What Size Portable Generator For Home Backup

Homes with portable backup generators enjoy many benefits that homes without don’t. Power outages are a possibility all over the world, and some can last for several days or even weeks. These outages can cause significant inconvenience and additional expenses for homeowners. For example, the food supplies in your refrigerator might spoil.

In some cold regions, your pipes might freeze. This can damage your pipes and affect the water supply into your home. Power outages can also have a huge impact on your daily productivity, especially if you work from home. Also, homes with ill or old people that need medical equipment need constant electricity.

A backup generator helps to maintain power to your home and is necessary in many ways. Scenarios where a portable backup generator can be efficient include during power outages, whether based on a supply issue or due to natural disasters. In this article, we’ll take you through on the best size of portable generators to backup your home.

Essential Appliances And Devices In The Home

Every home has some essential appliances that need power to run. Some of these appliances are crucial to our daily lives. A short period of power outage can lead to several inconveniences, such as not being able to charge the devices or gadgets we use everyday.

Companies produce different sizes of backup generators. Large ones can power your whole house, while smaller ones can only carry a few appliances at once. To know the best size of portable generator for home backup, you must know the essential devices the generator will power. Some essential home appliances include:

• A television set: This needs between 50 and 400 watts
• A dishwasher: This usually needs between 1200 and 2400 watts
• An LED light bulb: 6 to 12 watts of power is enough for this
• Incandescent light bulbs: They require 60 to 100 watts
• A washing machine: It needs between 300 to 500 watts of power
• A microwave oven: This product only needs between 600 and 1200 watts
• Computer systems: Multiple computers will run on 100 to 400 watts of electricity
• Medical equipment: The wattage they require depend on the type of equipment

 

Total Power Requirements For Backup Generators

It is important to know your total power requirements before getting an indoor generator for home use. How can you calculate the total wattage you need for your necessary appliances? Let’s first take a look at what wattage is to better understand this.

What Is Wattage?

A Watt is what we use to measure electricity. One Watt is equal to one ampere multiplied by one volt of electricity. Some home appliances only need a few Watts for them to work, while others require a large amount.

The amount of power small appliances in a home consume is given in Watts. If it’s a larger device, it will most likely be given in kilowatts (kW). 1 Kilowatt of electricity is equal to 1000 Watts.

The total amount of power you need from a backup generator is the sum of all your appliance wattages. Here’s how you can calculate it:

Calculating how much power you need is quite simple. Most appliances, electronic devices, and power tools in your home will typically give you all the information you need to choose the best indoor generator. If you can’t find the wattage written on the appliance itself, try checking the documentation, as it is sometimes written there.

Look for the number of Watts on the devices’ tag or in the user’s manual. If it is not indicated, you can simply multiply the voltage of the device by the amperes given. For example, 115 volts x 5 amperes = 575 watts. It’s that simple.

Running Watts VS Starting Watts

Wattage can be divided into two: starting watts and running watts. Running watts are a unit for continuous usage while starting watts are extra power for motor-driven appliances. Starting watts, like the name implies, are the amount of power motor device required to start and obtain full speed.

Devices only need starting watts for a few seconds. A portable power station comes with a surge rating dedicated to starting watts. To determine the total energy needed from a generator for apartment buildings, add the continuous watts of your appliances with the highest starting watts for the generator.

Total Running Watts = (Running Watts x Margin) + Running Watts

Generator Maximum Watts = Total Running Watts + Highest Starting Watts

Consider Future Needs

Always consider the future when getting a backup generator for your home. The lifespan of a backup generator can be reduced if it keeps working at full capacity for long. Hence, it is always better to add an additional 15 to 20 percent for the load you expect the generator to handle, when calculating the total power needed.

Also, you might get new appliances in the future, which may also need to be powered by the portable power station. If you don’t consider future appliances when getting a backup generator, you will probably need to get a new one later on. To avoid spending more money later on, it is advisable to get a generator with slightly more capacity than your current needs.

This will help you avoid spending more to buy a new backup generator later in the future.

 

Choosing The Right Generator Capacity

Choosing the right backup generator capacity can be tricky sometimes. You’ll want a backup generator large enough to meet your energy needs, but also not an unnecessarily powerful one to avoid wasting money on running costs. Examples of different backup generator capacities include:

1. 2000 to 4000 Watts

If you want to power only the basic essential devices in your home like bulbs, television, washing machine and microwave oven, you only need a portable power station of 2000W to 4000W. A 2000 Watt solar generator can power basic appliances safely and efficiently.

2. 5000 to 7500 Watts

If you want power supply to more appliances in your home like medical appliances and air conditioners, you will probably need a more powerful backup generator of 5000W to 7500W. This is to ensure the safety of your appliances and not overload your generator by powering too many devices.

3. 8000 to 10000+ Watts

For large homes with many appliances, you will definitely need a portable backup generator with huge capacity. This is especially so if you want your appliances to run for an extended period. A 10000+ Watts generator can power most home appliances with perfect efficiency.

Choosing the right generator capacity is crucial in preserving the durability of a power station. It guarantees your appliances’ safety, and helps to prevent wastage from getting an unnecessarily large generator.

 

Features To Look For In A Portable Generator

1. Fuel Efficiency

Portable generators run on different types of fuel including solar energy, diesel, and propane. Each fuel type has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, diesel generators are quite costly but have better fuel efficiency than gas powered generators. Solar generators are also a bit costly, but have good overall efficiency.

2. Mobility

The whole point of a portable generator is being able to move it around easily. There are many versions of portable generators. You can take some with you on a camping trip or store them in your garage for home use. A good type of portable generator is a towable generator. These types of generators come with wheels on the bottom that help to move them and attach directly to the back of a vehicle.

3. Noise Level

Most generators make a lot of noise. Hence, you must consider this when getting one. Large-sized generators are often loud and are not suitable for suburban areas. Smaller ones, on the other hand, make little to no noise. If you live in a noise-restricted area, it’s best to get a quieter model.

You can get a model with noise-reduction features, or buy a separate generator silencer to muffle the noise.

 

Why Choose Oukitel Portable Generators?

Oukitel provides a diverse range of portable generators for your home needs. Our product range includes the Oukitel power station, Oukitel solar generator, and many more. We produce reliable generators that guarantee the safety of your appliances and maximum efficiency. When it comes to durability, we give only the best.

Oukitel generators also come with advanced features like noise-reduction effects, and towable wheels to assist movement. If you want a portable solar generator, our Oukitel P2001 and Oukitel P5000 are here for you. If you only want to power a few home appliances, our Oukitel BP2000 is the solution for you.

 

Conclusion

The size of your portable backup generator is crucial to power all your necessary appliances. Hence, you need to consider the total wattage of your appliances before getting a backup generator. This way, you get the best efficiency. Also, make sure you plan for future appliances when choosing a generator.

Are you looking for a partner to get portable backup generators from? Oukitel is the best for reliable and efficient generators for your home backup. We provide safe power stations with advanced features that cater for your every need. Check out our Oukitel power station review to find out more about our unique products.