What Can a 6500 Watt Generator Run? – Explore the Boundaries
This article aims to answer your queries about “What can a 6500-watt generator run?” can I run all of the appliances simultaneously and will it fit my needs?
A 6500-watt generator can run almost every essential of a small household, RV, or job site including the Air conditioner, Microwave, coffee maker, air fryer, electric water heater, refrigerator/freezer, central vacuum, Home theater system, dryer, circular saw, welder, Electric drills, etc.
Read on to explore the limits of a 6500w machine!
Understanding The Generator’s Wattage
Starting/peak watts: The number of wattages a machine can produce for a short time to power up a motorized appliance. Peak watts will always be higher compared to running or rated watts.
Note: The purpose of starting watts is to only initial boost up to the appliances; however rest of the work will be handled by the running watts.
Running/rated watts: The number of wattages a machine could produce for a longer time to continuously run an appliance or tool in a stable condition. Rated watts will always be lower compared to the starting watts.
What Appliances Can a 6500 Watt Generator Run?
Below are the lists of House, Rv, and job site appliances/tools that can be smoothly run with a 6500-watt generator.
What Household Appliances Can I Run?
| Appliance | Running Watts | Starting Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Electric Water Heater 4 kW | 4000 | 0 |
| Sump Pump 1/2 HP | 1050 | 2200 |
| Furnace Fan 1/2 HP | 800 | 2350 |
| Window AC 15.000 BTU | 1900 | 2900 |
| Central AC 10.000 BTU | 1500 | 2400 |
| Window AC 12.000 BTU | 1500 | 2300 |
| Electric Grill 1.6 kW | 1600 | 0 |
| Clothes Iron | 1500 | 0 |
| Hair Dryer 1.5 kW | 1500 | 0 |
| Sump Pump 1/3 HP | 800 | 1300 |
| Toaster Oven | 1200 | 0 |
| Dishwasher | 1300 | 1800 |
| Microwave Oven 1000 W | 1000 | 0 |
| Box Fan 20″ | 200 | 350 |
| Coffee Maker | 1000 | 0 |
| Window AC 5.000 BTU | 600 | 900 |
| Furnace Fan 1/3 HP | 700 | 1400 |
| Window AC 12.000 BTU | 1500 | 2300 |
| Vacuum Cleaner 12 Amps | 1440 | 2500 |
| Refrigerator/Freezer | 700 | 2200 |
| Iron (Waffles) | 1200 | 0 |
| Toaster | 900 | 0 |
| Window AC 12.000 BTU | 1500 | 2300 |
| Ceiling Fan | 100 | 300 |
| Garade Door Opener 1/2 HP | 900 | 2400 |
| Well Pump 1/2 HP | 1000 | 2100 |
| Aquarium | 200 | 250 |
| Light LED Bulb 10 W | 10 | 0 |
| Light Bulb 60 W | 60 | 0 |
| Deep Freezer | 500 | 1500 |
| Curling Iron | 1500 | 0 |
| Security System | 500 | 0 |
| Microwave Oven 600 W | 600 | 0 |
| Electric Stove 2kW | 2000 | 0 |
What RV Appliances Can I Run?
| Appliance | Running Wattage | Starting Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Freezer | 500 | 1500 |
| RV Air Conditioner 7,000 BTU | 900 | 1700 |
| Blender | 300 | 800 |
| Microwave Oven 1000 W | 1000 | 0 |
| Toaster | 900 | 0 |
| Ceiling Fan | 100 | 300 |
| Dishwasher | 1300 | 1800 |
| Electric Grill 1.6 kW | 1600 | 0 |
| Television 27″ | 500 | 0 |
| Light Bulb 60 W | 60 | 0 |
| Light Bulb 75 W | 75 | 0 |
| Light LED Bulb 10 W | 10 | 0 |
| Curling Iron | 1500 | 0 |
| Iron (Clothes) | 1500 | 0 |
| Food Processor | 400 | 0 |
| Space Heater 2 kW | 2000 | 0 |
| Electric Stove 2kW | 2000 | 0 |
| Furnace Fan 1/3 HP | 700 | 1400 |
| Furnace Fan 1/2 HP | 800 | 2350 |
| Washing Machine | 1200 | 2300 |
| Vacuum Cleaner 12 Amps | 1440 | 2500 |
| Coffee Maker | 1000 | 0 |
| RV Air Conditioner 10,000 BTU | 1200 | 2000 |
| RV Air Conditioner 13,500 BTU | 1600 | 2500 |
| RV Air Conditioner 15,000 BTU | 1700 | 2700 |
What Jobsite Tools Can I Run?
