

- #WATT FORMULA ELECTRICAL HOW TO#
- #WATT FORMULA ELECTRICAL GENERATOR#
- #WATT FORMULA ELECTRICAL MANUAL#
- #WATT FORMULA ELECTRICAL PORTABLE#
If your unit is measured in BTUs, you can easily find the tonnage by dividing the BTU number by 12,000 (1 ton = 12,000 BTUs).


#WATT FORMULA ELECTRICAL MANUAL#
You can find your unit’s size in the operator manual or by contacting the manufacturer with the model number, which you can find on the manufacturer label. Find out the tonnage of your unit. ACs are measured in tons and BTUs (British Thermal Units). To calculate your AC unit wattage, you need to:ġ.
#WATT FORMULA ELECTRICAL GENERATOR#
To find out what size generator you need to power your AC, you first need to find out your unit’s wattage (since generators are measured in watts).
#WATT FORMULA ELECTRICAL HOW TO#
How to calculate what size generator you needīefore you calculate what size generator you need, ask yourself what you want to run in the event of a power outage: Now we’ll walk you through how to calculate which size generator will fit your needs. On the other hand, if you get a generator that’s too powerful for what you need, you’ll overpay for the unit itself and the costs to run it. Yes. See, if you overload a generator (force it to supply more electricity than it can handle), it will either automatically shut down or, worse, overheat, which can destroy both the generator and your expensive home appliances. Generator sizes are measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW), both of which are a measurement of electricity (1 kW = 1,000 W).
#WATT FORMULA ELECTRICAL PORTABLE#
They require less maintenance. Even if you buy a portable generator that exceeds your wattage usage, you’ll likely need to refuel the generator every hour or so (portable generators have smaller fuel tanks), which means you’ll spend a lot more time maintaining it than you would a standby generator.Ī generator’s “size” doesn’t refer to its physical dimensions, but rather its electrical output. Although, you may want to go ahead and get a standby generator for reason #2. If you have an AC that’s 2 tons (7,000 watts) or fewer, you might be okay with a portable generator, as long as you don’t use it to power any other appliances. They’re more powerful. The largest portable generator can only power 12,000 watts, which pushes the wattage limit on larger AC units (2.5 tons or more). To be on the safe side, we recommend going with a standby generator for 2 reasons: So, which type of generator should you choose? Naturally, there are benefits and drawbacks of each type of generator, which we’ve outlined in the graphic below. They’re also called “permanent” or “stationary” generators.

