A home generator provides a way for homeowners to be prepared for the power to go out. Generators can power your appliances and keep your lights on during blackouts, even when the rest of the neighborhood is in the dark. Choosing to invest in a generator is simple, but deciding on the right size for your home is a bit more complicated. This generator sizing guide from our experts at Kolb Electric will reveal the considerations you need to factor into selecting a generator size for your home.
Decide on Essential Appliances
First things first: you need to determine which appliances and devices are must-haves for your family during a blackout. Keeping the lights on is a given, but you should decide whether you need to run your:
- Refrigerator
- HVAC system
- Washer and dryer
- Dishwasher
- Secondary freezer
- Microwave
Or any other appliances you may have. It’s important to note that if you want to, you can get a generator that will power your whole home during an outage. If that’s not in your budget, however, you’ll need to pick and choose which essential appliances to power.
Determine Power Requirements
Next, you need to know the combined wattage of your appliances. With most appliances, you can find the wattage stamped on the back, bottom, or nameplate. Otherwise, you can find it in the owner’s manual or by searching online. You may also need to calculate the wattage by multiplying amps by volts.
If you plan to run your HVAC system, you can divide the BTUs by 3 to find the estimated wattage. Additionally, a unit’s tonnage is equal to 1,000 watts. You can also check the nameplate or data tag for the power rating listed in watts or kilowatts.
Lighting is highly variable. For incandescent bulb lighting, you’ll use around 1.9 watts per square foot — but LED bulbs may use up to 90% less energy.
Formula for Calculating Generator Size
To calculate the total generator size you’ll need, you will add together your home’s total running wattage and its highest surge wattage. Surge wattage is the highest amount of power your generator can produce, also known as the starting wattage. As an example:
- Running wattage: 2,000W
- Surge/starting wattage: 1,000W
- Total generator size: 2,000W + 1,000W = 3,000W
Keep in mind that you want to choose a generator that will be able to fulfill your power needs without exceeding 90% of its total capacity.
Choose Kolb Electric for Generator Services
Choosing the right generator makes a huge difference in your home, but finding the ideal unit can be challenging without the help of a professional electrician. Kolb Electric is the go-to electrical company in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC — and we’re ready to provide all the help you need in equipping your home with the right power source. With over 90 years of experience, you can trust that our family-owned and -operated business is a trustworthy source of information.
Reach out to Kolb Electric today and one of our expert team members can answer all your home generator-related questions with ease.
