One of the most common questions we get here at Michigan Critical Power—especially after a severe storm rolls through—is, "What size generator do I actually need?"
Whether you live right in the heart of Grand Rapids, out in the wooded areas of Rockford, or down in Kalamazoo, it's a critical question. If you buy a unit that's too small, it will overload and shut down when your A/C kicks on. If you buy one that's too big, you are spending money on capacity you will never use.
Understanding Kilowatts (kW)
Generators are sized by Kilowatts (kW). Think of this as the "horsepower" of the generator. The more electrical items you want to run at the exact same time, the higher the kW rating you need. For most West Michigan homes, you'll need to decide between two strategies: Whole-Home Coverage or Essential Circuits Coverage.
1. Whole-Home Coverage
If your goal is to not even notice the power went out, whole-home coverage is for you. This size will run almost everything in a standard home simultaneously. This is the most popular choice for our customers from West Michigan who want total peace of mind during winter ice storms.
- Central Air Conditioning
- Electric oven and range
- Well pumps and sump pumps
- All lights, Wi-FI, TVs, and standard outlets
2. Essential Circuits Coverage
If you are on a budget and only care about keeping your house safe and livable during a multi-day outage, you can install a smaller generator hooked up to a partial transfer switch.
- Furnace fan (to keep the heat running in winter)
- Refrigerator and deep freezer
- A few lights and bathroom outlets
- Wi-Fi router and medical equipment
Stop Guessing. Get a Professional Sizing.
Every home's electrical panel is different. We provide free, on-site load calculations across Grand Rapids, Rockford, Kalamazoo, and surrounding communities to tell you exactly what size generator fits your specific home and budget.
Request a Free Local Site Survey