A backup generator is a great investment and probably a need if you live in a prone region to power outages.
They are also excellent for folks who have an RV and want to take their home comforts with them on weekends since you can charge your electric gadgets and use them to operate your AC when you are not connected to a power station.
In that case, this helpful guide will answer the question lingering in your mind, “What will a 3,500-watt generator run?”
Whatever your motive for purchasing one, you will undoubtedly want to know what you can do with it before you buy it.
There are chances that you might be someone who already owns a 3,500-watt generator, and you want to see how many appliances you can operate simultaneously.
What Can I Run On A 3500 Watt Generator
3500 watts generators are the typical portable units that are most commonly used for multifunctioning and fulfilling power needs at home. These 3.5KW units are a better option than 2000 watts portable generators that are only fit for camping or tailgating. But the 3500 watts range is a wider horizon that covers so many aspects and gives you the facility to be used as both a primary and secondary power source.
Some people may think that generators are only fit for power backup needs at home but what most people don’t realize is that generators are more commonly used for entertainment purposes such as for camping and tailgating for powering their travel vehicles such as RV or camping vans. Or they may be used for industrial needs such as for running the appliances and machinery at a construction site.
To know what you can run on a 3500 watts generator you would have to follow the given steps:
- Calculate the number of devices you want to power with your generator and enlist them.
- Write down the specific wattage of each device you have enlisted in the first step, before it.
- Add the total wattage of all appliances.
The wattage you have obtained at the end will give you an idea about what you can run on a 3500 watts generator.
Given below is the starting wattage of some common household appliances.
Item | Estimated Watts |
Small RV air conditioner | 900-1700 |
Pump | 800-1300 |
Heater | 750-1500 |
Microwave | 1000 |
Phone Charger | 10 |
Laptop Computer | 20-75 |
iPad/Tablet | 10-20 |
Let’s say you are on a camping trip and want to power the above-mentioned devices. The total wattage you will obtain by calculating the final wattage will give you an idea about which devices you can run simultaneously. For instance, in the case of the above appliances, you can run all the first 6 to 7 appliances at once since they add up to 3500 watts.
You can take turn to make use of your generator for running all appliances, for example, you can stop the pump to run your microwave and chargers at once and when the need to power the pump arise, you can stop the microwave to make room for the pump.
To more about the specific applications of a 3500 watts generator, let’s see the various areas where you can make use of a 3500 watts generator.
· Power Outage at Home
The very first need for a generator is the power requirements at home under power outages. A 3500 watts generator is sufficient for powering almost all basic appliances at home. The typical household appliances that a homeowner would want to run when the grid supply is not available are the lights, refrigerator, and fans. These appliances total up to 1000 watts minimum and to power some other basic appliances like a microwave, freezer, electric kettle, etc. you would need at least 2500 watts of continuous watts that are most commonly generated by the 3500 watts generator.
· Work Site
Most worksites need to run power tools including a circular saw, air compressors etc. and a 3500 watts generator is more than enough for running these power tools. With this mid-range generator, you can easily power an air compressor, three to four drills, nail gun etc. but if you have a large worksite with multiple people running various tasks and you would have to run multiple power tools at once then you would need to use two or more generators or a single large generator depending upon your power requirements.
· RV Trip
RVs are not heavily laden with heavy-duty electric appliances and you would have a few basic appliances that can easily be powered with a 2500 or 3500 watts generator. But if you have a central cooling or heating system inside your RV and have many other electric appliances then a 3500 watts generator will be the best bet for you.
· Tailgating
Tailgating is also a common need for which most outdoor generators are needed. Generally, a 3500 watts generator is way more than the power required for a tailgating party. But let’s say one of your friends has brought an electric grill with a surge wattage of up to 2000 watts then a 3500 will be your ideal choice as you would have to use other appliances with the grill.
Advantages Of A 3500-Watt Generator:
For someone looking to buy a 3500-watt quiet generator, these factors may help them decide if a generator 3500-watt is what they are looking for.
Low Noise And Durability:
The 3500w generator is popular because of its efficiency, quietness, and longevity. These generators are super-high quality, and they help protect against faulty electricity.
