What Can a 5,000 Watt Generator Run? (With Power Chart)

It is always a good idea to have an additional generator in your home in case there is a power outage. However, generators can be expensive, so you need to balance out your budget with the power requirements of the generator.

Typically, a 5,000-watt generator will be enough to handle most appliances in your home, although they will not be able to run at the same time. That is why it’s crucial to know if a 5,000-watt generator is right for your power needs.

Keep reading to learn more about generators and what a 5,000-watt generator can run.

Generator Wattages

Before you decide to get a generator, you should become familiar with generator wattages.

How To Determine Your Wattage Requirements

To determine your wattage requirements, you will need to do some simple math and calculations. Follow these steps to figure out which appliances inside your home you can run at the same time:

1. Make a list of all the appliances you would want to use in case of a power outage
2. Write down the wattage of each appliance
3. Add up all the watts that it takes to run your appliances
4. Once you have everything written down, find the appliance that has the highest surge wattage
5. Add that number to the total number of rated watts
6. The final number you get represents the number of surge watts your generator needs to have

Of course, not all appliances need starting watts to function, so they won’t require you to have a generator with high wattage.

Power Consumption of Common Household Appliances

The power consumption of appliances varies from home to home. Some of them can operate in a low-watt supply, while others need a high amount of watts to run.

We have created the table below to show you the power consumption of common household appliances.

As you can see, these appliances can function with a 5,000-watt generator without any issues. That’s highly beneficial if there are mishaps with power.

Which Appliances Can You Run With a 5,000 Watt Generator?

A 5,000-watt generator is an excellent addition to your home as it can run various appliances if there’s an issue with power loss. If you’re unsure of which appliances you can run with this generator, read more about them below.

Large Kitchen Appliances

A regular fridge with a freezer uses around 3,000 watts to start and then 1,000 watts to keep running. An electric oven needs 2,150 watts to operate, while a dishwasher needs between 1,200 and 2,400 watts.

As you can see, most of the larger kitchen appliances can work when powered by a 5,000-watt generator. However, as they use more watts than smaller appliances, they cannot operate at the same time. Otherwise, an overload would occur, causing possible malfunctions.

Small Kitchen Appliances

Most small kitchen appliances need less than 5,000 watts to operate, meaning you can use a 5,000-watt generator to power them. A microwave, coffee maker and your toaster could all be working simultaneously, as long as their wattage doesn’t exceed 5,000 watts.

However, using each appliance separately is better because the generator could overload. You can search for labels on your appliances to verify their wattage before turning them on through the generator.

Small Electrical Appliances

Luckily, small electrical appliances we all have around our households typically have low wattage, meaning you can use a 5,000-watt generator to run them.

Other Things a 5,000 Watt Generator Can Run

Besides regular appliances, you can also run other things such as power tools and an electric water heater with a 5,000-watt generator. You can also use this type of generator when RVing to make your vacation more enjoyable.

Power Tools

If you need to use power tools, but there’s no power, you can run most of them on a 5,000-watt generator.

Electric Water Heater

A 5,000-watt generator can also run an electric water heater, but there’s a possibility of exceeding the maximum wattage of the device. Electric water heaters typically need around 4,500 watts for the appliance to run and 3,500 watts to keep working.

If you exceed the generator’s maximum wattage, the circuit breaker will shut down, turning off the generator and your electric water heater.

How Long Can a 5,000 Watt Generator Run?

There’s no precise answer for how long a 5,000-watt generator can run because each generator has a unique fuel tank capacity and consumption. In general, a 5,000-watt generator should work for 12 continuous hours on a load of 50%.

Here’s a table of popular generators and their operating hours.

Final Thoughts

A 5,000-watt generator can provide enough power for an array of household appliances, tools, and machines. It can also power RVs and help in various situations if you experience a power outage. However, before you purchase a 5,000-watt generator, verify that it works for your needs, as your power consumption might be higher than 5,000 watts.

Featured Image By: canoniroff, Shutterstock