A 900-watt generator can power multiple small appliances such as lamps, microwaves, and fans simultaneously. While the machine may sustain your entire home’s power requirements, it will greatly help on a campsite or in a small off-grid cabin. All you need to do is make sure that the collective power requirement of your appliances does not exceed the generator’s maximum wattage rating.
What Is the Power of a Generator?
The wattage is a measure of the rate at which a device uses electricity. In generators, it measures how fast electrical energy is produced and is the prevailing unit of electrical power. Generators come labeled with a maximum wattage—a number that represents their continuous power level.
If you have a generator rated at 700W, it will produce 700 watts in one second. Generally, a powerful generator has a higher wattage rating.
When you are buying a generator, you should consider continuous or running power and surge power.
Running power: This is the number of watts a generator can produce continuously. Larger and heavier machines generally make more power.
Surge power: The number of watts a generator puts out when it is turned on for the first time.
It is important to note that a device consumes more electricity when it is first switched on. The demand slowly decreases until a certain point after being in continuous operation. For example, your fridge consumes 700 watts of power while running, but it can use up to 1000 watts for a few seconds when starting up. The higher power usage is the peak starting consumption of a device and the surge power of a generator compensates for this demand.
Appliances a 900-Watt Generator Can Power
To run your appliances with a 900-watt generator, you have to understand the power consumption of your appliances.
Generally, most small gadgets use up to about 100 watts or less, and some bigger appliances like refrigerators, microwaves, and vacuum cleaners can work on 900 watts.
The following is a list of items that a 900-watt generator may power:
- Lighting (8-60 Watts): Incandescent bulbs run at 40-60 watts whereas LED bulbs run at 8 to 9 watts. A 900-Watt generator can easily supply many light bulbs with power at a go.
- Fans (50-100 Watts)
- Charging (4-100 Watts): A cell phone charger uses around 4-6 watts while a laptop charger requires around 100 watts when it is active.
- Fridge (150 to 600 Watts): Small portable fridges run on around 150 watts as the larger ones may consume up to 600 watts.
- TV (100-500 Watts): A small 19-inch LED TV, for instance, runs on 130 watts. A larger 40-inch HD TV will use around 350 watts of power when you switch it on and will comfortably run on a 150-watt power supply.
- Small Microwave (500-800 Watts)
- Wifi Router (2-20 Watts)
A 900-watt generator can also power other home and office appliances such as a coffee maker, blender, stereo, inkjet printer, and small vacuum cleaner.
Uses of 900-Watt Generator
A portable 900-watt generator is a handy device that you can use in different places. Here are a few scenarios where you can enjoy the convenient electronic gadgets like lighting, phone charging, and video-games.
For Campsites:
It is small and highly portable to take on campsites and remote locations. You can easily power multiple appliances using a 900-watt generator.
On Boats:
It is easy to carry a 900-watt generator onto quickly fix one as a backup in case of emergencies.
In Cabins:
A 900-watt generator can be a source of excellent power in cabins for when you want to go off the grid.
In Emergencies:
900-watt generator can provide enough power to run different home and office appliances during a power outage.
How to Know if Your Appliance Works With a 900-Watt Generator?
It’s important to determine the wattage of appliances before buying a generator. As we stated above, a 900-watt generator won’t be able to power many appliances.
Step 1: Find the wattage rating of the gadget you wish to run. This information is easily available on the product manual or provided labels.
Step 2: If given in amps, multiply it by 120/240 volts as indicated.
For example, for a fan that runs on 120 volts and 0.7 amps, the wattage adds up to 84W.
Step 3: Ensure your device’s wattage is under the 900-watt.
If your new wattage is around the same as one of those listed above, you’ll be fine. If it’s not, then consider a different gadget with lower power demand.
If the label is not available, you’ll have to use the appliance’s official model name or number to look up its power requirement. You can easily find this information on the manufacturer’s website.
Can You Power Multiple Devices on the 900-Watt Generator?
Yes, you may connect several appliances with a 900-watt generator. If you need to use a variety of appliances simultaneously, make sure that their combined consumption does not exceed the maximum running watts of your generator.
Conclusion
In the end, it is important to remember that a 900-watt generator won’t be able to power devices with a higher power consumption. However, if you are just looking for a generator to power your lights, TV, fridge, or other small household appliance, the 900-watt generator is an ideal choice. Remember to read the guidelines on how many watts each appliance consumes before connecting hooking it up to the generator.
It’s also important to understand how wattage ratings work so you can choose a generator that works well with your devices. Also, be sure to check the manual of your generator and use it in a safe spot.