| Appliance | Running Wattage | Starting Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Halogen Work Light 300 W | 300 | 0 |
| Electric Drill 1/2 inch 5.4A | 600 | 900 |
| Air Compressor 1/4 HP | 900 | 1600 |
| Reciprocating Saw | 900 | 1300 |
| Belt Sander | 1200 | 2400 |
| Hammer Drill 1.2 kW | 1200 | 3500 |
| Circular Saw 7 1/4 inch | 1400 | 2300 |
| Miter Saw 10 inch | 1800 | 2500 |
| Planer/Jointer 6 inch | 1800 | 2500 |
| Airless Sprayer | 600 | 1200 |
| Electric Drill 3/8 inch 4 A | 450 | 700 |
| Halogen Work Light 1 kW | 1000 | 0 |
| Halogen Work Light 500 W | 500 | 0 |
| Table Saw 10 inch | 2000 | 2800 |
| Air Compressor 1 HP | 1600 | 4500 |
Recommended Guide: What Can a 7500-Watt Generator Run?
Can a 6500 Watt Generator Run a House?
It depends on the power requirement of your household; however, a 6.5kw generator will be enough to run the appliances or tools including the microwave, refrigerator/freezer, Air conditioner, Air fryer, electric water heater, electric smoker, circular saw, welder, etc.
How Many Appliances I Can Run Simultaneously?
It depends on the wattage ratings of the appliances you are going to use simultaneously.
If you are going to use an appliance of 6,000 watts you will not have access to power another one, however, if you want to operate the standard wattage appliances with 100 – 1500 watts you can run 10 – 15 or even more.
The bottom line you can use as many appliances as you want within the range of 0 – 6500 watts. We recommend doing the wattage calculation to get more out of a 6500 machine.
NOTE: We recommend keeping a margin of 10 – 15% load so that a machine could run smoothly. Pulling 100% of the load will not only leads to overloading the machine but also increases the costly repairs down the road.
How to Determine the Power Needs?
- Write down the appliance of your household/RV with their starting and running wattages. You can find the power ratings from the energy labeling of the appliance.
- If you found the power rating is in amps make sure to convert them into watts with the help of Ohm’s law.
Ohm’s Law: W (watts/Kilo watts) = Amps (Ampere) X V (volts)
E.g.: An appliance consumes about 20 running and 25 starting amps at the voltage of 220V.
W (watts/Kilo watts) = Amps (Ampere) X V (volts)
Running Watts = 20 X 220 = 4,400
Starting Watts = 25 X 220 =5,500
- Sum up the power ratings of the appliances and keep them in a separate column.
- Compare the power ratings with the machine you are going to purchase.
Practical Example:
| Appliances | Starting Watts | Running Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 1200 Watts | 200 Watts |
| Dishwasher | 1500 Watts | 1500 Watts |
| Deep Freezer | 1300 Watts | 700 Watts |
| Washing Machine | 0 Watts | 1200 Watts |
| Vacuum Cleaner 12 Amps | 2500 | 1440 |
| TOTAL | 6,500 Watts | 5,040 Watts |
From the above calculation, we got 6500 starting/surge watts and 5040 running/rated watts, hence a brandable 6.5kw machine would be enough for the above quotation.
Recommended Read: What Can a 5500 Watt Generator Run?
Will a 6500 Watt Generator Run My Central Air Conditioner?
Well, it depends on the starting and running wattages of the central air conditioner you own. In general, a 6.5kw generator will be enough to run a small central air conditioning unit of 4,000 – 5,500 watts.
Will a 6500 Watt Generator Run My Window Air Conditioner?
