If you are thinking of purchasing a backup generator for your home in Australia, your mind will be filled with dozens of questions. For instance, “Should I purchase a standby generator or a portable generator?”, “How much kVA generator is required for my house?” And such doubts are obvious to arise because of the wide range of backup generators available.
Every generator is suitable for operating a definite range of electrical appliances based on its power outlet. For instance, a 2.5 kVA generator will be suitable for powering small home appliances while a generator of 10 kVA in diesel will be capable of operating heavy-duty appliances.
Out of many confusing doubts, one common doubt is how much kVA generator would be required for your home. But, today, you will get rid of this puzzle through this blog.
This blog will tell you how much kVA generator is required for your house in Australia.
Types of Generators Based on Power Output
Small Power Generators
The low-power generators like a 2.5 kVA generator are usually suitable for operating small electrical appliances like fans which require low power. As these generators give low power output, they do not qualify for operating heavy-duty home appliances.
Medium Power Generators
Home electronic appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators usually need high-range electrical power to operate. This is where a medium-power 8 kVA diesel generator becomes perfect. You can use such generators as power backups even for small outdoor parties and events.
High Power Generators
Large size home spaces will have a wide range of electrical appliances, including ACs, washing machines, fans, and more. In such scenarios, both small and medium power generators fail to deliver reliable power. To operate such large spaces, you will need a high-power generator of 10 kVA diesel.
Why is it Essential to Choose the Right Power Generator for Your House in Australia
As you have seen above, generators with specific power output are capable of operating certain devices only. Moreover, if you choose a generator that is not capable of operating certain home appliances, a hazardous situation can occur. Also, it can lead to unnecessary costs.
For instance, if you choose a 2.5 kVA generator for heavy-duty appliances, it will definitely not be able to operate them. Further, an underload situation will be created.
Similarly, if you try to operate low-power home appliances with a silent generator of 10 kVA, an overload situation will occur which will consume more fuel for operation unnecessarily. That’s why it becomes a prime necessity for you to choose the right backup generator for your home in Australia.
A Quick Guide to Choose the Right Backup Generator for Your Home in Australia
Here is the breakdown of some calculative steps that will help you get the right size of backup generator for your home.
1. Enlist All the Electrical Appliances in Your House
The primary purpose of a generator for a home, say it a 10 kVA is to deliver power to the essential electrical devices during the situation of power cutoff. And, that’s why you should list down all the necessary appliances that you need to operate during a sudden power cutoff. This list becomes of utmost help to you as every appliance will need a definite power range. For instance, a refrigerator will need a power range of 300 to 600 watts while an AC will need a 2,000 to 4,000 power range for operation.
2. Examine the Starting and Running Wattage for Each Appliance
Now that you have listed all the necessary home appliances, it’s time to define the starting and running power range for each appliance. You might wonder what the starting and running wattage could be. Some appliances like refrigerators and washing machines will need high power to start functioning.
Once started, they can continue to run on their specific power range. For instance, a refrigerator would need 1,200 watts of power to start but it will continue to operate on 600 watts of power once started. This way you need to find starting and running power for each appliance.
3. Sum Up the Running and Starting Wattage of all Appliances
After defining starting and running wattages, you need to sum up the running wattages of all appliances. But you need to remember that you need to include appliances that you need to run with your generator.
For, instance, if your AC needs a running wattage of 1,500 watts and the running wattage of your other home appliances is 1,500 watts, the total running wattage will be 3,000 watts. And suppose the starting wattage of all your appliances is 2,000 watts, then the total wattage will be 5,000 watts.
4. Convert into kW
Once you have the total wattage, you need to convert it into kW by dividing the total sum by 1,000.
5. Divide by Power Factor
Power factor is termed as how effectively the incoming power is utilized in an electrical system. It is believed that the more the percentage of power factor, the more amount of power is utilized. Generally, the power factor is 0.8. To find the kVA of your generator, you will need to divide the resulting kVA power by the power factor.
Here is a small breakdown of the entire calculative process to give you a brief idea of how much kVA generator is required for your house:
| Description | Calculation | Result |
| Total running wattage of your appliances | 3,000 watts | |
| Total starting wattage of your appliances | 2,000 watts | |
| Summation of Starting and Running Wattage | 3,000 + 2,000 | 5,000 watts |
| Converting to kVA | 5,000 ÷ 1,000 | 5 kW |
| Total Power Requirement (dividing by power factor) | 5 ÷ 0.8 | 6.25 kVA |
So, you will need a medium-power backup generator of 6.25 kVA for your home in Australia.
Final Say
Now, you might have understood how choosing the right kVA generator becomes essential for your home in Australia. Moreover, you would have also got an idea about the definite method for calculating the generator size.
Are you on the hunt for a highly efficient backup generator for your home in Australia? If yes, then Thornado becomes your one-stop solution. Thornado is a leading supplier of generators and industrial hoses in Australia. We offer a varied range of portable generators, including a silent generator of 10 kVA, 2.5 kVA generator, and 8.5 kVA generator for sale. What makes our generators truly stand out from others is their fascinating features. With high-end durability, stable power output, and effective performance, our backup generators become the perfect source for your home in Australia.