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What size generator for a ~1,500 sq ft home?

A typical small home running the appliances below during an outage needs a generator covering both the running load and the largest single motor surge.

Typical must-run appliances

Total running
2,830 W
Peak (with surge)
4,380 W

Generators that fit this load

Best for RVs and travel trailers
3,700 W run · 4,500 W start · Inverter · Gasoline
52 dBA · up to ~18 h at 25% load
3,800 W run · 4,750 W start · Open frame · Dual fuel (gas + propane)
68 dBA · ~9 h on gasoline at 50% load
5,000 W run · 6,500 W start · Inverter · Gasoline
up to ~14 h at 25% load
Fine-tune this in the full calculator →