What Size Generator Do I Need for My Home?

June 3, 2025

When it comes to choosing a generator for your home, one of the most common (and most important) questions is: What size generator do I need?

Whether you’re preparing for hurricane season or simply want peace of mind during unexpected outages, selecting the right size generator is critical to ensuring your home’s essential systems stay powered. Let’s break down what you need to know.

Why Generator Size Matters

A generator that’s too small won’t be able to handle your home’s power demands, while one that’s too large may be unnecessarily expensive and inefficient. Choosing the right size generator means balancing cost, efficiency, and your home’s actual power needs.

What Do You Want to Power?

Before choosing a generator, make a list of the essential appliances and systems you want to keep running during an outage. For most homeowners, these usually include:

Refrigerator & Freezer
Air Conditioning or Heating
Lights
Water Heater
Sump Pump
Internet & Router
Medical Equipment
Well Pump (if applicable)
Microwave or Small Appliances
Security System

Each of these appliances requires a certain amount of wattage to run. Your generator needs to handle the combined load of everything you want powered at the same time.

Understanding Wattage

There are two types of wattage to consider:

Starting (Surge) Watts: The extra power needed to start up appliances.
Running (Rated) Watts: The amount of power required to keep them running.

For example:

A refrigerator might need 1,200 starting watts but only 200 running watts.
A central A/C unit can require anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000+ watts to run, depending on the size.

Example Generator Sizes

Small (7–10 kW): Powers basic essentials like lights, fridge, and a few outlets.
Medium (11–20 kW): Powers most household appliances and systems, including a small A/C unit.
Large (21–30+ kW): Powers the entire home, including large central air systems, electric ovens, and more.

Let Our Experts Size It for You

You don’t have to do this alone — and we don’t recommend that you do! Our team at Generators by Wired will evaluate your home’s size, your must-have appliances, and your energy usage to determine the ideal generator for your needs.

We make the process simple and stress-free with a free in-home estimate. From there, we handle the install, permits, and ongoing maintenance — everything you need to stay powered up.

Every home is different. Choosing the right size generator ensures you’re not left in the dark — literally. Whether you want to power just the essentials or your entire home, we’ll help you choose the perfect solution.

📞 Schedule your free estimate today and be ready for the next outage, storm, or power surprise.

713-467-1125

www.generatorsbywired.com

generator@wiredes.com