While you decide to buy a generator, it is very common to get stuck with the question as to How many watts generator for whole house will be sufficient.
It is hard to find a definite answer to this question. It solely depends upon what are the appliances you have at your home and which of the appliances you want to run with the generator.
Remember that a generator with a low wattage value may not be able to even run your AC. Similarly, a generator with excess wattage will be nothing but a waste of fuel. So, you have to be wise enough to choose the right generator for your home.
If you too thick “how to select the right size of generator for my home” then this article is for you.
Before you go on to select the right size of a generator or the power requirements for your home, let’s understand some basics about the generator, which will help you to make a wise decision.
What Are The Generators?
Generators are electrical appliances that can convert mechanical energy into electrical power. These are most commonly used when you lose access to the normal power supply in your home.
The generators in the market are often found with ratings in watts or kilowatts (kW), whereas the home appliances are rated in amperes (A) or milliamperes (mA), or sometimes even in volt-amperes. In this case, you must know the equivalent conversion between watts and ampere or watt and volt-ampere. This may look like boring high-school physics, but it is essential to calculate the total energy consumption of your house.
- Find the initial wattage (ie “wattage” wattage) of the devices and equipment you want to power.
- Find a generator that is powerful enough to surpass the combined power of all required power.
Now, that you have understood the basics, try to understand these terms you will always come across while buying a generator for your home.
Understanding Watts, Amp, and Voltage
Amperes (A) and Watts (W) are different units that are used to calculate the total power produced or produced by electrical equipment.
Volt (V) – Most electrical equipment sold in the United States is of the same standard and rated at 120 V. However, some electrical devices operate at high voltages (typically 220V).
Each device has the power consumption listed on its label. It is expressed in amps or watts.
Knowing About How Many Watts Generator For Whole House?
List The Devices You Want To Run
Start by making a list of the most important circuits in your home that include lighting appliances, fans, refrigerators and freezers, ACs, stoves, sump pumps, heaters, and other essential devices.
Go on adding all the appliances you want to run with the generator power when there is no regular current supply. You must determine what you will use during power outages and how much energy will be required for it.
Below is a list of approximate equipment and its wattage value. By using these values you can get an approximate total value of power requirements.
- Fridge / Freezer: 600-800
- Power range (one element): 2500
- Toaster: 1100 -1700
- Microwave: 1200
- Hot Plate: 1250
- Coffee Maker: 400-800
- Electric stove: 5,000
- TV: 100-350
- Personal computer: 500-2000
- Hair Dryer: 1200-1500
- Vacuum: 700-1400
- Space heater: 1250
- Lighting table: 150
The following is a list of estimated HIVIC requirements and system wattage:
- Electric furnace: 5000-25000
- Heater (radiation): 1300
- Central Air Conditioning: 2000-4000
- Water heater: 3000-4500
- Water Pump: 1000-2000
- Window air conditioner: 600-1500
- Exterior Lighting: 500-1000
- Pump: 1500
** All the value are in watts(W)
The Different Watt Value You Should Know While Listing Your Watt Requirements:
Starting Watts – This is the amount of power required to start the application. Early appliances such as motorized air conditioners usually require more wattage. A prime example is a window air conditioner.
Running Watts (or Rated Watts) – This means how much power the application needs after its initial start.
To give you a better example – a typical AC uses 2,200 starting watts. This is the amount of power the AC needs in the first few seconds. After that, the energy consumption by the appliance may substantially decrease to 1,500 running watts.
Hence, pay attention to both Starting Watts and Running Watts while calculating the total watt requirements of your house.
Choose a generator that is slightly larger than your needs
Experts always advise buying a generator that provides some additional wattage. But why?
Current or power consumed by different appliances is never fixed. It always fluctuates. Like we explained earlier, there may be certain appliances that start with higher starting watts. In such cases, you must have a generator that can accommodate such a surge in power.
Therefore, if you calculate your total power requirements as 1600 running watts, then get a generator with an approximate rating of at least 1,800 or 2000 watts.
Safety Tip
Protect your generator and your home with a circuit breaker. If a generator does not use a circuit breaker, it will eventually overload and overheat. If the generator is not turned off as soon as it is heated, it may burn. In the worst scenario, there may be an explosion.
Can a small generator run the whole house?
In the 10,000 and 15,000 watt range, there are portable generators that are cheaper than standard backup home generators. But most of the time, if you want an actual home insulation system, you want a standard generator with a range of 16,000 kW and higher.
You need to do a little research to find out which size generator is best for your household needs. First of all, you must make a list of all the appliances to be used with the generator.
Also, add all the devices you want to use at once with the generator, in case there is a power outage. Use this number to determine how many generators you need.
Conclusion
We have now covered all you need to know about How many watts generator for whole house that will be finding the right generator for your specific application. Since choosing a generator is a long-term investment, you have to do everything that requires to ensure that you choose the right generator for home.
