A 4000-watt generator can run essentials like a refrigerator, stove and some lights in smaller indoor and outdoor home appliances. It all depends on the energy requirements of your appliances.
Technically, the wattage of a generator determines how much of a load it can support per unit time. It’s usually rated in watts, horsepower or amps and volts. Electronics/appliances are also rated in the same units with their units being the amount of power they need to start and run.
There is the starting wattage and running wattage for each electronic appliance. The starting wattage is the amount of power needed to start the appliance. The running wattage, on the other hand, is the power needed to keep the appliance running. The starting wattage is usually higher than or equal to the running wattage.
For a generator to run a certain appliance, it must be able to produce the starting watts and then the running watts for the appliance. The starting and running wattage aren’t required at the same time but in the order they are mentioned here.
In-house and Outdoor Appliances that can be powered by 4000-watt Generator
With a 4000-Watt generator, you can comfortably run the following items inside and outside the house.
| Appliance | Running Watts | Starting Watts |
| Light bulb – 60 Watt | 60 | 60 |
| Freezer/fridge | 700 | 2200 |
| Sump pump – ½ HP | 1050 | 2200 |
| Electric water heater | 4000 | 4000 |
| Humidifier – 13 Gallons | 175 | 175 |
| Furnace fan blower – 1/3 HP | 700 | 700 |
| Window AC – 12,000 BTU | 3250 | 3950 |
| Iron | 1200 | 1200 |
| Quartz Halogen Work Light, 300 | 300 | 300 |
| Quartz Halogen Work Light, 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Reciprocating saw | 960 | 960 |
| Electric drill – ½”, 5.4 Amps | 600 | 600 |
| Circular saw – 7¼” | 1400 | 2300 |
| Electric grill | 1650 | 1650 |
| DVD/CD Player | 100 | 100 |
| Microwave oven – 625 watts | 625 | 625 |
| Coffee maker | 1000 | 1000 |
| Dishwasher – hot dry | 1500 | 1500 |
| Toaster oven | 1200 | 1200 |
| Electric can opener | 168 | 168 |
| Stereo receiver | 450 | 450 |
| PlayStation, Xbox, Game Cube | 40 | 40 |
| Garage door opener – ½ HP | 875 | 2350 |
| Hair dryer – 1250 Watts | 1250 | 1250 |
| Radial arm saw/table saw – 10″ | 2000 | 2000 |
| Air compressor – 11HP | 975 | 1600 |
| Personal computer with 17-inch monitor | 800 | 800 |
| Laser printer | 950 | 950 |
| Copy machine | 1600 | 1600 |
| Outdoor light string | 250 | 250 |
| Light bulb – 75 watts | 75 | 75 |
| Sump pump – 1/3 HP | 800 | 1300 |
| Water well pump – 1/3 HP | 1000 | 2000 |
| Space heater | 1800 | 1800 |
| Furnace fan blower – ½ HP | 800 | 2350 |
| Window AC 10000 BTU | 1200 | 1800 |
| Central AC 10000 BTU | 1500 | 3000 |
| Washing machine | 1150 | 2250 |
| Quartz Halogen Work Light, 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Airless sprayer 1 1/3 HP | 600 | 1200 |
| Electric drill – 3/8”, 4 Amps | 440 | 600 |
| Hammer drill | 1000 | 3000 |
| Miter saw – 10″ | 1800 | 1800 |
| Am/FM radio | 100 | 100 |
| Microwave oven – 1000 Watts | 1000 | 1000 |
| Electric stove – 8″ element | 2100 | 2100 |
| Food processor | 400 | 400 |
| Toaster | 850 | 850 |
| VCR | 100 | 100 |
| Color N – 27″ | 500 | 500 |
| Security system | 500 | 500 |
| Curling iron | 1500 | 1500 |
| Planer/Jointer – b” | 1800 | 1800 |
| Belt sander | 1200 | 2400 |
| Fax machine | 65 | 65 |
| Inkjet printer | 80 | 80 |
| Color N – 13″ | 150 | 150 |
| Cell phone battery charger | 25 | 25 |
| Inflator pump | 50 | 150 |
Besides the really heavy tasks, a 4000-Watt generator basically runs everything in the home. For the small appliances, you can connect a large number of them without overloading the generator.
Popular 4000-Watt Generators (brands)
Some of the best generators around the 4000-Watt mark include the following:
| Generator | Watts | Features |
| DuroStar DS4000S Portable Generator | 4000 | Starting and running wattages of 4000 and 3300 respectively. 3.96-gallon tank capacity. Runtime of 8 hours at 50% load. 3 power outlets. 69 decibels sound. Weighs 94 pounds. |
| WEN GN4000i Open Frame Inverter Generator | 4000 | 4000 starting and 35000 running watts. 1.85-gallon tank capacity. Runtime of 7 hours. 5 power outlets. Weighs 70.5 pounds. |
| All Power America APGG4000 Portable Generator | 4000 | 4000 Watts starting and 3300 Watts running. 72 decibels of sound. 4 power outlets. weighs 132 pounds. |
| Champion Power Equipment 46539 Portable Generator | 4000 | Starting wattage of 4000W and running wattage of 3500W.3 starting mechanisms namely remote, recoil and electric start. Weighs 140 pounds. 3.8-gallon tank.12 hours of runtime at 50% load.4 power outlets. 68 decibels of sound. |
| DuroMax XP4000S Portable Generator | 4000 | Starting and running wattages of 4000 and 3300 in that order. 3.96-gallon tank capacity. 12.3 hours runtime at 50% load. 3 power outlets. 69 decibels sound level. |
| Westinghouse iGen45000 Super Quiet Portable Inverter Generator | 4500 | Starting wattage of 4500 and running wattage of 3700. 52 decibels of sound. Weighs 93 pounds. 3.4-gallon tank capacity. 18 hours of runtime at 25% load. 5 power outlets. |
| Champion Power Equipment DH Series Open Frame Inverter | 4000 | 64 decibels of sound. Starting and running wattages of 4000 and 3500 respectively. 2.9-gallon tank capacity. 17 hours runtime at 25% load. Modular compatible. 4 power outlets. |
| Sportsman GEN4000DF Dual Fuel Powered Portable Generator | 4000 | Starting and running wattages of 4000 and 3500 respectively. 69 decibels of sound. 3.6-gallon tank. Dual fuel use with gasoline and propane usable by the generator. 10 hours runtime on gasoline a 50% load and 12 hours on propane at 50% load. 5 power outlets. |
| Briggs & Stratton 30676 Gas Powered Portable Generator | 4375 | Starting wattage of 4375. Running wattage of 3500. 5-gallon tank capacity. 14 hours runtime at 50% load. 3 power outlets. Weighs 114 pounds. |
| Pulsar Portable Gas-Powered Quiet Inverter Generator | 4000 | Starting and running wattages of 4000 and 3500. 3.4-gallon tank capacity. 15 hours of runtime at 50% load. 63 decibels of noise. Recoil, remote and electric starters. 4 power outlets. |
These options are the very best in the market and will meet your needs in the home.
Further Reading