What Can a 9000-Watt Generator Run?-[Will it Fill My Needs?]
This article aims to answer your burning quires related to “What can a 9000-watt generator run?” How many appliances I can run at the same time and will it run my central, RV, or Window air conditioner?
Read on to unleash the actual potential of a 9kw machine!
A 9,000-watt generator is capable of running everything in your house, RV, or Job site including the microwave, refrigerator, light bulbs, RV, window or central air conditioner, Washing machine, coffee maker, circular saws, electric drills, Grinder, etc.
What Can a 9000-Watt Generator Run?
As per the tests conducted with the GENMAX 9000-watt Portable Inverter Generator, the following appliances could run smoothly with a 9kw machine.
Understanding The Generator Wattages
The generator comes with two wattage ratings one is starting while the other is running.
Starting/surge watts of a generator: The number of wattages a generator can produce for a small time to start motorized appliances like air conditioners, Different pumps, etc.
Without the required starting watts, providing the initial inertia to the motorized appliances is nearly impossible. Also, you can find higher surge watts compared to running watts in the specification section of the generator.
Running/rated watts of a generator: The number of wattages a machine can provide for a longer time to stably run an appliance. Running wattages will always be lower compared to the starting watts.
What Will a 9000-Watt Generator Run in a House?
Yes, a 9,000-watt generator is more than enough to run everything in the house including the microwaves, refrigerators/freezers, Air conditioners, Air fryers, Sump pumps, well pumps, Electric water heaters, etc. However, if you want to run 5 – 7 power-hungry appliances with 2 -3kw, you may have to consider a bigger machine of 12 – 15kw depending on the needs.
The bottom line is you have to figure out your power requirements before making a buying decision.
What Appliances Will a 9000-Watt Generator Run? – (Comprehensive List)
| Appliance | Running Wattage | Starting Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Central AC 40,000 BTU | 6000 | 7500 |
| Central AC 10.000 BTU | 1500 | 2400 |
| Window AC 12.000 BTU | 1500 | 2300 |
| Window AC 15.000 BTU | 1900 | 2900 |
| Electric Grill 1.6 kW | 1600 | 0 |
| RV Air Conditioner 7.000 BTU | 900 | 1700 |
| Ceiling Fan | 100 | 300 |
| Dishwasher | 1300 | 1800 |
| Iron (Clothes) | 1500 | 0 |
| Curling Iron | 1500 | 0 |
| Clothes Dryer – Electric | 5000 | 7000 |
| Light LED Bulb 10 W | 10 | 0 |
| Toaster | 900 | 0 |
| Box Fan 20″ | 200 | 350 |
| RV Air Conditioner 13.500 BTU | 1600 | 2500 |
| Furnace Fan 1/2 HP | 800 | 2350 |
| Washing Machine | 1200 | 2300 |
| Refrigerator/Freezer (Jumbo Sized) | 700 | 2200 |
| Coffee Maker | 1000 | 0 |
| Window AC 5.000 BTU | 600 | 900 |
| Deep Freezer | 500 | 1500 |
| Light Bulb 60 W | 60 | 0 |
| RV Air Conditioner 10.000 BTU | 1200 | 2000 |
| Security System | 500 | 0 |
| Electric Water Heater 4 kW | 4000 | 0 |
| Microwave Oven 600 W | 600 | 0 |
| Well Pump 1/2 HP | 1000 | 2100 |
| Toaster Oven | 1200 | 0 |
| Humidifier 13 gal. | 175 | 0 |
| Vacuum Cleaner 12 Amps | 1440 | 2500 |
| Microwave Oven 1000 W | 1000 | 0 |
| Garade Door Opener 1/2 HP | 900 | 2400 |
| Sump Pump 1/3 HP | 800 | 1300 |
| Furnace Fan 1/3 HP | 700 | 1400 |
| Iron (Waffles) | 1200 | 0 |
| Sump Pump 1/2 HP | 1050 | 2200 |
| Hair Dryer 1.5 kW | 1500 | 0 |
| Aquarium | 200 | 250 |
| Electric Stove 2kW | 2000 | 0 |
| Light Bulb 75 W | 75 | 0 |
| Food Processor | 400 | 0 |
What Appliances Can Be Run Simultaneously With a 9,000-watt Generator?