The generator is suitable for both homeowners and business owners, as this power-ranged generator will help you power up all of your appliances with comfort.
Price And Performance Ratio:
One of the key reasons for the generator’s popularity is its low price.
When paired with its large power output, it can run critical appliances simultaneously, making these generators the best in the market in terms of price-to-performance ratio.
Power Output:
Generators in the 3500-Watt power range will be enough for you to power all of your household’s lighting and minor appliances.
Not only that, but it can power medium-sized appliances and let you go about your daily chores with ease.
Size:
This power comes in a compact size, as most of the 3500-Watt generators are small enough to promote easy transportation.
You can power up your RV or camp anywhere without worrying about a consistent power supply.
Ease Of Transportation:
The movable platform is easy to transport from one location to another due to its minimal weight, and this is popular in most of the 3500-watt generators in the market, which makes them the ultimate option for buyers who do not need a super high-powered generator and are just looking for a generator that will be enough for them to power their homes in terms of a temporary and short power outage.
Disadvantages Of A 3500-Watt Generator:
As many advantages it has, there are some downsides to a 3500-Watt generator too. Let us take a look at some of them.
Power Limit:
The first thing that many buyers will find restricting is the power output.
For someone who is going to be using a lot of appliances in case of a power outage, this generator might fall short in terms of providing enough electricity for you to be able to power up your devices and appliances.
If it comes to running multiple heavy power devices at once, the generator will not be able to support them all at once due to its lower power output.
Heavy Appliances:
If you are looking to run air conditioners or refrigerators on your generator, the 3500-Watt generators might disappoint you slightly.
The dimensions and wattage of different air conditioning systems vary significantly, just as there is no one-size-fits-all generator.
The quantity of electricity and energy required to run different air conditioners varies significantly.
It is also crucial to remember that your air conditioner does not always consume the same electricity.
Turning on your AC requires more energy than keeping it running.
You will not be able to use your air conditioner until your generator can meet these initial needs.
Total Appliance Usage Limit:
Operating two major appliances at once is not recommended. Instead, it is better to use smaller gadgets taking up most of the power being supplied.
TVs and laptops take a small amount of power, but may rapidly build up to demand more from your generator.
While having all the lights switched on in the house may appear little, it may rapidly deplete all the power from your machine and cause issues.
Generators with just as little as, 3500 watts of power may easily ensure that you do not have a horrible day when the power goes out.
So, What Can I Run On A 3500 Watt Generator?
These categories are popular among customers due to their numerous advantages.
A 3.5kW backup power supply is ideal for home or commercial usage because it falls into the small to medium category. It can manage big appliances as well as delicate gadgets.
The 3500-watt generator is among the better generator options, and this heavy-duty device is capable of powering various medium-sized household appliances.
This generator size provides an electrical supply ranging from 14 amps to 240 volts.
This gives you an overview of knowledge for buyers wondering, “what can a 3500-watt generator run?” and put their doubts to rest.
FAQs:
Can You Run Everything Simultaneously On a 3500-Watt Generator?
A 3500 watts generator is a mid-range unit that can power most of your basic household appliances but it will not run your whole house. That’s to say that you cannot run all of your electric appliances at once with a 3500 watts generator. You can try different combinations of devices to make sure that your surge wattage doesn’t exceed the peak wattage of the generator.
Why Are There Things You Cannot Run on A 3500-Watt Generator?
A 3500 watts generator will not power anything that has surge wattage beyond 3500 watts. Most typically the heating system and cooling units are not powered by a 3500 watts generator particularly 15000 BTU AC or central heating systems.
Our Recommendation:
We hope this article gives you enough knowledge to decide whether a 3500-Watt generator is what you are looking for or if you might need a generator with a higher power range to meet your electricity needs and requirements.
Conclusion:
Most of the essential appliances in your house should be easily powered by your 3500-watt generator. If you work on perfectly balancing everything, you will find that you can power anything.
See More Articles:
What Will A 6500 Watt Generator Run?
What Will A 2000 Watt Generator Run?
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