Welcome to a complete power supply for an off grid home. A 7000-watt generator offers plenty of power for all types of off grid homesteads. All you need is gas and youʻre your own power company, powering almost every appliance in the house simultaneously.
A 7000-watt generator can run many small-wattage appliances simultaneously including lights, fridge, charging cords, tvʻs and more. A 7000 Watt Generator can also power higher watt appliances such as air conditioners and water heaters with a little extra room for other devices.
Below I will touch on some of the higher wattage appliances that you can power with a 7000 watt generator, as well as likely scenarios for running multiple items at once with a powerful generator.
What Can A 7000 Watt Generator Can Run?
You probably want to run multiple items at once with a 7000 watt generator, so I’ll get to that next. First, there a few appliances that require at least a 6000 watt generator, but 7000 watts gives you a bit more wiggle room for little added cost.
High Wattage Appliances That Require A 7000 Watt Generator To Run:
- Water Heater – typically requires 4500 or more watts
- Small Pool Heater – 5000 watts
- Air Conditioner – 3000 – 5000 watts (not a window unit, but a system that is big enough for several rooms).
As you can see, trying to power any of these items of a 5000-watt generator could be dangerous or getting close to maxing-out a mid-sized generator. One of the reasons to consider a 7000-watt generator is to exclusively power one large appliance.
For us folks in the tropics, keeping cool is not just about comfort, there are sometimes health-related reasons we need to keep our homesteads within a certain temperature range.
For instances like this, you can still be off-grid and use an air conditioner – just make sure you have a large enough generator. And, hey, having a warm pool may not feel like a necessity, but it sure can be a big part of life, too.
There isn’t a requirement that going off-grid means skimping – go ahead and heat your pool during cold months – just make sure your generator is big enough for the job.
Related: What Appliances Will A 3000 Watt Generator Run?
What a 7000 Watt Generator Cannot Run
Unfortunately, there are limitations to everything, including a 7000-watt generator. One of the things people often want to know about when going off-grid is heating.
Just to be clear, a 7000 watt generator does not have the capacity for a full home heating system, whether it uses radiators or central heating. These options use 15000 watts or more (even as much as 30,000 watts), which is why off-grid homes look at more sustainable alternatives.
If you live in a temperate climate and experience cold winters, you probably already have this figured out with a wood-stove or other off-grid heating system.
For those of us in the tropics, it’s not so easy. We don’t have cold winters, we just have occasional cool weather and the odd day that might feel extremely cold to us. We don’t want a full heating system and we probably don’t want to invest in a system that won’t get regular annual use.
While a 7000-watt generator cannot power a full home heating system, it can run several space heaters. This could be the answer for your off-grid home in the tropics.
A space heater pulls anywhere from 1000 – 3000 watts, so a 7000-watt generator could be just the thing to get you through those cold spells.
What can I run simultaneously with a 7000-watt generator?
The appeal of a 7000-watt generator is the number of items it can run, without having to disconnect various items or count each and every light bulb. Let’s look at a few offgrid home scenarios that might work for your homestead:
8 30-watt light bulbs = 240 watts
3 phone chargers = 75 watts
2 laptop computers = 100 watts
1 internet router = 10 watts
2 fans = 100 watts
Freezer = 60 watts
Fridge = 100 watts
Slow Cooker = 150 watts
A/C (medium-size unit)= 4000 watts
Washing machine = 800 watts
TOTAL = 5,635 watts
This is a lot of items, and it hasn’t even reached close to the generator’s maximum output. However, you’re only powering up one ‘heavy’ wattage item, the air conditioner.
Here is another scenario, with several heavy-hitters:
Washing Machine = 800 watts
Space heater = 1500 watts
Fridge (start up) = 1200 watts
Freezer (start up) = 500 watts
4 30-watt light bulbs = 120 watts
2 laptop computers = 100 watts
2 phone chargers = 50 watts
1 internet router = 10 watts
Large LED TV = 300 watts
Sump pump = 1800 watts
Total = 6,380 watts
Let’s face it, even if your off-grid home usually runs on solar power or alternatives, there are some days you just need a generator as a back-up option.
When those days do come, you may need to do everything all at once: get laundry done, charge up all your devices and keep the fridge/freezer from defrosting. A 7000-watt generator can get this job done.
Here are some examples of typical off-grid homestead needs that a 7000-watt generator could power. Of course, your specific appliances may have more or less watts, so it is imperative that you calculate for your specific home and items.
A 7000-watt generator can do a lot; it can run a single powerful appliance (like a water heater or air conditioner), or be used to run several smaller appliances at once. If you have a large off-grid home, or want to live off-grid with extra comforts, like a pool heater or small air conditioner, go ahead!