How Big Of A Generator Do I Need To Run A House?

Most houses lose power for a few hours every month or so. Sometimes it’s just an inconvenience. Other times house owners can experience loss of food, frozen pipes, or even a loss of income if they work from home. Even worse, it can put your family in jeopardy due to the cold or medical needs. A generator can help keep your power running so you don’t encounter these losses. You can check online mini generator price in Pakistan for your residential uses.

In this day and age, there are lots of generators you can choose from and prices vary from model to model. Small generators might not be able to power all your appliances, but you should keep in mind that a larger generator will require more fuel. So, you need to search the market and find the generator best fits your needs.

In this article, we’ll discuss can a generator power a whole house? And if so, which appliances you should give priority to.

Sizes of Generators:

One of the frequently asked questions by people new in the market looking for a generator is, “how to calculate what size generator I need”.

One thing you should know is that generators are sized in wattage. The amount of wattage or the size of the generator you buy will determine the number of appliances you’ll be able to run.

Determine your wattage:

The first step you take should be determining your wattage,

Firstly – you should list all the machines you want to power in case of an outage.

Secondly – list their wattages, you’ll be able to find the wattage on their labels.  You should find the consumption wattage – not the output wattage.

Lastly – add up the wattage of all the appliances.

Generator types and their wattages:

A generator is only meant to run at maximum power for a short amount of time. You shouldn’t depend on maximum power. Instead, you should focus on rated power. As this is the wattage the generator will produce most of the time. Generator for house use come in all shapes and sizes.

Recreational Generators:

This is the lightest generator. They are the most economical. These generators are quiet and easy to store and manage. Their main advantage is that you can use multiple generators to boost the output. They are available up to 2000 watts.

These generators for houses are not powerful enough to power large devices. They can’t be attached to a circuit breaker. These are perfect for you if you face power outages seldom and you just want to run a few small things.

Mid-size portable generators:

They are available up to 3500 watts, they are not very large, they don’t make much noise, and can run smaller appliances. They can’t run water pumps of large heaters and A/C units.

They work best when you face power outages rarely and only want to run small appliances, a refrigerator, or a small air conditioner.

Large portable generators:

These generators are capable of producing up to 7,500 watts. They provide stable power which is essential for electronics and can run refrigerators and air units. They can be connected to your breaker panel. They are silent and fuel-efficient.

Although they are expensive and require gasoline, they are perfect if you face occasional power outages and want to run larger appliances.

Home standby generators:

They can be permanently installed, the biggest advantage of these generators is that they turn on whenever there’s a power outage to provide uninterrupted power. They are able to power the whole house; they can run on natural gas or propane.

They are the most expensive type of generator but they are ideal for prolonged outages and areas with harsh weather such as hurricanes and blizzards.

All in all:

There’s a generator for every case of a power outage. You should list all the appliances that you want to run in your house and go for a generator that best fits your needs. You should make sure that you never run the generator in your home as they produce carbon monoxide that is capable of killing people. You should keep them at a safe distance from your house.