Home Generators: Determining Your Needs

Homeowners can often power most household appliances using between 3000 and 6500 watts. If your home has a smaller furnace and city water, you can generally expect that 3000-5000 watts will cover your needs. If you have a larger furnace and/or a well pump, you will likely need a 5000 to 6500 watt generator.

To determine the amount of power you need from a generator, add up the wattage of all appliances, equipment, and lighting you’d expect to use during a power outage.

Some common household appliances that you’ll likely want to power up include the refrigerator (725 watts), sump pump (750 to 1,500 watts), central air conditioner (5,000 watts), lights (60 to 600 watts), and computers (60 to 300 watts).

Note: Failure to accurately calculate your power needs may result in damage to the items you plug into the generator, and to the device itself.

Generator costs
Costs can vary greatly depending upon the size, brand, and options included in the generator. There are small, mid-sized and large generators available, and they work in the following ways:

• Small – will deliver 7-10 kW, and will be able to run a few basic household systems, but cannot sustain the needs of the entire home. These tend to need manual start and will average from $2500 to $4500.
• Mid-Size – will deliver 12-20 kW, and will be able to function more effectively than a small system, but still will not deliver the power needed for the entire home. This is a good option for those who need heating during cold weather situations. These will cost from $4000 to $10000.
• Large – will deliver 22-45 KW, and will be able to operate the entire home. These will usually be permanently in position and contained in protective “cases”. They are usually liquid cooled and can be permanently connected to the home.These will cost from $9000 to $15000.

Installation costs:
To install your generator costs can vary depending upon the needs of your home. A Gold Standard Electric representative can come out and provide you with a detailed breakdown of costs while also assisting you in the determination of the size and type of generator your home may need. Contact us today to learn more:
Call us: (561) 602-8766
email us: info@goldstandardelectric.com