Selecting a Generator

How much power do you need?

There are a lot of things to consider when selecting a generator, fortunately, we have a wide variety of generators to choose from at varying price ranges. For me the balance comes down to how much power do I need to be comfortable versus how much gasoline I need to have on hand at the onset of the power outage. Some home owners want to power their homes just like they are on utility power without any inconvenience but that choice does not make economic sense for most home owners. Selecting the ‘right’ size generator for your home emergency needs requires some decisions on how comfortable you want to be and how much you are willing to pay for that comfort.

To start, I am just going to rule out trying to run your central air-conditioning; most homes are just too big to do this. While you can purchase a generator big enough to do this, you will either need a large tank buried in the ground or a supply of natural gas to your home. Otherwise, trying to run a large generator on gasoline will mean you will spend a lot of time on as lines filling up 5 gallon containers.

How comfortable do you want to be? – Having a working refrigerator during an extended outage makes planning for emergencies a lot easier. If you have kids, having food, milk, juice etc cold and not spoiling makes a big difference, at least hunger is not a problem. Then there is the need to cook some foods. Outside propane grills with side burners allow you to cook anything you would normally cook inside. If you have a well pump then just having running water is another comfort that

Comfort Items –

High Priority

• Running Water
• Refrigeration
• Fans & Lights

Medium Priority

• Hot Water
• Televisions and Stereos
• Phones
• Some Air Conditioning

Low Priority

• Outdoor lighting
• Central Air conditioning
• Pool pumps

Room	Appliance	Running Wattage Required	Additional Wattage Required at Startup	Notes:
All	Room Air Conditioner: 10,000 BTU	1100	2200	Cools a 500 sq’ room
All	Central Air Conditioner (for 2200 sq. ft. home*)	10,000	11,250
All	Lights	As indicated on bulb	0	Use fluorescent bulbs to save fuel
All	Hot Water Heater (60 gallons)	4500	0	Needs to run 2-3 hours per tank of hot water
Family	Color Television	300	0
Family	Radio	50-200	0
Family	Cable Box	50	0
Kitchen	625W Microwave	625	800
Kitchen	Dishwasher: Cool/Dry	700	1400
Kitchen	Refrigerator or Freezer	700	2200
Kitchen	Electric Fry Pan	1300	0
Kitchen	Coffee Maker	1750	0	Most important appliance
Kitchen	Electric Range: 8in. Element	2100	0
Laundry	Automatic Washer	1150	2300
Laundry	Electric Clothes Dryer	5750	1800
Office	Laptop	200-250	0
Office	Monitor (CRT)	200-250	0
Office	Laser Printer	400-600	1000
Office	Desktop	600-800	0
Office	Fax	600-800	0