How To Size a Whole-Home Generator in Canton, MA

In recent years, high winds, powerful winter storms, and stifling heat and humidity have routinely subjected Massachusetts to massive power outages. Plymouth, Bristol, and Norfolk Counties are hit hardest by these outages in the Bay State. You might already know this if you live in Canton, MA, located in Norfolk County. 

With the increased risk of power outages, you might consider installing a generator. If so, you should learn how to size a whole-home generator. Selecting the right residential generator size will guarantee power to your home’s appliances and electronics the next time you lose electricity.

Take a look at our generator sizing tips below. You can also contact Crowe Electric’s electricians in Canton, MA, for help with choosing the correct home generator capacity and the features your setup will need.

Begin By Listing the Appliances You Want To Keep Running During a Power Outage

If a power outage were to impact your home today, which appliances would you want a generator to keep on? When figuring out how to size a whole-home generator in Canton, MA, this is one of the most important questions to work through before you buy anything.

As an example, here are a few of the appliances and other electronics homeowners like to keep turned on when power outages strike:

• Heating and cooling equipment
• Refrigerators and freezers
• Sump pumps
• Lights
• Medical devices
• Computers and internet routers

Before you do anything else, jot down your list. Determining your whole-home generator requirements will be challenging without knowing which appliances the new generator will need to run for you in a pinch.

Calculate the Starting and Running Wattage Demands for Your Various Appliances

Once you know which appliances you plan to run with a whole-home generator? It’s time to pull out a calculator and start crunching the numbers.

How large must the generator be to meet your energy needs? Your home generator wattage requirements should be based on the starting and running wattage demands for all the appliances on your master list. Calculating these wattage demands may require some research, but accuracy here will ensure that you don’t install a generator that is too small or one that will waste energy unnecessarily.

Our electricians typically recommend giving yourself a 10% or even 20% wattage buffer to account for variables like:

• Power surges
• Energy inefficiencies
• Future electrical needs

You will probably add other appliances and electronics to your home over time. Having a reasonable buffer on your generator’s capabilities could help you make a wiser investment.

Pick Out an Appropriately Sized Whole-Home Generator for Your Canton, MA, House

Once you understand how to size a whole-home generator in Canton, MA, to meet your expectations, you can start shopping for one. Keep an open mind because the market has a lot to offer. You might consider everything from a basic portable electric generator to a more advanced standby generator powered by natural gas, liquid propane, or diesel.

As you search for the perfect generator for your house, consider these key factors:

• Different generator types provide differing amounts of power during an outage.
• Different brands specialize in manufacturing and selling certain generators.
• The initial price for a generator is one factor, but you must also consider the future costs associated with maintaining and repairing one.

An electrical service provider like Crowe Electric can help you iron out these details.