How many watts does a garbage disposal use?

A garbage disposal draws 360–1,224 watts while running, which is 3–10.2 amps on a 120 V circuit.

Garbage disposal watts, amps and circuit

Typical power use of a garbage disposal
Running watts	360–1,224 W
Voltage	120 V
Running amps	3–10.2 A
Circuit	standard 120 V outlet

Also called: disposal, garbage disposer, food waste disposer.

Garbage disposal watts by size and type

Running and starting watts of garbage disposal types
Size or type	Running watts, W	Volts, V	Amps, A	Starting watts, W
Garbage disposal	360–1,224	120	3–10.2	—
1/3 HP	672–804	120	5.6–6.7	—
1/2 HP	360–828	120	3–6.9	—
3/4 HP	972–1,140	120	8.1–9.5	—
1 HP	1,224	120	10.2	—

Watts of garbage disposal types. The lighter part of a bar is the upper end of the typical range.

What size generator runs a garbage disposal?

A garbage disposal needs a generator that supplies at least 1,224 running watts. Starting a garbage disposal takes a short surge of several times its running watts, and the surge is not listed here: size the generator from the locked-rotor amps (LRA) on the nameplate or the maker's generator guidance, not from the running watts.

How long a portable power station runs a garbage disposal

Runtime of a garbage disposal on a portable power station, at 85% inverter efficiency
Battery capacity, Wh	At 1,224 W, h	At 360 W, h
500	0.3	1.2
1,000	0.7	2.4
2,000	1.4	4.7
3,600	2.5	8.5

A 500 Wh portable power station runs a garbage disposal drawing 1,224 W for about 0.3 hours at 85% inverter efficiency. Runtime = capacity × 85% ÷ watts; the 85% efficiency is an assumption. The power station's AC output must be at least 1,224 W.

What it costs to run a garbage disposal

Running a garbage disposal at 792 W, the middle of its 360–1,224 W range, for one hour a day uses 289.1 kWh a year. That costs about $52 a year at $0.18 per kWh, the US average residential price for August 2026.

Power

Use per day

Electricity price

$/kWh

Your bill's total ÷ kWh used. 0.18 is the US residential average.

Result

$4.34 / month

Per day: $0.14
Per year: $52
Energy per day: 0.79 kWh
Energy per month: 24.1 kWh

How it is calculated

kWh per day = 792 W × 1 h ÷ 1,000 = 0.792
Per month = 0.792 kWh × 30.4 days × $0.18 = $4.34

What affects garbage disposal power use

Motor horsepower sets the draw, and the motor runs for only seconds at a time, so yearly energy is tiny. A disposal is hard-wired or plugged into a switched outlet under the sink. Circuit requirements vary with the model and the local code, so follow the installation instructions.

How the amps are calculated

Amps = watts ÷ volts. For 1,224 W at 120 V that is 10.2 A. The 360–1,224 W range covers typical models; the nameplate on a garbage disposal gives the exact figure.