Appliance wattage chart
Running watts, the extra watts needed to start, and daily energy for fridges and freezers.
31 appliances
| Type | Wh per day | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Kitchen | 150–400 | 800–1,200 | 1,400 |
| Refrigerator, side-by-side | Kitchen | 150–400 | 800–1,200 | 1,750 |
| Freezer, upright | Kitchen | 100–500 | 500–1,000 | 1,350 |
| Freezer, chest | Kitchen | 100–500 | 500–1,000 | 600 |
| Microwave | Kitchen | 600–1,200 | – | – |
| Electric range, one burner | Kitchen | 1,200–2,400 | – | – |
| Dishwasher | Kitchen | 1,200–2,400 | – | – |
| Sump pump, 1/3 HP | Pumps | 500–800 | 1,000–1,600 | – |
| Sump pump, 1/2 HP | Pumps | 800–1,050 | 1,300–2,150 | – |
| Well pump, 1/2 HP | Pumps | 750–1,000 | 1,500–2,000 | – |
| Well pump, 1 HP | Pumps | 1,000–2,000 | 2,000–4,000 | – |
| Furnace fan, 1/2 HP | Heating and cooling | 300–800 | 800–1,600 | – |
| Window AC, 5,000 BTU | Heating and cooling | 450–600 | 900–1,200 | – |
| Window AC, 10,000 BTU | Heating and cooling | 900–1,200 | 1,800–2,400 | – |
| Central AC, 2 ton | Heating and cooling | 2,000–2,500 | 3,500–4,500 | – |
| Central AC, 3 ton | Heating and cooling | 3,000–3,500 | 5,000–6,000 | – |
| Central AC, 4 ton | Heating and cooling | 4,000–5,000 | 6,500–8,000 | – |
| Space heater | Heating and cooling | 750–1,500 | – | – |
| Window fan | Heating and cooling | 50–200 | – | – |
| Ceiling fan | Heating and cooling | 15–75 | – | – |
| Electric water heater | Laundry and water | 3,000–4,500 | – | – |
| Washing machine | Laundry and water | 500–1,000 | 1,000–2,300 | – |
| Electric dryer | Laundry and water | 4,000–6,000 | – | – |
| LED bulb | Lights and electronics | 8–15 | – | – |
| TV, 32 to 55 in | Lights and electronics | 80–400 | – | – |
| Internet router and modem | Lights and electronics | 10–20 | – | – |
| Phone or laptop charger | Lights and electronics | 20–100 | – | – |
| Home security system | Lights and electronics | 15–40 | – | – |
| CPAP, no humidifier | Medical | 30–60 | – | – |
| CPAP with heated humidifier | Medical | 60–120 | – | – |
| RV air conditioner, 13,500 BTU | RV | 1,500–2,000 | 2,800–3,500 | – |
Running and starting ranges: Champion Power Equipment. Wh per day: median of ENERGY STAR certified models. The calculators use the top of each range.
Reading the chart
Running watts are what an appliance draws once it's going. Extra to start is the short burst a motor needs to get moving. A dash means the appliance has no motor to start, so it draws the same from the first second.
The wattage on an appliance's label is its maximum. If the label only lists amps, multiply by the voltage: watts = amps × volts, using 120 V for a standard outlet and 240 V for a dryer, range or well pump circuit (U.S. Department of Energy).
Fridges and freezers cycle on and off, so their running watts overstate how much energy they use in a day. That's why the chart lists measured daily energy for them, which matters when you size a battery.
To size a generator or power station from these numbers, use the generator size calculator or the power station calculator.