How To Calculate What Size Generator You Need?
Choosing the right size generator is important. If you buy one that’s too small, you’ll have to keep it running all the time, draining your budget and wasting fuel. And if you buy one that’s too big, you’ll spend more money on fuel than necessary, and it will take up more space than necessary. The best and simple way to properly size a portable generator for home use is by knowing the primary usage of your appliances and using a little bit of math.
Itemize The Things You Want Your Generator To Power
You should size your generator to handle the essential appliances and items in your home in case of rolling blackouts and frequent power outages. To find the right size and type, start by jotting down all the electrical appliances you’ve in your home, both large and small. This catalog aims to determine which of these appliances are an absolute necessity and needed to power during a blackout. So, list the items in order of importance, with the most important being at the top of the list. For instance, if you have a refrigerator, lights, and a TV on the same circuit, don’t put the TV at the top. Instead, put refrigerators first to keep food from spoiling and make it possible for your family to survive long-term without electricity.
Total Up The Watts Required For Each Item
Once you’ve created the list, you’ll need to know how much electricity each device draws from the grid. Most household appliances have the wattage rating displayed and labeled in watts on their nameplates or cases. However, if you don’t have that information available, you can check the product’s instruction manual or look it up online if you don’t have the booklet anymore. You also need to consider that some appliances might use more power than one type of outlet (for example, an electric stove with three burners). Next, add the figures for all listed devices you want to run concurrently during an outage to calculate the overall power demand.
To Be Safe, Add 25-30% More Capacity To Your Estimate
The starting watts of an electrical appliance differ from its running watts. To ensure that a generator can handle your home’s power needs, add about 25 -30 percent for the safety factor and reserve capacity. This gives you plenty of buffer room for running larger, multiple appliances simultaneously without straining the system’s resources or tripping breakers in your home’s electrical system. Remember that you will need a generator that meets or exceeds your final estimation.
Choose The Fuel Type
The next thing to do is determine what fuel source you want. You can choose between a propane tank, natural gas, and a diesel tank for your generator’s fuel source. If you want the flexibility of using either fuel (gas or diesel), a silent diesel generator might be the way to go.
That’s because it’s more reliable, has a higher fuel economy, and takes away the hassle of storing two types of fuel on-site.
Are you struggling to decide whether to install a permanent generator or a portable generator for home use? Fuzhou Koten Power Equipment offers high-quality and silent portable diesel generators in India and can help you find the right one that fits your budget and meets your needs.
