What could be causing the generator to not work

The general advice seems to be

• 3 feet (1 meter) from buildings, equipment, and combustible materials.
• 10 feet away from bystanders, children, and pets.

But the only way to know for sure, is to read the manufacturer's documentation for your specific unit.

This service manual says "Keep the generator at least 1 meter (3 feet) away, including overhead, from any structure..."

This owner's manual says "Operate generator at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from buildings and other equipment."

This operator's manual says "Keep the generator a minimum of 3 feet away from all types of combustible material."

and also says "Keep all bystanders, children, and pets at least 10 feet away."

The 3 hp pump full load amperage should be 230 V 3910 VA x 125% since this is the largest motor 4887.5 VA.

The 1/2 HP would normally be 115 V 1176 VA.

3 refrigerators / freezer total 4320 VA for a total of 10,383 VA. I may be a bit over on the fridge/freezer size since I used 80% of 15 amp x 3.

I would not go lower than a system that had a peak rating of 10 kW but a continuous wattage closer to 7.5 kW should work.

Watch out. Some generators list their peak rated value and some list continuous rating trying to make a smaller unit look like a deal.

I have a 8.5/13? (peak/continuous kW) that runs 2 wells (3 hp & 1.5 hp both 230 V) 2 fridge/freezers, all the lighting in the house and barn and power to run the wood stove fan with some reserve.