Generators are considered essential and handy power supply equipment that is seen in almost every household. It is most valued during power severe and power outages. In today’s article, we will discuss if a portable generator can run a central air conditioner.
Can a portable generator run central air conditioner?
A portable generator can run a central air conditioning unit. Portable generators are used to power small appliances in houses. If you are living in a disaster-prone area, it’ll help to keep running the house with energy-intensive appliances during a power outage or power surge.
If you are living in a tropical area, you may be facing from high temperatures and heat throughout the day. As a result, a long-term power surge or power outage can cause you big trouble.
That is why it is important to have a central air conditioning unit in your house to maintain a comfortable temperature and climate inside of your house.
Generally, if you are living in a storm-prone area, you may often see a power surge or local electrical outage that may affect the environment of your home. As a result, you will not be able to run the utility systems and important appliances frequently.
This is where portable generators can be a great useful item. A portable generator is a small-sized power supply unit that can help you to power up small appliances.
But if you need to run high-power consuming appliances such as the water pumps, refrigerator, or air conditioner, you may think that the portable generators will not be able to run such systems as central air conditioning unit uses a lot of energy.
But the portable generators can keep energy-intensive appliances to keep running inside your house.
You just need to make sure that you choose the right sized generator that will be able to run powerful appliances such as a central air conditioning unit.
In addition to that, you should always connect your central air conditioning unit to a generator that has higher wattage output compared to the central air conditioning unit requirement so that it can provide you with an uninterrupted power supply.
What size generator to run central air?
Generally, a portable generator can keep running the essential home appliances that are needed to be run during a power outage. The generators vary depending on their purpose.
They are differentiated by their electrical production capacity and the direction of battery life. It is also important to measure the power output of a generator.
The general rule of thumb to choose the right sized generator is to have a generator that has a slightly higher wattage output compared to the air conditioner requirement.
This will provide you with an uninterrupted and smooth power supply to the air conditioning system during a power surge. Below is a brief discussion on what size generator is required to run different sized central air conditioning units:
1 ton:
You’re willing to run a 1-ton capacity air conditioning unit. The maximum wattage for the AC would be 1300 watts. So having a 1500 watts generator will do the job.
2 ton:
It is recommended to use a generator that has a power range of at least 7.5 kW You can run a two-ton AC unit.
3 ton:
Generally, a 3-ton air conditioning unit requires at least a 14 kW powered generator for efficient power supply.
4 ton:
You will need a generator that has a power output of at least 17 kW to run a four-ton central air conditioning unit.
How many watts does a central air conditioner use?
If you are willing to have a portable generator to run your central air conditioning unit during a power surge or power outage, you need to know how many watts a central air conditioning unit use.
Usually, a central air conditioner on cooling function requires 1000 watts for each ton of cooling capacity. Depending on that, the wattage will increase along with the size of the air conditioner’s cooling capacity.
Generally, a 1500 to 2000 watts generator can power a standard air conditioning unit that has a cooling capacity of 1.5 tons. So, the wattage range for a central air conditioning unit should be within 1000 to 2000 watts.
3 factors that affect the portable generator size for central ac
Generally, if you are living in a tropical and disaster-prone area, you may often have faced local power outages and frequent power surges.
As a result, you need to have a portable generator to run the central air conditioning unit in your house.
You need to choose the right size generator so that it can run the central air conditioning unit smoothly.
That is why it is recommended to choose a generator that has a slightly higher wattage compared to what is a requirement of a central air conditioning unit.
Below is a brief discussion on a few factors that affect the portable generator size for central AC:
Wattage requirement:
It is recommended to have an idea of the wattage requirement for your generator as well as the air conditioning unit so that you can synchronize them properly.
Starting and running wattage:
Calculating the starting and running wattage is very important. This will provide you with a better idea that how much power will be consumed when the generator will be operational.
That is why calculating the starting and running waters for your generator and appliances is important.
Generator quality:
It is important to determine the generator quality to run an air conditioning unit since it is a heavy appliance, it will require a generator that can take higher loads of electricity.
Will these watt generators run a central air conditioner?
The central air conditioning unit is a heavy appliance that requires a powerful and efficient generator that can take higher loads of electricity during its operation.
In addition to that, you need to do some calculations before you determine the size of the generator for running the central air conditioning unit.
A portable generator’s job is not only to run the air conditioning unit, but also some other small appliances in your house.
That is why it is recommended to choose such types of generators for running the central air conditioning unit that has higher wattage requirement compared to the wattage requirement of the central air conditioning unit.
As a result, this will provide you with an uninterrupted power supply. Below is a brief discussion on whether these generators can run a central air conditioning unit:
4000 watt:
Yes, it can run a central air conditioning unit. The maximum capacity of a 4000-watt generator is 33.3 amps.
5000 watt:
Yes, it can run a central air conditioner in the unit and other small appliances. It provides 41 amps of power.
5500 watt:
Yes, the 5500-Watt generator will provide approximately 45 amps of power.
6000 watt:
Yes, a 6000-Watt generator will be able to provide a maximum of 50 amps of power.
6500 watt:
Yes, maximum power output capacity of a 6500 watts generator is 27 amps.
7000 watt:
Yes, maximum power output generating capacity of a 7000-Watt generator is about 54.2 amps at its peak.
7500 watt:
Yes, maximum power output generating capacity of a 7500-Watt generator is 31.25 amps.
9500 watt:
Yes, maximum power output capacity of a 9500-Watt portable generator is 31.3 amps.
10000 watt:
Yes, power output generating capacity of a 10,000-watt generator is around 42 amps.
12000 watt:
Yes, 12,000 watts portable generator provides a power output capacity of 100 amps.
How to run central ac running on the portable generator?
If you are living in a disaster-prone area and facing frequent power surges and outages, you need to install a portable generator to run a central air conditioning unit.
It’s very important to use the right-sized portable generator so that the air conditioning unit can work efficiently. Simply follow the steps given below to operate a portable generator to run a central air conditioning unit:
Place the generator:
First of all, you need to place the generator in a place where it will not cause any noise pollution. So, place it in a concealed area.
Check the oil and fuel levels:
Once you have placed the generator, you need to check the oil and fuel levels in your generator. You need to make sure that the generator has enough fuel in it so that it can be operatable.
Plug the cords into it:
After you have checked the oil and fuel levels, now you can go for the final part. Plug in the cords and make the connection.
Final Thoughts
A portable generator is an essential power supply unit that can be used to power heavy home appliances such as an air conditioner. So, if you are living in a disaster-prone area and facing frequent power surges or power outages, you can use a standard portable generator to run the AC efficiently.