Choosing the Right Size Generator

October 8, 2024      

When the power goes off, whether it’s because of a hurricane or heat stress on the power grid or just one downed tree, a generator can be a lifesaver.

If your TV won’t turn on, it’s annoying but not much more than that. If your sump pump stops and your basement floods, you’re looking at a costly repair. And if you have an oxygen machine or other critical medical device, having a backup source of power can be important.

Choosing a generator takes some thought, though, because they vary in type, price, and size.

Portable generators can power a single appliance at home. A better option is a whole-house generator—sometimes called a home standby generator—that powers an entire house seamlessly and without a need for frequent refueling. These generators cost more and require permanent installation.

Add Up Your Wattage Needs

To determine the size generator you need, make a list of the appliances you want to power and add up their wattages.

There’s no need to go larger than what you need or want to power unless you want to be able to power more in a pinch.

Also keep in mind that some appliances—air conditioners, refrigerators, and sump pumps, for instance—draw a lot more power at the moment they’re cycling on. These surge watts can throw off your calculations if you don’t account for them.

When the power goes off, the outages are sometimes prolonged. This probably applies if you live in an area prone to severe weather events, such as blizzards, ice storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes, where a large number of homes may be affected at the same time.

Generator Types to Consider

Home standby

These have enough juice to power your entire household, and they can connect directly to your home’s circuit breaker panel, allowing you to control and run appliances that are hardwired, such as central heat and air conditioning, well pumps, sump pumps, electric ranges, and water heaters. If you have any of these and you need them to work in a power outage, you’ll need a transfer switch installed at your breaker box to hook up a large portable or inverter generator.

A licensed electrician should be able to handle the job, but be sure to budget for that installation cost when considering the cost of the generator. A home standby generator also needs costly professional installation, with the transfer switch generally included in the price.

Protect yourself and your loved ones from storm power outages with a whole home generator, contact South Shore Generator Sales & Service and get started on your backup power plans!

Source: ConsumerReports.org

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