Generator wattage chart

A refrigerator needs up to 720 running watts and about 720 starting watts, so a 2,000 W generator runs it with room for the start-up surge. Add the running watts of everything you want on at once, then add the largest single starting surge.

How to size a generator from the chart

Running watts use the high end of each appliance's range. Starting watts are shown for motors and compressors, which draw several times their running power for a second or two. The conservative size is the smallest common generator (2,000, 3,500, 5,000, 7,500, 10,000, 12,000 W) whose running rating alone covers the start-up surge; a generator with a high surge rating can be smaller.

Central air conditioners and heat pumps have no starting figure here because their surge depends heavily on the unit and on soft-start equipment. Use the locked-rotor amps (LRA) on the outdoor unit's nameplate.

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