It depends, if you are going to run 3 appliances of 2700 watts, you can’t power another one simultaneously.
However, as per the tests conducted by me with my GENMAX Portable Inverter Generator, a 9kw machine is more than enough to run 7 – 10 appliances of standard wattage; all you have to be careful about the wattages of the appliances you are going to plug in.
The bottom line is you don’t have to overload the machine, however, within the limit of 0 – 9000 watts, you can run any appliance you want.
Recommended Read: What Can a 10000-Watt Generator Run?
Simple Method to Determine the Power Needs:
- List down the appliance and their starting/peak and running/rated watts in separate columns, you can find the power rating from the energy labeling of the specific appliance. If you found them in amperes, make sure to convert them into watts with the help of Ohm’s Law.
Ohm’s Law:
W (Watts or Kilo Watts) = V (volts) X Amp (amperes)
E.g.: An appliance is consuming 25 starting and 21 running amps at 220V.
With the help of Ohm’s Law
W (Watts or Kilo Watts) = V (volts) X Amp (amperes)
Running watts = 21 X 220 = 4620 watts
Starting watts = 25 X 220 = 5500 watts
- Sum up the starting watts and running watts, keep them in a separate column, and compare the accumulated running and starting watts 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 |
| Microwave | 0 Watts | 800 Watts |
| Table Saw 10 inch | 2800 Watts | 2000 Watts |
| TOTAL | 9,300 Watts | 7,840 Watts |
From the above calculations, we got 9,300 starting and 7,840 running watts, hence a brandable 9,000-watt generator with 10 – 10.5kw of starting wattage is more than enough for this quotation.
NOTE: We encourage our audiences to keep a small margin of 10 – 20% of the load so that the generator can run Efficiently.
Sucking 100% load from a generator would be a leading cause of breaker tripping, voltage fluctuation, AVR failure, etc. However the small margin will keep the generator’s inner components happy and as a result, you will have very low to no repairing cost down the road.
Recommended Guide: What appliances will an 8,000-watt generator run?
How Many Amps Is a 9000-Watt Generator?
Below are the amperages I got from the 9kw unit at different voltage ratings.
| Voltage | Amperes |
|---|---|
| 120V | 75 Amps |
| 220V | 40.90 Amps |
| 240V | 37.50 Amps |
Will a 9000-watt Generator Run AC?
Yes, a 9kw machine can run the following BTUs air conditioners smoothly.
- The window air conditioner of 5,000 – 18,000 BTUs (650 – 3000 Watts)
- RV air conditioner of 5,000 – 20,000 BTUs (500 – 2000 Watts)
- Central air conditioner of 5,000 – 40,000 BTUs (1450 – 7500 Watts)
Will a 9000-watt Generator Run a 5-ton AC?
No, A 5-ton air conditioner generates about 60,000 BTUs of cooling power and consumes about 8,000 – 9,000 running watts and 14,000+ starting watts depending on the model and technology.
Verdict
A 9kw machine is more than enough to run even a medium household, RV, Jobs site, etc., however, we strongly recommend doing the wattage calculation before finalizing the unit.
Wattage calculation will not only save your initial cost but also the ongoing cost of fuel and maintenance as well. Additionally, if you need a 3 -4kw generator (What can a 4,000-watt generator run?) you can go for smaller inverter units that will be quieter and portable enough to move around safely.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
What Size Breaker Do I Need for 9000 Watts?
50 amp breakers are recommended for a 9 – 15kw generator, however, below 9kw, you can use 30 amp.
What Size Generator Do I Need for a 3.5-ton AC?
Yes, a 3.5-ton air conditioner consumes about 2500 – 3000 rated and 4,000 – 5,000 starting watts, however, a 9,000-watt machine can produce almost double.
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.