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What Size Generator Do I Need for a 3 Bedroom House?

You can use a medium or large capacity generator that can produce electricity up to 5000-7000 watts. Based on the number of people, use of electronic items average power consumption in a household, this is an optimal capacity for a generator.

What size generator do I need for a 3-bedroom house?

Based on your requirements for a 3-bedroom house, using a 7000W power generator is required. You can get 5-10 light bulbs, refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines. In addition to that, you can use heavy items such as a garage door opener or even a microwave that ranges close to 1500W.

If you don’t choose the right generator for your household, the generator might overwork and consume much power by providing its best performance. This might cause overheating, malfunction and shorten the lifespan of your generator.

Besides, an underworking generator is also harmful to home appliances as it cannot provide a complete power supply to all the appliances in the household. As a result, it occurs uncertain voltage drop or integrated circuit burn to a home appliance.

This will charge you extra money to repair them and increase your overall maintenance cost. So, we have to consider two main factors when discussing a generator. What we can do is: 

Based on the number of people:

For 3-4 people:

If you are looking for a generator that will provide a backup power supply to a family consisting of 3-4 people, you can go for a 3000-4000 watts generator.

These generators are very convenient to provide electricity backup for your key home appliances such as refrigerator, water pump, and security systems.

For 4-6 people:

More family members require more power usage over the days. Some need to use the same appliances on a different basis so the electricity consumption varies on the same appliance by different people.

For this, a 5000-6000 watts generator is a safe choice in terms of a medium-sized family consisting of 4-6 members.

For 7+ people:

This is where you should consider extensive use of home appliances by every family member. The more people in the household, the more they use appliances increasing average wattage per head.

Considering the overall scenario for a family living in a disaster-prone area, they will need at least 7000-10000 watts power supply in order to operate the mandatory appliances that require higher electricity consumption.

Based on appliances used:

Kitchen Essentials:

Kitchen appliances such as microwave oven, dishwasher, coffee maker, and most importantly a refrigerator needs longer power backup during a power cut.

You need to make sure which ones will be often used and most demanding during a crisis when buying a generator. 7000 watts generator seems more appropriate for this usage.

TV, computer & light bulbs:

These are the equipment that is often used by family members. More rooms with more people will consume more power when they use lights, sometimes an AC could be used during summer.

This equipment for a 1500sqft house will require a 4000W generator along with other appliances.

House power equipment:

Lifts, garage door opener, security systems or water pumps are heavy equipment that needs higher levels of power consumption.

A garage door opener, a water pump, and a security system that is highly demanding equipment require at least a 5000W generator.

So, if you run all the appliances of your home with a moderate number of people in a household, at max a 7000W-10000W generator will be a perfect match based on your requirements.

How many watts generator does it take to power a 3 bedroom house?

It takes 7000-8000 watts generator to power a 3 bedroom house. Although you can meet your electricity needs with a 5000-6000 watts generator.

If you want, you should consider purchasing a larger generator that you can use as a reserve capacity, considering any new equipment connection in the future.

Besides, consider using a transfer switch if you are thinking to buy a portable or conventional generator. Don’t forget to keep in mind that in peak hours your average electricity consumption will be higher than usual.

So, you will need a larger generator to have a smooth electric supply during a power outage. Always try to keep generators that have slightly higher capacity than your requirement because that will help prevent underload or pressure in your generator.

The generator should be inspected with a quality man at the time of purchase keeping in mind that an uninterrupted power supply should be maintained in the heavy appliances in the house.

What will a 10000-watt generator run in a 3 bedroom house?

A 10000-watt generator gives you vast areas of choices for operating home appliances. First, you can operate heavy appliances in your households, such as microwave ovens, dishwashers, or garage opening doors.

As well as essential equipment such as TVs, security systems, geysers, and appliances with high power flow requirements such as water pumps can be operated very easily.

Besides, the addition of more equipment in the future will not interfere with the power flow of this size generator.

When deciding the size of a generator it is important to consider the critical components you need to run during a power outage.

As an electric range or central air conditioner needs higher wattage for starting up, this is why it’s very important to always keep a generator of slightly higher capacity.

But it is always to remember that while choosing generators you have to find out which appliances you will be using frequently. Prioritize appliances that are very often used by your family members.

How big of a generator do I need for a 1500 sq ft 3 bedroom house?

You need a 4000-5000 watts generator for a 1500sqft 3 bedroom house. In these standard size homes, you won’t be able to put various types of electrical home appliances.

So, if we only count the very essential items first, we will see various kitchen appliances, light bulbs, charging sockets and a computer will be the often used and connected items to the generator.

So, during a power outage, you will need an efficient power supply from the basic home appliances such as light bulbs, air conditioners, or charging ports. These items can easily be managed by plugging into a medium-sized generator.

Or, if you want to use at least every item in the house, you can go for a large size generator consisting of 6000-8000 watts power capacity where most of them you will not need regularly, that’s why a medium-size generator is highly recommended.

How to determine house generator size?

Apart from the facts mentioned above, you need a few more things to consider when buying a new generator for your household. You can determine a generator size based on your needs.

According to a research survey conducted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the typical American household loses power once or twice a year for an average of about 3 hours.

But some power outages, such as those caused by harsh weather, can last for days or even weeks. So, when you are thinking to get the best generator for you, you have to consider the following steps:

Major appliances used:

You need a generator that will provide longer backup for your major household appliances. For example, a 42” TV takes 80-120 watts to run.

A 24CFT refrigerator that requires a 24*7 power supply will take up to 200 watts during a power outage. There are plenty of household appliances that will require higher priority while giving backup.

For example, microwave oven, dishwasher, and security systems All these appliances can easily be operated with a 4000W generator on a 1500sqft house for residential purposes or family use.

House size:

Usually, a 1800sqft will require a 4500-5000W generator to operate multiple household appliances.

But, if there are too many appliances are being used in a particular room such as two light bulbs, a TV, a DVD, and a radio, that will increase average power consumption per room, then you will need a bigger generator.

What is the best generator for a 3 bedroom house?

There are plenty of companies providing generator solutions for residential purposes. But a generator isn’t the only thing you’ll need.

You need a cost-efficient, advanced technology, environment friendly, and noise-free generator with long-term service and warranty period. Usually, a 5000-8000W comes between $1500-$4000. A large-sized generator is available within $5000 to $10000.

And, portable converters, 10000W-15000W generators will be between 10000$ and $15000. Based on that, some generators are:

  • Generac 70422 Home Standby Generator Guardian Series 22/19.5kW Air-Cooled with Wi-Fi, Aluminum generator
  • DuroMax XP13000E Gas Powered Portable Generator
  • DeWalt DG7000B Heavy Duty 7000W generator

Final Thoughts

You need to have a 7000 watts generator if you are using heavy electronic elements in your 3-bedroom house. Besides, if your apartment size is a bit small in space, then a 4000 to 5000 watts generator will be more than enough to run the appliances smoothly.