If you are looking for the right quality generator for 50 amp, the first thing that you should know: What size generator do I need for 50 amps? Well, there is no direct or easy answer to this question. Because depending on the plan of your utility uses, the size of the generator could vary.
To get your 50 amp generator, you have to know the exact power backup that you may need for your daily use. Because of the more appliances and devices, you are planning to use the greater size generator you’ll need. Read the section carefully to know the size of the generator you’ll need for 50 amps.
What size generator do I need for 50 amps?
To figure out the exact size of the generator for 50 amp is not an easy task. Because the size of your generator actually depends on how many devices & appliances you are planning to use. That’s why the actual answer to the question What size generator do I need for 50 amps can’t be specified. Then again I am here to give you some guidelines that will help you to understand how to figure out the exact size of the generator.
Usually, 50 amp-service could produce almost 12000 watts. Now it doesn’t mean that you have to buy a 12,000 watts generator. You can purchase a 12000 watts generator but if your house appliance doesn’t need that much power then it won’t bring anything good for you except wasting your money.
Now if you are looking for a quick answer to this, I’ll suggest you go for a 7000-8000 watts generator so that with a 50 amp service, you can use all of your house appliances at once. When you go for a 7000-8000 watts generator, you don’t have to think more about your power usage as it is able to supply an ample amount of power.
Estimate your power needs to figure out the size of your generator
The easiest way to figure out the size of your generator for 50 amp service is to estimate the power needs of your appliance. First, you have to calculate the heavy power consumption appliance, such as air conditioner, refrigerator, microwave, electric grill, etc. For example:
- An air conditioner will need 3300 starting watts and 2000 watts running power.
- The electric grill will need up to 1650 starting watts and 1650 watts for running.
- Microwave needs 1500 watts starting and running power.
Now consider that you have all these heavy power consumption equipment so if you have to run all these equipment at a time then you will need approximately 6500 starting watts and 5200 running power. This is the estimated power needed for heavy power consumption tools. There are some other tools that are also important to figure out. Such as:
- A refrigerator may consume 600 starting watts and 200 running watts.
- Television may consume up to 200 starting watts and 190 running watts.
- A computer needs up to 200 starting and running watts.
- The coffee maker will need up to 650 starting & running watts.
- A blender will need up to 850 starting watts and 400 running watts.
- A hairdryer may require up to 1900 starting watts and 1800 running watts.
This is how you need to estimate all the house appliances that you have and once you figure out all data, add them all together to know the potential wattage that you may need. It is better to add 1000 watts more with your calculated data. It is not necessary to calculate all of your minor appliances at a time.
Because those are the tools that you will use periodically not at a time. For example, you are not going to use a hairdryer and a coffee machine at a time. Once you estimated all those data, you can easily figure out what size of generator you’ll need for your 50 amp.
Difference between a 30 amp & 50 amp
There is a noticeable difference between the 30 amp and 50 amp service. Most of the time when your RV doesn’t include large-electronics-requirements comes with the 30 amp service. With a 30 amp service, you can run an air conditioner, refrigerator, microwave, television, etc.
Some 120-volt electronic appliances also run with this service, such as coffee makers. On the other hand, a 50 amp service is more powerful than 30 amp. Where a 30 amp service has 3600 watts capacity, a 50 amp has 12000 watts capacity.
Usually, a 50 amp service comes with 4 wires, where two wires are for 120-volt hoi wires, a ground wire & a neutral wire. A 50 amp service with 120 volt means 6000 watts as 50 amp comes with two 120 volts, it has 12000 watts capacity.
Final thought
You can only find the right size of the generator for your 50 amp when you know the exact power that you may need. If you read the above article then you have the answer to this question: What size generator do I need for 50 amps?
Usually, if you need medium power back up then a 4000 watts generator for 50 amp could be enough. But the right-size of the generator is depending on the uses of power ratings.