Yes, a window air conditioner of 5,000 – 18,000 BTUs needs about 500 – 2500 of wattage which will not be a problem for a 6.5kw machine, however, if you have an older model with huge starting watts you may have to consider a bigger generator of 10000 watts.
Will a 6500 Watt Generator Run My Refrigerator?
Yes, even a jumbo refrigerator/freezer needs about 2000 – 2,500 depending on the model brand and the size of the refrigerator.
Will a 6500-watt generator Run a Furnace?
Depending on the size of the furnace you own, typically a normal household furnace with 1500 – 3500 watts will not be a problem for a 6500w machine, however, if you own a large furnace of 10000 – 20000 wattage you may have to consider a bigger standby generator.
Recommended Read: Can I Run my Furnace On A Generator?
Will a 6500 Watt Generator Run a Well Pump?
It depends on the power ratings of the specific well pump, I have listed some of the well pumps that can be easily handled by a 6.5k machine let’s have a look.
| Sump Size | Running Watts | Starting Watts |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 Horse Power | 1000 | 2100 |
| 1/3 Horse Power | 750 | 1500 |
| 1 Horse Power | 2000 | 4000 |
| 3/4 Horse Power | 1500 | 3000 |
| 1 & 1/2 Horse Power | 2500 | 5000 |
Will a 6500 Watt Generator Run a 50 Amp Camper?
It depends, a 6.5kw generator will be more than enough to run some of the standard appliances of a 50 amp camper, however, for powering up some of the power-hungry appliances you may have to consider a bigger machine.
Before making any buying decision make sure to calculate your powering needs to not only saves your initial cost but also the ongoing cost of fuel and maintenance.
NOTE: You may need a converter/adopter for converting the 30amp to 50amp.
Recommended Read: What Size Generator do i need to run a 50 Amp RV?
How Many Hours Will a 6500 Watt Generator Run?
It depends on the generator’s fuel tank, efficiency, and how much load you are pulling. Typically a normal 6.5kw generator should provide at least 8 hours of runtime at 25 – 30% with a single fuel tank of fuel.
How Many Volts Is a 6500 Watt Generator?
Almost every 6.5kw generator comes with 120/240 volts; hence you will have access to plug most of the heavy-duty appliances or tools including the welders, electric water heaters, central air conditioners, etc.
How Many Amps Does a 6500 Watt Generator Produce?
It depends on the voltages, below are the readings at different voltages I got from my brother’s Honda EM6500SXK2AN 6500-Watt.
| Voltages | Amperes |
|---|---|
| 120V | 54.16A |
| 220V | 29.53A |
| 240V | 27.08 |
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Will a 6500-watt generator Run a Welder?
It depends, a normal welder of 25 – 30 amps will not be a problem for a 6500w unit, however, if you have a welder with 45 – 50 amps you may have to purchase a bigger generator of 10000 – 15000 watts.
Will a 6500 Watt Generator Run a Heat Pump?
It depends on the size and efficiency of the heat pump you own. A normal heat pump of 700 – 6000 watts will not be a problem for a 6500w machine.
How Much Can I Power With 6500 Watt Generator?
A 6.5kw generator can run almost every essential ranging from 100 – 6400 watts.
What Oil to Use in 6500 Watt Generator?
We encourage our readers to skim the user manual first and see what kind of engine oil is recommended by the manufacturers for the specific model you own. We also have written a guide about the generator’s oil change make sure to have a look if you have any confusion.
Will a 6500 Watt Generator Run a Dryer?
Yes, a standard dryer needs about 5,000 – 6,000 surge wattage which can be easily handled by a 6.5kw generator, however, if you want to run the other appliances simultaneously, you may have to consider a bigger machine of 10 – 12kw.
Will a 6500 Watt Generator Run a Hot Water Heater?
Yes, similar to a dryer, an electric water heater requires approximately 4500-6000 watts, depending on its size, model, and efficiency. However, the drawback is that you cannot connect to another appliance until you have finished using the water heater.
Kashif has been a valuable asset to the electric generator industry for over 5 years. Now, As a skilled energy engineer, he’s been on the front lines of diagnosing problems, fixing broken parts, and performing routine maintenance tasks to keep generators running smoothly.