I am going to buy a generator this year (I'm in FL). I have a chart showing how many watts most appliances use but what I need is a chart showing how many amps each appliance uses. Does anyone know of a chart online that I could print out? Thanks.
Watts equals volts X amps. If you know the wattage, divide that number by the voltage, (usually 120 for plug in appliances, and 240 for built in cooktops, ranges, etc) and you will get your amperage
large generators are gasoline piggies.
have you considered a propane or natural gas generator??
todays gasoline spoils fast, even with stabilizer.
you dont need enough power to run your home normally, just run things sequentially. small window AC kept just for emergencies, fridge, freezer etc run one at a time.
leave enough capacity to help neighbors so they cant complain of the noise
Be sure to look into a transfer switch. They are used to prevent current from entering the grid. This is very important to the safety of the power company folks. If you plan to use extension cords only, perhaps a transfer switch is not needed. Good luck Clint
Thank you! This year I will probably use extensions cords then next year will buy a transfer switch.
Check out the following:
I just fired up mine a couple of days ago after some nasty storms (Iowa) cut out power. In the winter, I test it under load about once per month and it will RUN simultaneously: a furnace (nat. gas with 1/3 hp blower motor and with a transfer switch installed for that circuit only), refrig-freezer, chest freezer, and radio. I imagine that if any TWO of the furnace, refrig-freezer or freezer STARTED UP at exactly the same time that would likely overload it but that hasn't happened in any test or real use. I've also powered a 1/3 hp sump pump substituted for the chest freezer.
Put a lot of thought into what you are about to do.
I am building a house in Virginia to replace mine that I lost to Katrina in Mississippi.
We have installed a 12KW, propane-power backup generator from Generac. It comes with a transfer switch and panel as part of the generator. The generator is 4 ft X 8 ft X 3 ft tall and comes complete with a fiberglass base that plants directly on the ground. There's a BIG cable running from the generator to a pre-wired breaker panel.
You'll need an electrician to wire it -- he/she will talk with you about which circuits you want to have power when the electrical mains fail, then, he'll wire those circuits into the generator's panel box
-- which mounts inside your house. The generator is then programmed to exercise itself once a week -- ours is set for 2:00 PM Friday -- at that time the generator kicks on, the tranfer switch kicks in, and the house runs off generator power for 15 minutes after which the generator shuts off and we go back on the mains.
If the generator is the only thing in your house that uses propane, you can get by with a small tank. Or, if you have natural gas available, you can set up the generator to run on that.
ON THE OTHER HAND -- you can buy a "portable" gasoline-power generator and a big bunch of extension cords. Then, when the power fails, you drag out the generator, crank it up -- hoping that you remembered to keep a stock of gasoline -- and run extension cords all over the place.
The automatic, propane or NG powered generator with transfer switch and panel is the way to go -- mine cost $2,500 and the electrician charged $700 to install it -- I trailered it in from the Lowe's where I bought it and four of us cussed it off the trailer onto the ground.
If you dont know how to figure amps, I will bet you need to do alot of research to purchase and safely run one, you dont just buy one and plug things in, as alot goes wrong and you have to know how to monitor it and know its right. You are aware of course that a 400 watt motor can need initialy 1000+ watts off the gen.
It really comes down to handful of questions:
1) Do you want to live essentially a "normal" life while the utility power is out? If so, you get something that will run your airconditioner and your water heater at the same time plus about 4 kW more. When you are on generator power, use some common sense and don't take showers and use the electric stove at the same time unless you turn off the central air conditioning.2) If you can live without central air for the duration, but don't want to get carried away with energy management you might want 8 to 10 kW. This will run your water heater and part of your stove at the same time. Again, don't be foolish and try to run everything at the same time.
3) Otherwise, you should get a 5 kW unit. That's enough for a window A/C and "some" use of the electric stove, water heater, microwave. That's the arrangement we have. We also have a deep well water pump. When the power goes out for a time (like a few days), I get by with running it a few hours in the morning and another few others in the evening. We can take quick showers, cook meals, watch TV in an window A/C cooled family room, and even run the dishwasher. We can't do laundry and we actually turn off loads like the water pump, the water heater, etc. except when we have cut other loads to the bone.** Posted from
Just as a rule of thumb I use 100 W equals 1 Amp for 120 Volt items. Everybody will jump up and say that is wrong because it is. The current for 100 W is actually less than 1 A. But if you use 1A per 100 W it gives you a safety factor to help keep from overloading the generator.
Bill
The thing a lot of people ignore is "feeding the monster" as folks called it after Charlie here. These things, even small ones, use an extraordinary amount of fuel. A
120 gallon propane tank is not going to last very long, maybe a week if you take it easy but you can burn 120 gallons in 3 or 4 days if you are running your house like normal. If you are carrying cans from the gas station plan on going every day or two with a truck load. You will also start to appreciate how cheap electricity is from the utility when you fill up those tanks and cans,
Generators are rated in watts not amps. If you need to know the ampere draw of the appliance you can come fairly close by dividing the wattage by the voltage of the appliance. A one hundred watt incandescent light bulb uses 100/120 or 0.833 amps. Six such bulbs use five amperes. ...
Sure, here's a chart showing the average amperage used by common home appliances:
+----------------------+----------------+ | Appliance | Average Amps | +----------------------+----------------+ | Refrigerator | 6 | | Freezer | 6 | | Dishwasher | 10 | | Oven (electric) | 30 | | Oven (gas) | 5 | | Stovetop (electric). | 40 | | Stovetop (gas) | 5 | | Microwave | 12 | | Toaster | 8 | | Blender | 5 | | Coffee Maker | 8 | | Washing Machine | 15 | | Dryer (electric) | 30 | | Dryer (gas) | 5 | | Air Conditioner | 15-20 | | Space Heater | 10-15 | | Television | 1-2 | | Computer | 2-3 | | Light Bulb (60W) | 0.5 | +----------------------+----------------+Note that these are average values and may vary depending on the specific model and usage of the appliance. It's also important to keep in mind that many appliances have a startup surge or peak power draw that can be significantly higher than their average amperage.
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