What Will A 8000 Watt Generator Run (Frequently Asked Questions)

Generators are becoming a necessity nowadays and many people often inquire how much a watt generator is enough to meet their household needs in times of emergency. If you have visited our site you will observe that we have a detailed review of the article on different generator wattage.

In this article too, we are going to discuss what will 8000-watt generator run. 8000 watts is a huge generator capacity. It is enough to turn on your all home appliances. You can run a heater, refrigerator, washing machine, toaster, television, laptop, and much more in his wattage.

If you want to know in detail how big of a generator you need, you can consult our detailed answer in this article. Without further ado let’s move toward the article:

What can you run with an 8000-watt generator?

You must be aware of the appliances your 8,000-watt generator can power before rushing to the garage to hook it into the electrical panel. Despite the fact that a generator of this size can manage a lot, you should manage your electricity use to avoid overloading the device. The equipment could be damaged and even ignited by overloading the generator.

First of all, take an estimation of the starting and running watts of the appliances you want to run on your generator. We have devised a chart for your ease in which you can see the starting and running watts of different home appliances. Recall that each brand and style of appliance varies slightly. Therefore, to find out exactly an estimate of how much electricity your appliances demand, you’ll need to consult the user manuals for your equipment.

Starting and running watts of different appliances

Appliance Starting Watts Running Watts
Cell Phone Charger N/A 25
A string of Outdoor Lights N/A 40
Laptop N/A 60
75 Watt Light Bulb N/A 75
Powered Cordless Drill N/A 100
50 Inch LCD TV N/A 150
Crockpot N/A 250
Home Projector N/A 300/800
Camping Refrigerator 500 350
Blender N/A 500
Microwave N/A 600/1200
Full-Size Refrigerator 2200 700
Coffee Maker N/A 1000
Sump Pump ½ Horse Power 2150 1050
Washing Machine 2250 1150
Toaster Oven N/A 1200
Window Air Conditioner (10,000 BTUs) 3600 1200
Electric Grill N/A 1250
Hair Dryer N/A 1250
Dishwasher N/A 1500
Space Heater N/A 1800
Well Pump 4000 2000
Oven Range N/A 2000/5000
Hot Water Heater N/A 3000
Central Air Conditioner Up to 11,400 3,800
Clothes Dryer 6750 5400

What does it mean by Starting watts and Running Watts?

Let’s clear the confusion between starting watts and running watts here:

Starting Watts

Starting watts are often referred to as surge watts. These watts are the additional watts that are only required for two to three seconds in order to start an electric appliance.

The power that a generator can generate when it is first turned on is known as its starting wattage. You must take into account the surge watts of major appliances if you are utilizing a generator to power a house during a power outage. If you don’t do this, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to use that particular appliance or, worse yet, you might end up damaging the generator because of overloading.

Running Watts

An appliance’s power consumption is measured in operating watts. The running wattage is typically lower than the beginning wattage.

A regular hair drier, for instance, has a beginning wattage of 1800 but only an operating wattage of 1400. Similar to a refrigerator, which normally has a 1200-watt starting power but only 100 watts of running power. The running watts of a generator will be crucial in the calculations you need to make to determine how many electronic gadgets you can run concurrently.

How many appliances can I run at once on the 8000-watt generator?

As long as the combined operating wattage and continuous wattage are less than the 8,000-watt generator’s maximum output, you can run as many home appliances at once as you like.

For this, you must have an estimation of the operating and running watts of your home appliances. We’ll use the chart given above to get a general idea of how to figure out how many devices you can run on your generator for the time being. But keep in mind that different brands manufacture appliances with varying capacities of wattage, so you must consult the user manual first.

How many appliances can I run at once on the 8000-watt generator

Make a list of all the devices you plan to use or want to have running in case there is an extended or brief power outage. List the starting and ongoing wattages that each item on the list requires next to each item. Include all of the starting watts in the total at the bottom of the list. Use the running watts if an item lacks extra starting watts.

The running watts should then be totalled. Check to see if the starting and running watt requirements are less than what your generator can supply. You’ll need to run fewer items at once if the totals exceed the capacity of your generator.

If you are still confused and want to know detailed information on How big of a generator you need, read our article.

Best 8000-watt generator to run the house

Though many different generators are available in the market, one that has passed all our expert tests is the Generac XG8000E. This generator is no less than a wonder in working, efficiency, and quality. Generac manufactures one of the finest quality generators and this 8000-watt generator is one of them.

Features of Generac XG8000E

A Generac 410 cc OHVI engine, which is included with the Generac 5847 XG8000E gas-powered portable generator, enables it to continuously generate 8000 watts of electricity while also having a surge capacity of 10000 watts.

