How to Choose the Right Size Standby Generator
Choosing the right size standby generator for your home is crucial if you want to have a backup power supply you can count on. Power outages during severe weather conditions can last for days, and in some cases, even weeks.
Power loss can do a lot more damage than just causing you to stub your toe fumbling around in the dark. Depending on your lifestyle and what you rely on throughout a day to day basis, power outages can become a huge problem quickly.
Power outages cause: 
- Your cooling and heating equipment to stop working and cause discomfort.
- Refrigerated or frozen goods to spoil.
- Water woes if you rely on a well for your fresh water supply.
- Medical equipment failures which could be life-threatening for some.
- Communication loss for emergencies due to cellular devices not being able to charge.
- Damage to computers, TVs, and other electronics.
A whole-home generator is a great way to prevent such problems and ensure that your home remains comfortable and functions normally all year long.
But how do you choose the right size generator for your home’s needs?
In this article, we are going to tell you!
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Standby Generators – What to Know Before You Buy!
Before choosing a whole-home generator, it is essential that you know your exact power requirements.
To get this information, start by making a list of all appliances within your home that will need to remain powered in the event of an outage.
Next, you will need to determine the starting and running wattages of each of those appliances.
The starting wattage is the amount of power required to turn your appliance on.
The running wattage is the amount of power needed to operate the appliance.
It is also important to note that just the starting wattage alone is typically three times greater than the running wattage of an appliance. 
Once you’ve documented the wattages of your necessary appliances, add the wattages together to determine the total degree of power needed to efficiently run your home in the event of a power outage.
How to Find Appliance Wattage?
Most wattage information is found on a sticker at the back, bottom, or side of an appliance.
It is important to understand that older appliances use more power than newer ones and that each appliance will become less efficient over time and start to require more energy for operation than initially documented.
If you have an older appliance and you are unsure of the wattage accuracy, you will need to use a load tester to determine the actual wattage being used. Load testers are devices used by electrical technicians to determine electrical amps and wattages.
Once you have an accurate estimation of the amount of power your home requires, choosing the right size generator is easy.
Professional Assistance for Standby Generator Shopping
If you still find yourself unsure about the generator size you need, consult with our Generac generator experts today!
We have the experience and expertise needed to get you the generator you need and even install it for you, hassle-free. Our Generac specialists are dedicated to helping you find the right generator system.
At Cruz Air & Electric, CGC Generators, we make sure that all of our customers can fully depend on their backup generators for convenience and comfort in times of need.
Give us a call today for professional help choosing your new whole home generator!
