Load shedding has become something that many South Africans have learnt to accept. As inconvenient as it is to lose electricity on a semi-regular basis, the fact that load shedding protects the grid from more severe failures means that blackouts are an unfortunate necessity. For the moment we need to look to our own power solutions while we wait for Eskom to make good on their promises to modernize the power grid and fire up new power plants.
One way in which thousands of homeowners are overcoming the power outages is through the use of small electrical generators to power essential appliances. A small generator could keep things like your refrigerator and washing machine running during load shedding events, minimizing the inconvenience caused to you and your family.
The key question that you need to answer before purchasing a generator is: how much power do you need?
Home Appliance Power Consumption
The smallest generators produce between 4000 and 5000 watts of electricity. Every appliance in your home has different power requirements. A general rule of thumb is that bigger appliances require more wattage, as do appliances which generate heat.
You might be considering a smaller generator but still be on the fence as to whether it’s going to cover your needs. To make a decision, you’ll need to know roughly what appliances you’re going to power.
Large Home Appliances
Your largest appliances like an electric oven, refrigerator, washing machine and dryer are going to be the most power hungry. Out of all of these, your refrigerator and washing machine will probably be the most essential during a blackout. While we can cook with gas or prepare foods that don’t require cooking, keeping perishables preserved in the fridge or freezer can become a problem during an extended blackout.
Your typical refrigerator or deep freezer requires 3000 watts to start the compressor, and about 1000 watts to run under normal conditions. A small generator would keep either of these essential appliances running with power to spare for small electronic devices. You could even heat up some snacks or even dinner in your microwave. A microwave requires roughly twice its cooking power, so a 600 watt microwave requires between 1000 and 1200 watts.
The average washing machine requires between 1000 and 2000 watts, so finishing your laundry during a blackout is not a problem, even with a small generator. Clothes dryers unfortunately require massive amounts of electricity, and with an average requirement of 5500 watts they’re not ideal to use with a generator.
Smaller Home Appliances
Even if you’re doing your laundry or keeping your fridge running you’ll have quite a bit of power to spare, allowing you to make use of some of your smaller home appliances.
A household fan needs around 120 watts, a cell phone charger around 10, a typical laptop requires less than 100, and an iPad or Tablet ranges between 10 and 20 watts depending on the size. You could even run your energy efficient LED, LCD or Plasma television because these devices only require between 50 and 400 watts, depending on the size and efficiency of your particular model.
Life Shouldn’t Stop When the Power Goes Out
Generators can provide unrivalled convenience during a blackout. With no end of Eskom’s load shedding in sight, making use of a smaller generator at your home could be something that saves you a lot of hassle and stress the next time that the lights go out.
