Which Starter Panel Do You Need for Your Motor HP?
Almost everyone buying a water pump in India knows their motor's HP. Almost nobody knows which starter panel that HP requires — and the panel is what decides whether the motor survives its first summer.
This page maps every motor size to the panel that runs it. Find your HP in the tables below, and you will land on the exact range built for it.
The short answer
- 0.5 HP to 3 HP, single phase — a single phase starter panel, chosen by pump type (borewell, openwell or monoblock).
- Up to 10 HP, three phase — a three phase DOL starter panel.
- Above 10 HP — your existing panel plus a separate three phase auto switch, which covers motors up to 100 HP.
The two ranges overlap across everything up to 3 HP. Where both exist, the choice is made by your electricity connection, not by the motor. Above 3 HP, three phase is the only option.
Single phase: 0.5 HP to 3 HP
Single phase panels are made in six ratings — 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 HP — and in three families, one per pump type. Buy the rating that matches your motor's nameplate. A panel rated above your motor will not protect it properly, because the overload setting will sit too high to trip in time.
| Motor HP | Pump type | Panel family | Compare the range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 – 3 HP | Borewell submersible | BOM series (auto switch) · BOA series (water level controller) | Single phase borewell panel comparison |
| 0.5 – 3 HP | Openwell submersible | OPM series (auto switch) · OPA series (water level controller) | Single phase openwell panel comparison |
| 0.5 – 3 HP | Monoblock (Tullu) | MOM series (auto switch) · MOA series (water level controller) | Single phase monoblock panel comparison |
Most panels in these three families are available across the full 0.5 HP to 3 HP range, so pump type and features usually decide your model — not your HP. There are two exceptions: BOA-H and BOA-T are made only up to 2 HP. If you have a 3 HP motor and want a borewell panel with a water level controller, BOA-C is the one that covers it.
Reading the model codes
The codes are more logical than they look. The first two letters are the pump type — BO for borewell and openwell, OP for openwell, MO for monoblock. The third letter is the big one:
- M — an auto switch panel. It starts and stops with the supply and protects the motor, but it does not know your tank level.
- A — an automatic panel with a water level controller. It fills the tank and stops.
The letter after the dash is the feature set — added MCB, clock timer, water level indicator, or a combination. That is what the comparison pages above lay out side by side.
Three phase: up to 10 HP
Three phase DOL panels are made in five ratings — up to 2, 3, 5, 7.5 and 10 HP. Unlike the single phase range, each rating is a ceiling rather than a fixed size: an "Up to 5 HP" panel runs any three phase motor at or below 5 HP, and the "Up to 2 HP" panel covers everything below 2 HP as well.
| Motor HP | Pump type | Panel family | Compare the range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 2, 3, 5, 7.5, 10 HP | Borewell submersible | TPA-B, TPB series (water level controller) | Three phase DOL panel comparison |
| Up to 2, 3, 5, 7.5, 10 HP | Openwell / monoblock | TPA-O, TPO series (water level controller) | Three phase DOL panel comparison |
| Up to 2, 3, 5, 7.5, 10 HP | Any (auto switch, no level control) | TPM series | Browse three phase starter panels |
The same letter logic applies. TPM is an auto switch panel; TPA, TPB and TPO carry a water level controller, with B for borewell and O for openwell and monoblock.
Single phasing is why three phase panels matter more
A three phase motor running on two phases draws heavily on the two that remain and overheats fast. This is the commonest cause of a burnt three phase pump in India, and it is invisible without protection — the motor keeps running until it fails. Every three phase panel here includes single phasing protection for that reason. It is not an optional extra at these motor sizes.
Above 10 HP
Above 10 HP the DOL panel range ends, and the answer is a device rather than a panel: a three phase digital auto switch covering 2 HP to 100 HP, wired alongside the starter you already have. It monitors voltage, phase and load, and cuts the supply before damage. For heavy single phase loads there is an equivalent device rated 1–35 A and 5–200 A.
If you are buying at this size, be honest about whether the motor is the constraint. Most people looking above 10 HP have a borewell yield problem rather than a power problem, and a larger motor in a weak borewell simply dry-runs faster.
Do you need a water level controller as well?
This is a separate decision from HP, and it comes down to one question: does your pump fill a tank?
- Filling an overhead or underground tank — yes. Take an A-series panel (BOA, OPA, MOA, TPA, TPB, TPO), or add a standalone water level controller panel. Without one, somebody has to remember to switch off, and the cost of forgetting is wasted water, a wasted electricity unit, and a pump that runs dry when the sump empties.
- Feeding a field or a direct line — no. An M-series auto switch panel is the right choice, and a clock timer variant is often more useful than level control.
When the panel is not enough on its own
A starter panel protects the motor it is wired to. Add a separate motor protection device when any of these apply:
- Your supply voltage swings widely and you want the cut-off set independently of the panel.
- The motor is above the panel range — over 3 HP single phase, or over 10 HP three phase.
- You already own a working starter and only want to add protection to it.
If your panel is already tripping and showing a code, the fault code guide explains what FOL, FDR, HIU, LOU and SPP each mean and how to reset them.
Frequently asked questions
Which starter panel do I need for a 1 HP motor?
A single phase panel rated 1 HP, in the family matching your pump type — BOM or BOA for a borewell submersible, OPM or OPA for an openwell submersible, MOM or MOA for a monoblock (Tullu) pump. Choose an A-series model if the pump fills a tank.
Which starter panel do I need for a 2 HP motor?
It depends on your connection. On a single phase supply, a 2 HP single phase panel in your pump type's family. On a three phase supply, a three phase DOL panel rated "Up to 2 HP". Both exist because the two ranges overlap across the whole band up to 3 HP.
What starter panel is used for a 5 HP motor?
A three phase DOL panel rated "Up to 5 HP". At 5 HP there is no single phase option — the single phase range ends at 3 HP.
Can I use a higher rated starter panel for a smaller motor?
You can run the motor, but you lose protection. The overload trip is set for the panel's rated current, so on an undersized motor it sits too high to trip before the winding is damaged. Match the rating to the motor.
What is the difference between an auto switch panel and a water level controller panel?
An auto switch panel restarts the pump when supply returns and protects it against voltage and load faults. A water level controller panel does all of that and additionally stops the pump when the tank is full and prevents it running dry when the source empties.
Do I need a starter panel for a 0.5 HP pump?
Yes. Small motors fail the same way large ones do — dry running, low voltage, overload — and a 0.5 HP rated panel costs a fraction of a rewind. The single phase range starts at 0.5 HP for exactly this reason.
Still not sure of your HP?
The motor's nameplate is the reliable source — not the invoice and not the seller's word. If you are choosing a pump rather than a panel, start with borewell depth and required discharge, and the HP follows from those.
Once you have the number, come back to the table at the top of this page.