The Best Portable Generator For You
Buying a portable generator is as much a personal decision as buying a car. Only you know the features, performance, and level of customer support you want at a price you’re willing to pay.
But what about comfort? If you were playing word association with “portable generator” the word “comfort” would probably trail far behind obvious choices like “reliable,” “powerful,” or “cheap.”
Yet the level of comfort you seek during a power outage has everything to do with size of the generator you purchase. So I’ve put together a list of common generator sizes and the appliances you could expect to run with each one. The wattage indicated after each appliance in the example is the surge wattage required to start the appliance. If there’s a huge difference between surge and running watts both will be stated.
1,000 Watts will run a low powered microwave (800W) OR TV (500W) OR computer (750W) and a few lights. A computer requires cleaner power than most generators deliver. The addition of a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) between the portable generator and computer would eliminate surges and drops in power from the generator. Comfort level: Camping
2,500 – 3,500 Watts runs a refrigerator (2,000W surge 500W running) AND microwave (800W) AND/OR TV (500W) depending on generator size. Plug the largest appliance in first and add other small appliances one at a time. Plug all the appliances into a surge protector connected to a heavy gauge 3 pronged extension cord. Comfort level: Mid-priced motel
5,000 Watts of power can mean the difference between thriving and merely surviving. Appliance combinations include: refrigerator (2,000W – 500W) AND furnace fan (2,300W surge 875W running) AND microwave (800W) AND TV (500W) AND computer (750W) AND lights. Comfort level: There’s no place like home.