{"id":947,"date":"2023-08-14T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/?p=947"},"modified":"2023-08-24T14:27:17","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T18:27:17","slug":"generator-power-finding-the-right-size-whole-house-generator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/electrical\/generator-power-finding-the-right-size-whole-house-generator\/","title":{"rendered":"Generator Power: Finding the Right Size Whole-House Generator"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rulers-and-blueprints.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rulers-and-blueprints-300x199.jpeg\" alt=\"rulers-and-blueprints\" class=\"wp-image-948\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rulers-and-blueprints-300x199.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rulers-and-blueprints-768x510.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rulers-and-blueprints.jpeg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re considering getting a whole-house generator to protect your family in case of an extended power outage, we like the way you\u2019re thinking. We offer excellent <a href=\"\/whole-house-generators\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">generator service in Buffalo, NY<\/a> and Western New York to help homeowners have important peace of mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many sizes of generators, and you\u2019ll need to know how powerful a model you need. Below, we\u2019re going to look at sizing a generator: why it\u2019s important and how it\u2019s done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Why Generator Sizing Matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s essential to have the correct size generator, and here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Adequate Power Supply:<\/strong> A generator that\u2019s too small won\u2019t run all the appliances you need. You\u2019ll have the lights on, but your heater and AC may not run. An oversized generator may cause damage to sensitive electronics\u2014and you\u2019ll waste money on extra power you don\u2019t need.<\/li><li><strong>Efficiency:<\/strong> A generator either too large or too small for a home will not operate at maximum efficiency, leading it to consume more fuel in proportion to the electrical load it\u2019s supporting.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Equipment Life:<\/strong> Lower efficiency and increased strain on an incorrectly sized generator will mean more wear and tear on the unit. You\u2019ll face more repair problems and eventually an early system replacement.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Safety: <\/strong>An undersized generator will take on too much of an electrical load, which can lead to problems like overheating, constantly tripped circuit breakers, and electrical fires.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Calculating Your Power Needs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step in calculating how much power you need from your AC is to determine the electrical load the generator must handle. You don\u2019t need to include <em>every<\/em> appliance in the calculation, only the ones you think are essential, such as the lights, the refrigerator, the HVAC system, the Wi-Fi router for communication, and any powered medical equipment. Make a list of what you need.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take this list and find the wattage rating of each appliance. You\u2019ll often find the wattage labeled on the device, but you can also search online for standard appliance wattages. Use an average value for items that have different power usages, like a multi-stage air conditioner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have to take into account the difference between starting wattage and running wattage: some appliances require more power when starting up than when running. Note both the starting wattage and running wattage for any of these appliances.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now add up all the running wattages of the electrical devices on your list. Then add the highest starting wattage from the devices that have both starting and running wattages. The final result is your home\u2019s peak power demand\u2014the load the generator must be able to handle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When looking over generator models, search for a generator that has a capacity that will accommodate the estimated load + 20%. You\u2019ll need that 20% as a buffer that will allow the generator to operate without interruption.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>You Must Have Professionals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the sizing description above seems basic, we have to remind you that the only people who can successfully and safely install a whole-house generator are licensed electrical professionals. You can count on us to help you with those calculations so you\u2019ll have the exact size of generator you need, and then we\u2019ll see it has a perfect installation for reliable performance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Scherer Electric Is Western New York&#8217;s Favorite Electrician! <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Call us today for great generator service.<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are many sizes of generators, and you\u2019ll need to know how powerful a model you need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[87],"tags":[105],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/947"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=947"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/947\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":950,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/947\/revisions\/950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}