Generator for home — how to choose?
When the power is out for four hours, you realise how much of daily life depends on it. At the same time, nobody buys a generator to “power the whole house” — it is expensive and often unnecessary. It is wiser to decide what you would keep, and then choose the power.
This article is about a generator for a home or private house. The main guide: how to choose a generator. Range: Generators, brand Scheppach. Prices change — check the product card.
Three levels: how much do you need
2. Extended kit
Additionally: water pump, kettle, microwave, TV, perhaps a heater. Power grows, and you must watch the order in which appliances start. A model of the SG3200x class is suitable — check that the sum with reserve is below rated power.
A plan for four hours without power
Try this exercise. Imagine the power is out for four hours on a winter evening. What do you really want to run?
- Heating boiler and circulation pump (if they depend on electricity).
- Fridge — it is enough to switch it on for periods, not continuously.
- Lighting in one or two rooms.
- Router and phone charging.
- If needed — a water pump, but not all the time.
This list is usually much shorter than “everything in the house”. And that is exactly why a lower-power model is often completely enough. Calculation steps: how to calculate generator power.
Do not expect to power the whole house
An electric stove, boiler, instant water heater, underfloor heating and heaters consume a lot. If you try to power everything at once, the generator will be too small or very expensive. Decide which appliances are essential, and leave others without power for the outage.
What to do about heating
A heating boiler itself usually draws little, but its controls need stable supply. Check the boiler manual and ask the service company about requirements. In many cases an inverter is the safer solution. If heating relies on electric heaters, much more power is needed — and that is a different task.
Safe connection: what not to do yourself
The main rule: a generator must not be connected to home wiring with improvised solutions, for example a cable with two plugs. This can cause back-feed — voltage reaches the external grid and endangers electricians and neighbours. Home connection needs a qualified electrician and suitable transfer equipment (isolating the grid from the generator). We do not provide wiring diagrams here — that is the electrician’s work.
If you decide not to connect it to the house, the simplest way is extension cords to essential appliances, provided they suit the load and the generator stands outdoors.
How to reduce load without buying a bigger generator
Often the power problem is solved not with a bigger model but with sensible habits. Do not switch on the kettle, heater and microwave at once. Start the fridge and the pump one at a time. Switch off appliances you do not need during the outage. Such tricks let a smaller generator get through the same four hours — and that is usually cheaper.
What to check before winter
- Does the generator start — test it outside an outage.
- Do the oil level and fuel match the manual.
- Is an extension cord ready, suited for outdoors and the load.
- Is the generator’s spot free of flooding and sheltered from precipitation.
- Does everyone in the household know a generator must never be run indoors.
Where to put the generator
- Outdoors, away from windows, doors and vents — exhaust contains carbon monoxide.
- On a stable, dry surface, under a cover that protects from rain but does not block ventilation.
- Not in a garage or cellar with the doors closed.
- Refuel only with the engine off and cooled down.
What to choose by situation
What to ask an electrician
- Does my distribution board allow safe switching to a generator?
- Which appliances should be placed on a separate circuit to be fed from the generator?
- Which transfer equipment (manual or automatic) suits my case?
- What generator power is needed for my actual load?
These questions save time and money. And above all — they protect against dangerous mistakes.
Extension cords and cables
If you feed individual appliances through an extension cord, choose a cable suited for outdoors and the load, and unwind it fully — coiled cables overheat. Do not let the cable lie in water or get crushed in a door. Do not use damaged cables. If an appliance needs high power, check that the extension cord is rated for the current.
Common mistakes
- Calculating power for the whole house although only a few appliances are essential.
- Forgetting the start-up peak of the fridge and pump.
- Connecting a generator to the home grid without an electrician.
- Placing the generator in a garage or next to a window.
- Not storing fuel and not testing the generator before it is needed.
More on power: how to calculate generator power. On fuel: petrol or diesel generator. On voltage: 230 V or 400 V.
FAQ
Is a small generator enough for a home?
If you only want the essentials — yes, often it is. Check the power from appliance labels.
Can I power the whole house?
That requires much more power and a professional connection. It is usually wiser to choose a minimal kit.
How do I connect a generator to the house?
With an electrician’s help and transfer equipment. Do not use improvised solutions.
Can a generator be kept in the house?
While running — no. Only outdoors with good ventilation. It can be stored in a dry place with the fuel system empty or prepared as the manual says.
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