Emergency situations such as hurricanes often result in thousands of Southwest Florida homes being left with no power. You can remedy that situation with a generator, but many homeowners don’t know what type of generator to buy or what size they actually need.

Knowing what size generator your home needs can be a bit tricky. You don’t want something too small that won’t provide enough power, but you also don’t want to pay for something larger than you really need to power your home.

If you’re looking for a generator during the middle of a busy hurricane season, your choices might be limited. That’s why it’s best to prepare for such an emergency in advance. You’ll need to determine whether you want to power your home’s central air conditioner or just provide enough power to keep the lights on and the food cold.

It might sound good to keep all the power on, but it might not be practical and will likely be quite expensive to do so. You may find that just some power is enough so you can see, have fresh food, and charge your phone and other devices.

The two main types of power generators are portable and stationary, or standby. Portable generators are less expensive but require fuel and maintenance. Stationary generators require professional installation, but they automatically start up when the power goes out.

When it comes to wattage, you’ll want to think about everything you want to stay powered in your home and add up that wattage. You might want to consult with an electrician and purchase a generator with slightly more wattage than you estimate needing just to be on the safe side.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what each size generator can power:

Small Portable (3,000 to 4,000 watts)

Refrigerator
Microwave
Sump Pump
Several Lights
Television
Midsize Portable or Small Stationary (5,000 to 8,500 watts)

Everything previously mentioned plus:
Portable Heater
Heating System
Computer
Second Pump
More Lights
Large Portable (10,000 watts)

Everything previously mentioned plus:
Small Water Heater
Electric Range
Central Air Conditioner
Large Stationary (10,000 to 15,000 watts)

Everything previously mentioned plus:
Clothes Washer
Electric Dryer
To protect your home against hurricanes, give Storm Smart a call at 239-274-2700.