Imagine a scenario where the electricity goes off for an entire day. Wouldn’t it be awful? Again, think when the electricity cuts off when you need to run multiple appliances. That is another scenario where a generator could play a crucial role.
But the thing is, most generators will not be capable of providing backup energy to back the whole house up. And with a home that has too many large appliances, you would need something like an 8000-watt generator.
That said, before you pick a model with that amount of wattage, you should know what can a 8KVA generator power. It will allow you to set your expectations right and prepare for the outage days properly. And you would get to know all about it by going through this in-depth article.
What Appliances Can 8000-watt Generators Run?
First of all, 8 KVA stands for Kilo Volt Ampere. It is another unit that states the output of the model. And if you calculate it with the simple equation of P = VI, you will find that 8 KVA would equate to 8000 watts.
That said, the 8000-watt generator is highly capable, considering that it can offer a staggering 8000 watts. Its capacity is more than enough to run loads of appliances simultaneously. And in this segment, we will give you a brief idea regarding each category of appliances and devices.
Home Appliances
As we mentioned, the 8000-watt generator is competent. This size generator will offer enough electricity to run different appliances throughout the whole house. That includes a refrigerator, television, air conditioner, tv, a couple of lights, heat blankets, and other appliances.
However, if you want to know how many appliances can the 8000-watt generator run at the same time, you would need to check the overall load.
For example, if the appliances’ load goes above the unit’s running watts, you must deduct a couple of devices. Check the user manual of the devices and add the running watts. If the total watts exceed the amount that the generator can supply, you should not connect the devices.
Now, how will you know the running watts of the generator? Just like the appliances, you should check the user manual. There, you will find all about the running and starting watts. All about the watts that it can supply will be stated there too.
Kitchen Appliances
The 8000-watt generator can also run different kitchen appliances. Fridge, microwave, coffee maker, toaster oven, electric grill, range, dishwasher, and different appliances can be operated with the 8000-watt generator. Also, you can get multiple lights powered in the kitchen with the 8000 watts generator.
Again, if you plan to run a large-sized refrigerator, microwave, electric range, and other demanding appliance together, you would want to add the running watts together. The calculated watts should not cross the running watts that the 8000-watt generator can offer.
Tools
It will even be possible to run a load of tools with the 8000-watt generator. Starting from an electric drill to different saws, it will handle the load for loads of various equipment. However, note that the tools with a motor will require extra watts to start up. Those extra watts are generally stated as starting watts.
Generator Power Calculator Advice
As we have mentioned, simultaneously running multiple devices will depend on the total running watts. For example, if you want to run an air conditioner, refrigerator, and other appliance simultaneously, you need to add all of the running watts together.
Keep the calculation of the running watts and then compare it with the watts that the generator can offer. For most cases, 8000 watts generator will provide 8000 watts. But in other cases, the manufacturer will not promote the model by considering the efficiency.
Now, if the running watts of the refrigerator and different devices are lower than the rated watts of the generator, you can run all of them together. But if the running watts do not match the watts that the 8000-watt generator can offer, you cannot run the devices simultaneously.
What Does Surge and Running Watts Mean?
Surge and running watts are two different ratings. The surge watts dictate the extra watts that devices need to turn on. Usually, if an appliance has motors, it would require those extra watts. And running watts states the required amount of watts that the appliance needs to continue functioning.
In comparison, running watts will be lower than the surge. For example, an appliance might have a starting rating of 1200 watts, while its running watts will be 1000 watts.
Is an 8000-watt Generator Powerful Than a 6000-watt Generator?
Yes! The 8000-watts model would be significantly powerful than a 6000-watts one. For example, it has a 2000 watts headroom to run an oven. However, you would also need to consider that the 8000 watts model will be larger than the 6000 wattages model.
Which Devices Require More Energy?
Some common devices require more energy than others. For those devices, you would need to be a bit cautious while making multiple devices run together. What devices are we talking about here?
First of all, there is the washing machine. Even though small or medium-sized ones will usually have a continuous rating of 1150-watt, the starting watt would be 2250-watt. That means you would need to ensure that the source has an extra 1100-watt of headroom before you plan to run them.
Then, we have the clothes dryer. These would generally require 6750-watt to start up. During the operating process, it can draw about 5400-watt. However, do note that these ratings would highly depend on the size and the components of the devices. And it can vary from one to another.
Like these two devices, others will draw a considerably high amount of energy. And in most cases, it would not be possible to run multiple of these devices together.
Safety Tips
If you want to prolong the generator’s lifespan, you need to keep a couple of things in mind. First of all, ensure a transfer switch on the model. This switch will hinder the current from back-feeding into the electrical line, damaging both the source and the devices connected to it.
Secondly, always rely on a professional electrician to handle the installation process. Do not try to take matters into your hand if you do not have an in-depth idea about what you are doing. You can even risk your life by trying to install things if you do not know all about the process.
Finally, it would be best if you did not overload it. Overloading can damage the internal parts, eventually damaging the connected devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many appliances can I run with an 8KVA generator?
Generally, you can run multiple home devices with an 8 KVA model. However, to get a proper idea regarding this, you would need to add up the total running wattages of the devices.
How many watts is 8KVA?
1 Kilo Volt Ampere is 1000 wattages. In other words, 8KVA would stand for 8000 wattages.
What can a 5kw generator power?
5KW stands for 5000 wattages. And it can run loads of devices that have reasonably moderate requirements.
What can you run on a 5.5KVA generator?
With a 5.5KVA model, running a good amount of home devices or tools will be possible. But make sure to add up the total wattages before connecting the devices.
Final Words
To sum things up, if we were to answer the question: what can a 8KV generator power? It could run loads of home and kitchen devices. It will be possible to run a couple of different tools as well. However, do not overload it because it can damage the parts and the connected devices.
