I am rookie here with this kind of thing so bare with me. Is that exactly how you determine size of a generator you need. Just add the Watts for each component and then get one within that range??
Apologize if its a stupid question. I have literally never owned a generator before.
The only stupid question is the one not asked... ;)
Yes. Add up anything you think you might be using that needs electricity.
Heavy hitters are anything that is used to heat with electricity, that was why I mentioned a microwave, or something like a griddle, or a hotplate.
Those are the kind of things that can add up in a hurry as a load on a generator.
The food trucks that show up at our Church for Thursday services always seemed to be running a generator. What they run off of them, I don't know. But you need a quiet generator.
A lot depends on what your equipment will be. But getting a ballpark figure is easy enough.
The restroom trailers my SIL rents to the Studio locations generally have Honda 7000 watt units on them. That runs two AC units and everything else. (These are porcelain bathrooms. Fancy Shmancie).
I highly doubt you would have any need of such power. But I could see you needing 2000-3000 watts.
Point being, I think the Honda line is amoungst the quietest available. And the most reliable. Used for stand alone area lighting (Called Glow Bugs), and up.
But these are things you are thinking about. If you think you might be operating into the dark, also consider your Easy-Ups lighting.
Lighting loads can be made much smaller by using LED type fixtures, too.
As my SIL sez, "It's all in the cost of doing business."