What Can You Run on a 2000 Watt Generator?

By
Rodney Nestor
Rodney Nestor
Research Writer
Rodney holds a Master’s degree in Arts and apart from working as a freelance writer, is a rather successful author of science fiction stories published in several literary read more
Last updated: August 20, 2023
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There are times when the power goes out, and you wish you had a generator on standby. Owning a good generator can be a lifesaver when the lights suddenly go off in the neighborhood. Generators also serve a great purpose when camping or traveling in your RV. There are many benefits of owning a generator, and if you haven’t got one already, you shouldn’t hesitate to buy it. They are inexpensive, and you will value it in times of emergency.

If you choose to get one, you should get a generator that will work with your appliances. Each appliance comes with its power requirement and demands. If you have multiple appliances, a 2000 watt generator could be just what you need. What can you run on a 2000 watt generator? This article will provide answers to this question, and you will have a better understanding to help you with your purchase decision.

What You Should Know About Watts

What Can You Run on a 2000 Watt Generator?The first thing you should know about generators is that there are two distinct types of wattage: the running watts and the starting watts. You must understand how these two power ratings work before buying one. It will help you understand how your home appliances work and how you can use them with your generator. When you switch on an appliance, it will need a power boost for it to come on. This initial power is what is called the starting watts. Now, when the device is on and running, its power demand reduces or stabilizes. It won’t need as much power as it did to come on. The amount of power it is using when stabilized is the running watt.

Knowing the starting and running watt of your appliances will be a determining factor in your generator purchase. You need a generator Trusted Source Generators – Safety The aim of this page is to give general guidance on the use of and risks associated with temporary generators. Generators used as switched or back-up supplies for installations are given in BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations. www.bbc.co.uk that can accommodate your appliances when you need them. If the wattage is low, it won’t power your device, and the generator won’t be useful to you. It can even end up damaging your appliances.

Portable Generator and Inverter Generator

Before you take any step to buy a generator, you will also need to consider the generator to get for your home, office, RV appliances. It shouldn’t be a daunting task to decide on the generator to use, and it also doesn’t matter which brand it is. Even though hundreds of brands are out there, all of them fall into two groups; the  portable generator Trusted Source How to buy a portable generator - The Washington Post Calculate the wattage you’ll need, and make sure you have enough space for running a generator and storing gasoline. www.washingtonpost.com  and the inverter generator. There are several differences between these two generators.

The portable generators are usually run by either gasoline or propane. They are much noisier but are very affordable. Inverter generators, on the other hand, use gasoline and are silent generators. They cost much more than the portable generators, but the power they produce is cleaner. It also helps you save on gas because they are usually fuel-efficient. This doesn’t mean that the portable generator isn’t good. The two generators work perfectly, and your choice will depend on the appliances you are powering and your purpose for your getting the generator. You may be limited by your budget and choose to go for a portable generator.

The portable generator runs differently than the inverter generator and the way it produces power is also very different. Portable generators, power is produced from its motor, and it runs the power it generates directly to your appliances. On the other hand, inverter generators will produce power through the motor, instead of connecting directly to your appliances, it will first convert the alternating current from the motor to direct current (DC). The direct current will be inverted back to an alternating current and then sent to your appliances, much cleaner and safer. Inverter generators work well when you have very sensitive appliances like your television, laptops, and other complex gadgets. These appliances won’t be so safe when connected to a portable generator. When buying your generator, you need to select which one will work perfectly for your appliances.

Eco and Standard Mode

What Can You Run on a 2000 Watt Generator?Also on the topic of inverter generators, you should know that it has two modes of operation. You can either use it in eco mode or its standard mode. When an inverter generator is running in eco mode, it helps to improve fuel efficiency. However, there is a downside to this because it will affect high capacity appliances. If you have appliances with strong motors, the eco mode won’t supply enough power to them. The surge needed to start these strong appliances. It would be better if it is running in standard mode. If you have your generator set at eco mode and you notice that it keeps going off when you turn on an appliance, change the generator to its standard mode before you turn it on again. You will notice everything will be steady and working properly. You can only use the eco mode when you don’t want to connect powerful appliances, so you can save on gasoline.

What Can You Run On A 2000 Watt Generator?

You may need a generator for your home, workplace, or in your RV. How you determine a 2000 watt generator will be adequate for your needs is to know the appliances you will be connecting to the generator. It is safer to know the wattage requirements for each of your appliances before buying a 2000 watt generator. What can you run on an inverter generator or even a portable one, here are some home appliances that a 2000 watt generator can power.

Deep Freezer, Microwave, Electric Grill or Electric Stove

What Can You Run on a 2000 Watt Generator?A 2000 watt generator can power a deep freezer in your home. It can power a 500watt deep freezer and even a microwave that uses 1000 watts. It will power these appliances, and you can still turn on the lights in the house. An electric grill may not work because it uses about 1700 watts of power. You can use a slow cooker instead, which uses 300 watts of power. You need to be careful when using appliances like deep freezers and other simpler electronics that automatically turn themselves on and off. Freezers and refrigerators usually go on and off when it reaches a certain temperature. Using any additional appliance with high watts will overload the generator and turn it off.

