Scenarios › What size power station to run a refrigerator during a power outage
What size power station runs a refrigerator in an outage?
A refrigerator is the load everyone wants to save first. The trick: it only runs about a third of the time, so the watt-hours it actually needs over a day are far below its running watts × 24. Here is the size that keeps your food cold through an outage — and the math behind it.
1,413 Whcapacity needed
150 Wrunning watts
1,200 Wsurge to clear
24 hruntime horizon
This load: Refrigerator (modern). Want to tweak it? Open the full sizing tool and adjust the appliances and hours.
What size you need
You need about 1,413 Wh — and 14 units fit. The smallest sufficient is the Goal Zero Yeti 1500X; we never push more capacity than your load can use. Surge to clear: 1,200 W.
The math
Running watts (everything on at once) = 150 W
Surge watts (worst single startup + the rest running) = 1,200 W
Average draw (cyclic loads counted by their duty cycle) = 53 W
Watt-hours = 53 W × 24 h ÷ 90% usable reserve = 1,413 Wh
1
Goal Zero Yeti 1500Xsmallest that fits
1,516 Wh 2,000 W cont · 3,500 W surge expandable ~26 h on this load $$$
A 1.5 kWh / 2,000 W unit; pairs with Goal Zero’s home-integration kit and tanks.
NMC · ~14 h AC; up to 600 W solar · 46 lb
2
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus
2,042 Wh 3,000 W cont · 6,000 W surge expandable ~35 h on this load $$$
Whole-essentials backup: 3,000 W continuous, runs a well pump or furnace blower, scales to 12 kWh.
LiFePO4 · ~2 h AC; expandable to 12 kWh · 62 lb
3
Bluetti AC200Lstep-up
2,048 Wh 2,400 W cont · 3,600 W surge expandable ~35 h on this load $$$
Partial-home backup that scales to 8 kWh with B300K add-on batteries.
LiFePO4 · ~1.5 h AC; expandable to 8 kWh · 62 lb
4
Bluetti AC200MAX
2,048 Wh 2,200 W cont · 4,800 W surge expandable ~35 h on this load $$$
A big 4,800 W surge headroom for the toughest motor starts; scales with add-on batteries.
LiFePO4 · ~2.5 h AC; expandable to 8.2 kWh · 62 lb
5
Anker SOLIX F2000
2,048 Wh 2,400 W cont · 3,600 W surge expandable ~35 h on this load $$$
Two kWh and a 2,400 W inverter on wheels — sump pump, furnace blower, partial-home backup.
LiFePO4 · ~2 h AC; expandable to 4 kWh · 67 lb
6
EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max
2,048 Wh 2,400 W cont · 3,400 W surge expandable ~35 h on this load $$$
Two kWh and a 2,400 W inverter — sump pump, furnace blower, partial-home backup.
LiFePO4 · ~1 h AC; expandable to 6 kWh · 50 lb
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Disclosure.
The load, appliance by appliance
⚡ Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician. Appliance wattages are representative chart values and vary by model; check your nameplates. Duty cycle (how much of the time a load actually draws) is how we keep the watt-hour estimate from overselling capacity.
Common questions
What size power station runs a refrigerator in an outage?
For Refrigerator (modern) over 24 h, you need about 1,413 Wh of capacity, 150 W continuous output, and at least 1,200 W of surge. The smallest unit that clears all three is the Goal Zero Yeti 1500X; a step-up like the Bluetti AC200L adds headroom for longer outages.
How many watt-hours does this load need?
About 1,413 Wh for 24 h — we take the duty-weighted average draw (53 W, since cyclic loads like fridges and pumps don't run constantly), multiply by the hours, and divide by a usable-capacity reserve. Running watts are 150 W; surge is 1,200 W.
Other scenarios
Sources: appliance wattages — standard appliance/generator sizing charts; station specs — manufacturer published specifications (compiled 2026-06-15; approximate). Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician.