How Much Power do You Need

When it comes to portable power, amounts of need can vary wildly. However, it is important for any consumer to know how much power they will need when buying a portable generator. It is important because buying too much or too little power can be a big mistake. Too much generator and you will be lugging around a heavy unit that you are not using to its full potential. Get a model with too little power and you run the risk of overworking it and shortening its life and risking damaging it. So if you want to know how much power you will need for certain devices and equipment, read on. ElectronicsrnHome electronics are increasingly becoming things that people in modern times cannot live without. So if you want to power some home electronic devices with your new generator, you will need to know what usage you can expect. Laptop computers are likely the most common device that people will want to use and on average they use around 300 250. TVs are another device that many people cannot live without. An average flat panel TV will suck down about 350 watts of power while in use. You can use these figures to estimate roughly what other electronic devices will use as well. Power ToolsrnOf course generators are not only used for entertainment devices, people use them for work too. A good generator is indispensable on a job site. Building things requires lots of power in places that cannot always be plugged into the grid. So if power to get a job done is what you need, you need to know how much juice your tools need. For an air compressor, you will need 4500 watts for startup and 1600 watts for running it. A standard drill will use 300 watts of power, while an electric chainsaw uses around 1200. So you will need considerably more power than it takes to run a TV. Home BackuprnIf you plan on using your generator for powering your home in the case of a power outage, you will need to know how much energy your home uses. For an average home with city water, you should expect to use about 6000 watts or so. to run a whole house of appliances and systems. If you need to power a well water pump, expect to need 2000 watts for start up and 1000 to run it. Portable DevicesrnTo charge portable devices, you will need considerably less power. The typical cell phone charger will only use 15 or less watts to charge the battery. Other portable devices such as cameras, portable music players, radios, and handheld gaming devices should use a similar amount of power as well. So do not expect these type of devices to be too much of a drain on your machine. So you can use the above figures to anticipate the strength of generator you will need. It is best to overestimate a bit so you have a bit more power than you need in case your needs change in the future. Look into Used Cat Generator models and Industrial Engines online.