Sump Pump or Well Pump

Your sump pump will need at least 1200 watts starting watt to power itself and will run on 800 watts. You can use the 2000 watts generator for your sump pump when you have a power outage. It also works fine for a 1000 watt water well pump. However, you won’t be able to use this size of generator to power your water heater.

Air Conditioner

The 2000 watt generator can’t power an RVs 15000 BTU air conditioner because it has a very high starting watt, but it can power a 10000BTU window air conditioner. The window air conditioning unit will need 2200 starting watt which can be powered easily with generators like the Briggs & Stratton P2200 but when the air conditioning stabilizes it will run at 1500watts. When the air-conditioning system is running, you can still put on a few light bulbs or charge your phone and laptop.

Washing Machine

The generator can power an automatic washer but not your clothes dryer. However, you won’t be able to turn on any other appliance when using the washer. The starting watt of the washing machine takes up the entire power of the generator and even after it stabilizes, you won’t still be able to use any other appliance because it will automatically trip off the generator.

Blender

If you try to use a blender with a 2000 Watt generator, it will trip off or automatically shut down even though the blender uses 300 watts power. The starting watt of the blender is usually around 2300 watts, and even if you use it on a 2200 watts generator, it will still turn off the generator because of the overloading.

Coffee Maker

What Can You Run on a 2000 Watt Generator?Your regular coffee maker uses 1000 watts of power. It will work well with a 2000 watts generator. If you turn on your deep freezer and your coffee maker simultaneously, it will shut down the generator. This is because the starting watts for the deep freezer is 1500 watts combined with the 1000 watts of the coffee maker will cause the generator to overload. The best thing to do is allow the deep freezer to start and after it is running, its wattage would have dropped to 500, then you can turn on the coffee maker

Furnace Fan or Radiant Heater

When you experience a power outage during winters, you will want to turn on your generator to keep the house warm. If you have a 2000 watts generator, it may not be able to power the heater. The standard heater has a running watt of 1300 watts, and this is just after it has settled from its starting watt. However, it can conveniently power a furnace fan. If you own an oil or gas furnace, you can use your generator to power it. The starting watts is 1400 watts while its running watts is 700. You can also use a 2000 watts generator to power a radiant heater, and you will still have enough power to put on lights and some fans for heat distribution.

You can use a 2000 watts generator to power many other appliances apart from those mentioned here. It can power small home appliances. You can watch your television, play your DVDs, plug in your computer and laptop. It will also light up your LEDs around the house. You can’t use the generator for ironing. But you can’t plug in any appliance that has a higher wattage than the generator.

Know Your Wattage Needs

Before you make any decisions concerning generators in your home, workplace or RV, you need to understand how electronics work. You are the only one that can determine if a 2000 watts generator will serve your purpose or if you will need a higher watt generator. You should ensure that you make the right decision when buying a genreator for your home. Making the wrong choice could have a damaging effect on your appliances. It is very easy to calculate the figures, and it will help you make the right decision. If you want to know what appliances you can use simultaneously on your generator, you need to follow these steps.

  • Make a full list of all the appliances you own in your home or where you plan on running the generator when you have a power outage.
  • On the surface of these electronics, read through the information written on their name tag. There you will find the required starting and running watts.
  • Add all the numbers of the wattage to get the total watts needed for your electronics.
  • Sort out the appliances that have the highest additional starting watts.
  • Next, you sum up to get the additional starting watt to the running watts. This complete sum will be the amount of starting watts your generator needs to provide for your appliance to function well.

You should note that some appliances may not indicate the starting watts on them. You can, in this case, use a general estimate of the wattage you will find in other similar appliances. You can then determine how many of your appliances can be powered by the generator. You shouldn’t put on all your appliances at once when running a 2000 watts generator, because it will damage the generator. If an appliance has a very high starting watt, you need to turn it on first, then allow it to reach its low running watts before you connect other appliances.

Final Thoughts

Now that you understand what to look for in generators, it won’t be difficult to find one for your needs. You can choose to either get an inverter generator or a portable generator. Although most people will opt for an inverter generator because it is silent. If you don’t like noise, you will find an inverter generator comfortable to use. Also, you may want to consider saving the cost of gasoline. Finding a good generator shouldn’t be difficult. There are lots of popular brands in the market today like Generac, Champion Power Generators and many others that make 2000 watts generators. You will need to make a list of your appliances and each of their wattage requirements, this will help you answer your question of what can you run on a 2000 watt generator.

References

1.
Generators – Safety
The aim of this page is to give general guidance on the use of and risks associated with temporary generators. Generators used as switched or back-up supplies for installations are given in BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations.
2.
How to buy a portable generator - The Washington Post
Calculate the wattage you’ll need, and make sure you have enough space for running a generator and storing gasoline.
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