For operating temperature conditions over 40°F, pure 30W oil is advised. Synthetic oil and a 10W-30 down to 10°F are suggested below 40 degrees. When the oil level drops, the engine shuts off and waits to restart so that the oil pressure may increase.

Features of Generac XG8000E

Gasoline is used to power the portable Generac 5847 XG8000E generator. It features a large gasoline tank with up to 9 gallons of capacity. At 50% load, this generator can operate for up to ten hours on a single fuel tank.

E85, Methanol, or gas containing more than 10% ethanol should not be utilized, according to Generac. They advise against premium-grade gasoline and suggest using standard unleaded fuel instead.

To conclude, I can rightly say that this is the best generator to run your house.

How long will an 8000-watt generator run on 5 gallons of gas?

According to our estimation and research, a generator can run between 6 hours and 42 minutes and 363 hours and 19 minutes on 5 gallons of gas. The size of the generator and the type of fuel are the two main factors that affect the exact time.

That is a sizable range. How long would five gallons of gas in a generator actually run? So, based on a number of variables, we must make some calculations.

To assist you, we have a “5-Gallon Tank Generator Running Hours Calculator” chart that will help you in determining the generator’s maximum running wattage and fuel preference and it will also determine how long such a generator runs on a 5-gallon gas tank.

 The Chart is given below:

Generator Running Wattage Gasoline Running Time Propane Running Time
500 Watts 363.32 Hours 268.10 Hours
1,000 Watts 181.66 Hours 134.05 Hours
1,500 Watts 121.11 Hours 89.36 Hours
2,000 Watts 90.83 Hours 67.02 Hours
3,000 Watts 60.55 Hours 44.68 Hours
4,000 Watts 45.41 Hours 33.51 Hours
5,000 Watts 36.33 Hours 26.81 Hours
6,000 Watts 30.28 Hours 22.34 Hours
8,000 Watts 22.71 Hours 16.76 Hours
10,000 Watts 18.17 Hours 13.40 Hours
12,000 Watts 15.14 Hours 11.17 Hours
15,000 Watts 12.11 Hours 8.94 Hours
18,000 Watts 10.09 Hours 7.45 Hours
20,000 Watts 9.08 Hours 6.70 Hours

How long will an 8000-watt generator run?

As we have discussed earlier, an 8000-watt generator having 5 gallons of gasoline will run for 22.71 hours and 5 gallons of propane fuel will run the generator for 16.76 hours. It basically depends on the type of fuel you are using for your generator.

Will an 8000-watt generator run central air?

Although you could theoretically run a modern, energy-efficient, small central air conditioner with an 8000-running-watt generator, we’d prefer to use an emergency window air conditioner instead because 8000 generators might not have enough starting power.

The answer to this question is contingent on how many starting and running watts your AC unit needs.

These figures obviously vary from unit to unit and are based on the cooling capacity of various models and brands. For this reason, you must check the name tag on your central air conditioner for the following information.

Will an 8000-watt generator run central air

For RV air conditioners, this generator would work excellently, and fortunately, our list of Best generators for RV air conditioners will help you a lot in finding in this case.

  • LRA (Locked Rotor Amps) This figure represents the current you can anticipate during starting conditions when you apply full voltage.
  • RLA (Rated Load Amps) value denotes the highest current that a compressor should ever consume while in operation.
  • The FLA (Full Load Amps) figure is equivalent to the Rated Load Amps.

Just keep in mind that you must account for the amps used by both the fan unit and the compressor. Please check with the manufacturer or a licensed electrician to find out if your 8000-watt generator can power a central air conditioner.

What size breaker do I need for an 8000-watt generator?

The amps must first be calculated as follows: 8,000W/220V = 36.4A to know the exact answer. The amps must then be multiplied by a factor of 1.25 to allow for the 80% NEC regulation, as in 36.4A * 1.25 = 45.5A. This means that you require a wire with a minimum ampacity of 45.5A. An 8,000-watt generator requires copper wire that is 8 gauge AWG and has a 50A ampacity.

Now consider that you own a 50-amp generator. For a 50 amp generator, what size wire is required? According to the 80% NEC regulation, you must multiply the amps by a factor of 1.25 as follows: 50A×1.25 = 62.5A. This means that you require a wire with a minimum ampacity of 62.5A. AWG copper wire in 6 gauge AWG.

To Sum Up

An 8000-watt generator is a strong device that can run numerous items in your RV at once. Utilize only the necessary appliances and make sure to conduct a power audit of your appliances. Make sure you conduct an appliance power audit and utilize just the necessary appliances. The Generac XG8000E is the ideal option if you don’t currently own a 5500w portable generator and are shopping for one.

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