A home generator provides a way for homeowners to prepare for power outages. Generators can power your appliances and keep the lights on during a power outage, even when the rest of the neighborhood is in the dark. Choosing to invest in a generator is simple, but determining the right size for your home is a little more complicated. A generator size guide from our experts at Kolb Electric will reveal the considerations you need to take into account when choosing a generator size for your home.
Decide on basic hardware
First things first: You need to decide which devices and appliances your family should have during a power outage. Keeping the lights on is a given, but you must decide if you need to turn on:
Refrigerator HVAC system Washer and dryer Dishwasher Secondary freezer Microwave
Or any other devices you may have. It is important to note that if you wish, you can have a generator that will power your entire home during a power outage. However, if that’s not within your budget, you’ll need to pick and choose the basic hardware you want to run it on.
Determine energy requirements
Next, you need to know the combined wattage of your devices. On most devices, you can find the wattage stamped on the back, bottom, or nameplate. Otherwise, you can find it in your owner’s manual or by searching online. You may also need to calculate wattage by multiplying amps by volts.
If you plan to run an HVAC system, you can divide the BTUs by 3 to find the rated wattage. In addition, the unit load is 1000W. You can also check the nameplate or data tag to see the power rating listed in watts or kilowatts.
Lighting is very variable. For incandescent lighting, you’ll use about 1.9 watts per square foot, but LEDs may use up to 90% less energy.
Formula to calculate generator size
To calculate the total generator size you’ll need, you’ll add together the total running wattage in your home and the highest current wattage. Incremental wattage is the highest amount of power your generator can produce, also known as primary wattage. For example:
Operating Wattage: 2,000 Watts, Redundant Wattage/Primary Wattage: 1,000 Watts Total Generator Size: 2,000 Watts + 1,000 Watts = 3,000 Watts
Keep in mind that you want to choose a generator that can meet your power needs without exceeding 90% of its total capacity.
Choose Kolb Electric for generator services
Choosing the right generator makes a big difference in your home, but finding the perfect unit can be difficult without the help of a professional electrician. Kolb Electric is a certified electrician in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and we’re ready to provide all the help you need to equip 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.
Contact Kolb Electric today and one of our expert team members will be able to answer all your home generator questions with ease.
