Soft Start Question

[Birdog]

I'm a bit confused and need some feedback. I live off grid in Texas and I'm not a professional electrician. When I bought the cabin it was powered by a generator. I've recently completed the installation of a Sol-Ark 12k with (16) Mission 415 panels and (12) Simpliphi 3.8-M 48 volt batteries. I commissioned my system a few week ago and I've had a smile on my face ever since. It's so quiet here now. This week the weather got warm and we had the window units on, a 1000 watt and (2) 400 watts . All was well until we plugged our Polaris Ranger EV in. While charging, when the well pump kicks on, which is about every 3rd or 4th toilet flush, the Sol-Ark shuts down temporarily and shows a high amp spike warning. I talked to the folks at SA and they recommended a soft start on the well pump. The well pump is a Sta-Rite jet pump, 1 hp, 230v single phase. I put a clamp meter on it and when it powers up it spikes to 30 amps and in a nanosecond settles down to 10 amps when running. I called the manufacturer of the pump and asked if I was ok using a soft start on their pump. The tech support guy said he could see no reason why their pump wouldn't play happily with a soft start and blessed the idea. So then I started searching soft starts and settled on a Schneider. In talking to Schneider their tech support guy he told me they only had 1 unit that would address my single phase pump, their ATS01N125FT. I told him I was concerned that my pump would exceeed the 25 amps listed on that pump and he advised the 25 was a run start not a limit. After searching their site I found a ATS01N112FT that was a also a single phase. I wrote back to Schneider and the tech support guy said both would work but the 25 may be a better fit. I suggested that, based on our previous conversation, if the 25 indicated it wouldn't start until it saw 25 amps and I was peaking at 30 amps I wasn't gaining much. He seemed to backtrack on the previous statment that the 12 or 25 number was where it started and reiterated both would work.

So here's my question. Do I need the 25 amp version? Price is not a driver, but it's twice the price and I'm not sure its the best fit for my situation/application. Can anyone who understands this topic better than I add some color to my decision making process?

Thanks in advance.

 

[pvdude]

Not sure this will help your decision:
My well pump is a 1hp, 240vac Goulds.
It has a LRA (Locked Rotor Amps) rating of 41A.
Once it starts, it only uses about 7 or 8A of run current.
When I had one inverter, the well pump would start OK, but if other things were
simultaneously using inverter power, the inverter would struggle a little.
I fixed that and other electric motor starting issues by adding a second inverter, and putting a soft start on the heat pump compressor.

 

[timselectric]

I use a micro-air easy start, as many members here do. It dropped my large window units starting current from 39a to 13a. I have no experience with other manufacturers. So I can only say that the Micro-air works great. And will be installing them on my 3-ton unit and air compressor.

 

[BentleyJ]

I'm using a HyerEngineering product on our 4 ton AC condenser. The choice of model number is based on the full RUN load amps not the surge. Reason being is the Soft Starter doesn't have to handle the surge current since its being eliminated to a large degree.

In your case this is the model number you would use for the the well pump with 10A running current draw. SS1B08-16SN (230V, 60/50Hz, 08-16 FLA)

 

[OzSolar]

FWIW: another option is to consider a different well pump. Jet Pumps are notoriously hard on off grid systems.

 

[Birdog]

OzSolar I copy that but it's not that old of a pump and many of the better fits may require a bigger hole in the ground. I think I have a 2" hole. For now a soft start may be a more economical option than drilling a new well.

 

[Hedges]

How about using a relay to shed the EV charging load when well pump is turned on?
Load management is the way to handle many loads with limited power. Even the grid needs that "power alert".

Also, how about a non-pressurized water tank (to be filled from well only when sun is shining) and a small positive-displacement booster pump to fill the pressure tank?