents electrical shocks.

What size generator do I need to run a sump pump?

If you are expecting that a sump pump with higher horsepower would need a high-powered generator then you are right about it. The power of the generator should be according to the sump pump so that their energies can be matched and they can support each other.

How long does a sump pump last?

On average a sump pump lasts from 10 to 12 years.

Conclusion

I hope that you understood the simple physics that is applied in sump pumps. The greater the sump pump the greater will be the horsepower (hp) of the sump pump, requiring greater energy to eliminate water, and the greater the energy used the greater will be the amps required. Moreover, the generator used for sump pumps is selected according to the amps it requires.


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