So, you want a generator
One thing I’ve heard a lot is that “someone said this generator will cover my entire home.” In most cases, that’s not true. The thing to keep in mind is that your home has a 100A or 200A service and you’ve got a fairly sizable load, depending on what you have plugged in.
Anything with a heat source like a clothes dryer, hair dyer, toaster, toaster oven, microwave, curling iron, clothes iron, etc. draws a lot of power. Even though most of them plug into a standard receptacle, remember that if you run that and other things at the same time, you may trip breakers or overwork your generator when you’re on limited power.
Anything with a motor will draw extra power as well. Things like blenders, mixers, vacuums, and some shop equipment have what we call an “in rush” current. It’s like having to push your car to get it started. Do you remember having to do that? If you start your blender at the same time your refrigerator kicks on while your boiler is running, you could trip circuits.
Size your Generator Based on your Needs
There are many different variations we can go through and we have the tool to help you decide what you need to power your home. We’ve gone through a few of the most common needs and requests, and listed them below.
We’ve listed the generator size, the amps it allows, generally, and the things that will run comfortably on that size generator. The big take away here is that the bigger the generator, the more power you can use to energize your home.
7.5KW
40A
- Well pump
- Gas furnace (Boiler)
10KW
60A
- Gas stove top
- Well pump
- Gas furnace (Boiler)
- (1) branch circuit
- Lights in (1) room
- Microwave
14KW
80A
- Gas stove top
- Well pump
- Gas furnace (Boiler)
- Refrigerator
- (1) branch circuit
- Lights throughout home
- Microwave
- Freezer
18KW
100A
- Gas stove top
- Well pump
- Gas furnace (Boiler)
- Refrigerator
- Electric cook top
- (2) branch circuits
- Lights throughout home
- Microwave
- Freezer
- Plug-in heater
Manual or Automatic?
22 Jan:
MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC GENERATOR TRANSFER SWITCH
Discover whether you need a manual or automatic transfer switch, and how each one operates. Don’t know how to transfer your home from normal to generator power and back again? Let us show you how.
Location
The most cost effective location for your generator is located at or near your meter.
Sometimes the meter is located at the front of the house, though, and most of us don’t want our generator located there. If you decide to enclose your switch or generator, be sure to provide the proper clearances. Ask us for details if this is something you’re interested in.
