A generator can keep your household running in times of power outages. Various generators with different wattages are available to accommodate the electrical appliances in a home. If you have an 8000-watt generator, you might be curious if it can run all your appliances. We did the research to find out and share answers in this post.
An 8000-watt generator can run several basic appliances. Its capacity depends on the wattage requirements of the appliances. You need to account for the sum of the starting and running watts and determine if they are within the generator's capacity.
With a generator, you can run appliances for the whole house, and you can manage the usage. Running an 8000-watt generator can provide electricity for your home for hours. Continue reading to learn how to use an 8000-watt generator.
How Many Appliances You Can Use With An 8,000-Watt Generator?
Households have various appliances for different activities. If there is a power outage, a generator allows you to continue using electricity. If you have an 8,000-watt generator, you can run some essential appliances at home.
The number of appliances you can run with the generator varies. That is because electrical appliances have different wattage requirements. Appliance sizes can be big or small, and the power each one needs is in proportion to the size.
The wattage also depends on the starting and running watts. Some appliances do not use starting watts, while some require more watts when starting and less when running. The descriptions of these watt types are below:
- Starting/Surging: Extra watts needed for the appliance to start
- Running: Watts required to continue the use of the appliance
Based on the wattage types, the generator provides 8,000 running watts. The starting watts depend on the generator brand and model, ranging from 8,500-10,000 watts.
Calculating Appliance Wattage
You check the appliance data plate, the product manual, or use a wattage meter to determine the wattage. Once you have the wattage data, add the starting and running watts of the appliances. It will help if you create a chart for easier reference.
Follow this process to calculate the wattage:
- List the appliances you will use when there is a power outage.
- Add two columns beside the items and fill in the required starting and running watts.
- Add up the starting and running watts columns.
- After getting the totals of the columns, add both values.
- Compare that total to the generator's capacity.
The amount should be less than the wattage of the generator. If the total wattage requirement exceeds 8,000 watts, you should use fewer appliances or use all of them but for a shorter time. Also, you may not be able to use all of the appliances at once if the total exceeds 8,000 watts.
Some appliances, such as refrigerators, heaters, lights, and air conditioners, need to run continuously. It is up to you to decide how to manage the home appliances so that they receive power from the generator.
Listed are some appliances you can run with the generator:
- Two cellphone chargers: 50 running watts
- Coffee maker: 1000 running watts
- Three 75-watt light bulbs: 225 starting and running watts
- Refrigerator: 2,200 starting and 700 running watts
- Oven: 2,000 to 5,000 running watts
- Washing machine: 2,250 starting and 1,150 running watts
Using the appliances depletes the generator. You can allocate a large part for vital appliances and use smaller appliances less. It is not possible to use the appliances simultaneously.
Among the appliances, the refrigerator and oven have high wattage. Also, these appliances are vital for the household.
Moreover, heating and cooling appliances have high wattage requirements. If you need to cool the house, a central air conditioning unit uses around 3,000-3,500 watts. If you use a heat pump, the wattage requirement ranges from 802-5,102 watts.
Other than household appliances, you can use the generator to use power tools or RV and camping appliances.
How Long Will An 8000-Watt Generator Run?
Aside from the wattage requirements of the appliances, it is also helpful to know how long the generator will run.
The number of hours depends on the type of fuel you use for the generator. You should also account for the fuel tank capacity, which varies with generator models. Generators with a capacity of 8,000 watts have five- to seven-gallon tanks.
Below are the corresponding estimated hours for a five-gallon, 8,000-watt generator based on fuel type:
- Gasoline: 22.71 hours (good as a backup for homes)
- Propane: 16.76 hours (suitable for camping or traveling)
These numbers also depend on the generator brand. You can check the generator's manual to find out if information about the running hours is available.
With these estimates, you should manage the use of your appliances if the power outage extends for a longer period. You might use the generator at 25%-50% of its capacity, which may extend the number of hours.
Is An 8000-Watt Generator The Biggest Size?
An 8,000-watt generator is not the largest size available. It is a decent size for residential use, and its wattage classifies it as a large-size generator. The size is suitable mainly for portable uses, like camping. It is also great as a home standby generator.
The biggest size of a portable generator is 17,500 watts, which is more than two times the 8,000-watt capacity. If you need a non-portable generator, the biggest capacity is 20,000 watts.
You can use a bigger generator, but you should consider your usage and the cost.
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Pros And Cons Of An 8,000-Watts Generator
It is good to know the pros and cons of an 8,000-watt generator if you're planning to purchase one.
Pros
- Best value (benefits exceed costs)
- Can connect to a breaker panel or a pump
- Generates enough power for basic household devices
Cons
- Cannot use many appliances at once
- Setting up the connections costs more than the generator
- Heavy and noisier than other generators (vs. large inverters and home standby)
- Needs a lot of gasoline to run
- Needs protection against rain and snow
- Must be used outside to avoid carbon monoxide issues inside a house
Although there are many cons, the generator can effectively generate enough power for your electrical needs in times of emergency.
How Many Watts Does A Household Need?
The average American household will use 29,360 watts per day. If the outage only lasts a few hours, you can use the 8,000-watt generator for a few hours. The following factors affect the usage in your home:
- Number and type of appliances: More appliances require more watts. Try to find energy-saving appliances to lessen wattage consumption.
- Household size: Larger homes need more electricity than smaller ones.
- Location: The temperature/climate where you reside influences the use of appliances.
After you have taken into account these factors, the next thing to consider is the generator size.
What Size Generator Do You Need For Your Home?
Household sizes vary. If you want to generate sufficient power for your home, you should select the right generator size.
Here are the general sizes to help you decide which generator to choose:
- Small recreational inverter: This size is light, quiet, relatively inexpensive, and easy to transport. However, you can only use up to 2,000 watts.
- Midsized inverter: This size is quiet, lightweight, and fuel-efficient. It can generate 2,000-3,500 watts but usually accommodates 110V devices.
- Large portable: The power generated by this type is up to 8,500 watts. It can provide the basic energy needs of a household. However, this size is bulkier and needs outdoor protection.
- Large inverter: This generator is quiet and produces steady power, but it is expensive and runs on gasoline. The wattage for this type is around 5,000-7,500.
- Home standby: This generator is permanently installed beside a house. With this type, you can simultaneously use electrical devices. It can generate up to 20,000 watts but is more expensive than other types.
Buying a generator is an investment, so you should choose the generator that will give you the best value and performance. Generac offers helpful information on generator sizes.
In Summary
An 8,000-watt generator can power several household appliances. The number of appliances will vary depending on the wattage requirements.
You should create a list of the appliances you will need if there is an outage and figure out the total wattage. The value derived should be less than 8,000 watts. If it slightly exceeds 8,000, you can manage the time you use the appliances.
Generators with more capacity are available, but an 8,000-watt model can provide electricity for basic household needs for several hours. It can definitely help during a power outage and keep your essential appliances running.
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