One way to answer the question of which size generator you need is to add up the wattages of everything you want to power during an outage. That will give you a rough approximation. But before you bust out the calculator, keep in mind that some appliances—air conditioners, refrigerators, and sump pumps, for instance—draw a lot more wattage in the moment when they're cycling on.
These surge watts can throw off your calculations if you don't account for them. We've done that for you in the interactive tool below. Just click on a type of generator to get a sense of what you can run with it. The wattages for each type of appliance are general guidelines and may vary from what you have in your home.
Click on any type of generator below to see what it will run in your home. Another way to think about choosing the right size generator for your home is to consider how often you're likely to need one—and for how long. That's unpredictable to an extent, of course, but see whether any of the three power-outage scenarios below match your situation. You can click on any type to jump down to a list of its pros and cons, as well as a specific product recommendation and review for each.
Even worse, the outages are sometimes prolonged. This also applies if you live in an area prone to severe weather events, such as blizzards, ice storms, and hurricanes.
If you have any of these and it's essential for them to work in a power outage, be sure to have a transfer switch installed at your breaker box.
A licensed electrician should be able to handle the job. You'll still want to have a transfer switch installed. Midsized inverter generators have ample power to run a fridge and a window AC or space heater, as you can see in our interactive tool. Recreational models are compact enough to toss into the back of a pickup to power a TV and cooktop at a tailgate.
Go Wildcats! Consumer Reports recommends only portable generators with a built-in sensor that triggers an automatic shutoff if CO builds up to dangerous levels in an enclosed space. Most models weigh around 60 pounds. It's extremely quiet, has no installation costs, and is easy to store and transport. You can pair most units to increase output. Many come with user-friendly features such as fuel-level indicators and smartphone apps. Cons: It's enough to power a fridge, some lights, and a phone charger, but not much else.
The most expensive models cost as much as a portable generator, which can do far more. Amperes Amps A and watts W are merely different units used to calculate the total power consumed or produced by electric equipment. As for volts V — the vast majority of electric appliances sold in the US adhere to the same standard and are rated V. However, some electrical tools run at a higher voltage most common being V.
Each device has its energy consumption listed on its label. It is expressed either in Amps or Watts. If you know how many amps your tool or appliance requires to run, you can easily calculate its wattage requirement too. Simply use the following formula:. In such a case, you would need a generator with at least 8, running watts to run your MIG welder.
A label found at a refrigerator. This one consumes 7. Its total power consumption in watts would be 7. Source: Kompulsa. Conversely, if you know the wattage and want to calculate the amperage of your portable appliances you can use this formula:.
State grid and standby generators operate well below this threshold. Using them to run your laptops, flatscreen TVs, or any other kinds of modern electronics for continuous long hours can potentially damage them.
There is good news — portable inverter generators do not suffer from the same problem and can be safely used to run sensitive electronics. One problem with most of the inverters is that they are quite small. However, most inverter generators come with a parallel capability. That means you can use two inverter generators in parallel, doubling your total power output. This is already enough to power a few large essential appliances in case of an emergency.
You could also safely run sensitive portable electronic equipment. In any case, if you decide to use a portable generator, no matter if it is a conventional or inverter generator — do not operate one without a transfer switch. Using a portable generator to power a house without a transfer switch is not the best idea.
Power for home, work, or play, a portable generator keeps you in control by providing power for use during power outages, on the jobsite, at the campgrounds or anywhere you need power. Selecting the right size generator running watts and starting watts depends on what you want to power.
Running, or rated watts, are the continuous watts needed to keep items running. Starting watts are extra watts needed for two-to-three seconds to start motor-driven products like a refrigerator or circular saw - this is the maximum wattage the generator can produce. Select the items you wish to power at the same time.
List the running watts and additional starting watt requirements for each item check your operator's manual for each product or the data plate to locate these wattage requirements. Look for a generator with a long run-time at half-load. The longer the generator can run, the less often you will have to refuel it. A generator with a run-time of at least 10 hours at half-load will allow you to get a full night's sleep without having to get up to refuel.
Make sure you select a generator with enough outlets and the right type s of outlets. If you plan to run a higher wattage item, like a window air conditioner, look for a generator with a 30amp locking-type outlet. Portable generators can be heavy. Folding handles and wheels makes it easy to move the generator in and out of storage. Some generators come with a heavy-duty generator cord set. View solutions for handling the most common engine and product troubleshooting and maintenance questions.
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