What size generator to run a garage door opener?
Garage door opener sizing at a glance: it draws 550 running watts, surging to 1430W at startup.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Running watts | 550W |
| Starting (surge) watts | 1430W |
| Recommended class (this load + margin) | 2000W |
Why the startup surge matters
Because a garage door opener has a motor, it surges to about 1430W at startup — roughly 2.6× its running draw. If you size a generator only for the running watts, it can stall the instant the garage door opener switches on. Always size for the surge.
Sizing the whole system
The number above covers the garage door opener on its own with a safety margin. In a real outage you'll run other things too — and the right method is your total running load plus the single largest surge among everything, not the sum of every surge. Use the full calculator to size your actual setup:
Common questions
How many watts does a garage door opener use?
A typical garage door opener draws about 550 running watts, but needs roughly 1430 watts at startup due to motor surge.
What size generator runs a garage door opener?
For the garage door opener alone plus a safety margin, a 2000W (≈2.0kW) class generator is appropriate. Add your other essential loads to size the full system.