Generac Guardian 22kW Standby

The set-and-forget option: the whole house, on, automatically, every time.

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Specs

Figures are the manufacturer's published specs; dashes mean the maker doesn't publish a number. Verify against the current datasheet before you buy.

What can it actually run?

Checked with the same math as our calculator: total running watts, plus the single largest motor surge on top. “Tight” means it technically fits but the load sits above 80% of rated output — fine briefly, not where you want to live.

• Fridge, Wi-Fi, and lights

  730 W running · 2,230 W peak
  ✓ runs it
• Storm essentials (fridge, freezer, furnace fan, sump pump)

  3,080 W running · 4,670 W peak
  ✓ runs it
• Essentials plus a 10,000 BTU window AC

  4,280 W running · 6,680 W peak
  ✓ runs it
• Most of the house (well pump, central AC, laundry)

  13,680 W running · 35,930 W peak
  ✗ too much

The installer's take

This isn't a portable — it's an appliance an electrician and a plumber install, fed by natural gas or buried propane, that self-tests weekly and takes over in seconds whether you're home or not. Rated 22 kW on LP and 19.5 kW on natural gas. The $5,700 sticker is only the machine: with the automatic transfer switch, pad, gas line, and labor, plan on a $9,000–$14,000 project. Worth it for medical equipment, frequent outages, or a house that can't freeze; overkill for a twice-a-year fridge-and-lights problem.

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