Generator Capacity
– Will it Run All of My Appliances?
Here in Saskatchewan, the threat of
summer storms & tornadoes aren’t
extreme but still seem to be a way of
life. While a major disaster due to one
of these storms is rare, a disruption
caused by a power outage is a
more frequent occurrence.
Residents will tell you that it doesn’t
take more than an hour or two for things
to get really uncomfortable, especially in
the intense heat of the summer season.
More & more, home & business owners
are considering the purchase of a
stand-by generator for their home.
When looking to purchase a generator,
you will need to weight the cost of
purchase & installation of the unit vs.
the generator capacity it offers. While we
would all love to have 100% of our home
come back online under generator
power, that is unlikely.
There are many brands of generator,
& each home or business owner will
have a different power load based on
their specific appliances, machinery,
and usage. When you are ready to
purchase a generator, your dealer will
help you to understand your need,
& recommend the best generator for
your budget & situation.
Starting Watts vs. Running Watts
Each time you turn an appliance on,
a boost of power is required to get it
started. This power demand is known
as starting watts. Once fully on, the
appliance will use a stable amount of
power. This power requirement is
referred to as running watts. In
regards your generator, running
watts refer to the maximum power
your unit can provide over a continuous
time period.
When you match your appliance
requirements to a specific generator,
compare running watts with running
watts. Be sure to take into account
that the initial “surge” of energy
– starting watts – is required when
you turn on a new appliance.
EXAMPLE: Assume you have 3 appliances
that you would like to run. Combined,
they total 2,400 running watts.
You may think you can safely purchase
2,500 watt generator. However, you
are likely to run into a problem.
If your refrigerator consumes 500
running watts, and you are only
utilizing 1,900 running watts at the
moment, you may feel comfortable
switching on the appliance.
Unfortunately, the average refrigerator
requires 750 starting watts to begin
operation, which will overload the
system and cause it to all shut down.
It becomes important, then, to either
only run one or two critical systems
during a power outage – for instance
your air conditioning and your
refrigerator; or plan on purchasing
a much larger generator if you can’t
imagine getting by without all of
your appliances.
Generator Capacity – Standard Starting and Running Watts
Again, appliances can vary greatly,
but these numbers are meant to give
you a basic idea of the consumption
of some of the most commonly required
appliances during an extended power
outage.
Fridge & Freezer unit:
750 starting watts / 500 running watts
Standalone Freezer:
1890 starting watts / 720 running watts
Mini Fridge:
2,000 starting watts / 500 running watts
Air Conditioner (3 ton):
7,200 starting watts / 5,400 running watts
Washing Machine:
2,200 starting watts / 1150 running watts
Garage Door:
1,000 starting watts / 500 running watts
Many appliances require no starting
watts, but their running watts must
be figured into your total required
generator capacity.
These include:
Water Heater: 4,000 running watts
Coffeemaker: 1,200 running watts
Computer – PC: 300 running watts
Electric skillet: 1,200 running watts
It cannot be emphasized enough that
these numbers are meant to provide
a general guideline only. When you call
Saunders Electric to consult with you
about the correct generator unit for
your needs, we will discuss
your exact appliances and power loads,
and give you expert recommendations
as to usage and capacity. We don’t just
sell you a generator– we INSTALL
a SOLUTION.