Home generators commonly come in just a few basic sizes:

• 8-12 KW*  These sizes are suitable for only a very small home or the basic critical electrical loads in your larger home. These are the most economical units.



• 20 KW  This size is suitable for a small to average size home.



• 24-27 KW  Suitable for an average size home. It is our most popular size.



• 38-40 KW  A little more power for a large home.



• 60-65 KW  For larger homes.

*Note: Electrical power is expressed in kilowatts (KW). A KW is calculated by multiplying voltage (volts) by amperage (amps) and dividing by 1000. Since the voltage in most homes is 120 and 240 volts (the higher voltage is always used in KW calculations), 1 KW = 4.16 amps

That's all there is to it! You can stop here, or read on for an explanation why these sizes will work for you.

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Consideration 1: If the 27 KW generator set is suitable for an average size home, then what's a small home? An average home? For that matter, what's a large home? Here's a good rule of thumb:

• A small home has a 100 amp main electrical service panel, or smaller.


• An average home has a 200 amp main electrical service panel.


• A large home has a 400 amp main electrical service panel, or larger.

Consideration 2: It is common for the total power (connected load) of a home to be 40-70% of the main electrical service panel rating (the amount of power your utility supplies to your home–call them or read this value on your main electrical service panel nameplate). The "emergency" power needed, during a power outage, is typically only 50%, or less, of the connected load. This means a generator set can be sized for 20-35% of the main electrical service panel rating.

Conclusion: These 2 considerations help determine the proper size generator set for you.

• 8-12 KW  This size puts out 30-50 amps. Clearly, this is enough for only a very small home, or selected loads in a larger home.



• 20 KW  This size delivers 83 amps. This will work quite nicely for a small to average size home.



• 24-27 KW  100-112 amps. Perfectly suitable for an average size home.



• 38-50 KW  Capable of 158-208 amps, suitable for a larger home.



• 60-65 KW  250-271 amps. Perfect if you need that much power.

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Proceed to Select a Fuel