How long will a power station run a refrigerator?
A 1,000Wh power station runs a refrigerator on its own for about 8 to 17 hours, and a 2,000Wh one for about 16 to 35 hours. Starting it is the harder part: generator makers' charts allow up to about 2,600 watts for the moment it starts, and 16 of the 25 power stations we compare cover that, with 3 more worth checking against your own refrigerator's label.
Every power station we compare
Running a refrigerator on its own from the AC outlet, smallest first.
| Power station | Runs it for | Runs it? |
|---|---|---|
| BLUETTI Elite 10 Mini128Wh · 200WSee price at BLUETTI | – | Noneeds 400W+ |
| EcoFlow RIVER 3245Wh · 300WSee price on Amazon | – | Noneeds 400W+ |
| Anker SOLIX C300288Wh · 300W · 600W surgeSee price on Amazon | – | Noneeds 400W+ |
| BLUETTI Elite 30 V2288Wh · 600WSee price at BLUETTI | 2.5 to 5 hours | Checksurge rating not listed: check it |
| Jackery Explorer 300292Wh · 300W · 600W surgeSee price on Amazon | – | Noneeds 400W+ |
| Goal Zero Yeti 700677Wh · 600W · 1,000W surgeSee price on Amazon | 5.5 to 12 hours | Nomay not start it (surge 1,000W) |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro768Wh · 800W · 1,600W surgeSee price on Amazon | 6.5 to 13 hours | Nomay not start it (surge 1,600W) |
| BLUETTI Elite 100 V21,024Wh · 1,800W · 2,700W surgeSee price at BLUETTI | 8.5 to 18 hours | Yes |
| EcoFlow DELTA 31,024Wh · 1,800W · 3,600W surgeSee price on Amazon | 8.5 to 18 hours | Yes |
| ALLPOWERS P18001,024Wh · 1,800W · 3,600W surgeSee price at ALLPOWERS | 8.5 to 18 hours | Yes |
| Anker SOLIX C10001,056Wh · 1,800WSee price on Amazon | 8.5 to 18 hours | Checksurge rating not listed: check it |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v21,070Wh · 1,500W · 3,000W surgeSee price on Amazon | 8.5 to 19 hours | Yes |
| BLUETTI AC1801,152Wh · 1,800W · 2,700W surgeSee price at BLUETTI | 9.5 to 20 hours | Yes |
| ALLPOWERS R15001,152Wh · 1,800W · 3,000W surgeSee price at ALLPOWERS | 9.5 to 20 hours | Yes |
| Goal Zero Yeti 15001,505Wh · 2,000W · 3,600W surgeSee price on Amazon | 12 to 26 hours | Yes |
| Jackery Explorer 1500 v21,536Wh · 2,000W · 4,000W surgeSee price on Amazon | 13 to 27 hours | Yes |
| ALLPOWERS R2500 V21,920Wh · 2,500W · 5,000W surgeSee price at ALLPOWERS | 16 to 33 hours | Yes |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max2,048Wh · 2,400W · 4,800W surgeSee price on Amazon | 17 to 36 hours | Yes |
| BLUETTI Elite 200 V22,074Wh · 2,600WSee price at BLUETTI | 17 to 36 hours | Yes |
| BLUETTI Apex 3002,765Wh · 3,840WSee price at BLUETTI | 23 to 48 hours | Yes |
| BLUETTI Elite 3003,014Wh · 2,400WSee price at BLUETTI | 25 to 52 hours | Checksurge rating not listed: check it |
| Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus3,840Wh · 6,000WSee price on Amazon | 31 to 67 hours | Yes |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 34,096Wh · 4,000W · 8,000W surgeSee price on Amazon | 33 to 71 hours | Yes |
| Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus5,040Wh · 7,200W · 14,400W surgeSee price on Amazon | 41 to 88 hours | Yes |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra6,144Wh · 7,200WSee price on Amazon | 2 to 4 days | Yes |
Runtime: capacity × 90% usable × 85% inverter efficiency ÷ (the appliance's average draw + about 10W the station uses itself), a range from the low and high average draw. "Runs it?" checks the station's output against 400–750W running and its surge rating against 2,250–2,600W to start, the cautious figures from generator makers' and DTE Energy's charts. Many modern appliances start with less, so "Check" means read your appliance's label (amps × 120 = watts). Plan on the low end of every runtime.
Where the figures come from
Generator charts give a refrigerator 400 running watts plus 2,200 to start (Champion) or 750 running watts with a starting factor of 3 (DTE Energy, 2,250 watts to start). Those are deliberately cautious figures for sizing a generator; the compressor usually draws less once it is running, and it cycles on and off. Over a whole day the average is far lower: Energy Star's list of certified full-size refrigerators runs from about 300 kWh a year (34W on average, the 10th percentile) to the federal maximum for the larger models (about 740 kWh, 84W). Older refrigerators can use more. The nameplate inside the door gives your own model's amps (amps × 120 = watts). Pure sine is set as a precaution for power stations. Before deciding to power a fridge at all, read food safety in a power outage.
Running more than one thing?
Tick everything you'd keep going and for how long, and see which power stations cover it.
Open the power station calculator →Questions
How long will a 1,000Wh power station run a refrigerator?
About 8 to 17 hours, running nothing else, on the figures behind this page. Plan on the low end.
What size power station do I need for a refrigerator?
For 12 hours, about 1,083Wh, or 1,475Wh for an older or larger one, with at least 750W of output and a surge rating of about 2,600W to start it.
Can a power station run a refrigerator in an outage?
Yes, if its output covers about 750W and its surge rating covers about 2,600W. A power station is safe to run indoors, unlike a generator.
Other appliances
Sources (6)
- Champion wattage chart
- DTE Energy appliance usage guide
- Energy Star certified residential refrigerators (full-size, 2,986 models, October 2026)
- BLUETTI — Elite 200 V2 (runtime formula: DoD 90%, η 85%, self-consumption about 10W)
- BLUETTI — Elite 100 V2 (self-consumption about 10W)
- EcoFlow — test runtime before an emergency0.80–0.90 for AC; DC ports for routers and phones