Skip to Content

What Size Generator Do I Need to Run a Refrigerator?

A refrigerator is one of the most essential kitchen appliances that is needed to be run even in emergencies. It helps to keep the foods in fresh and preserved condition. In today’s article, we will discuss what size generator you need to run a refrigerator. 

Generator size to run a refrigerator:

There are a variety of refrigerators available that people use in their kitchens. In most cases, the refrigerator running wattage starts from 250 watts to 1500 watts. That is why you can simply opt for a 3000 watts generator to run a refrigerator smoothly by maintaining the starting watts.

If you are living in a disaster-prone area where you may face frequent power outages or power surges, you will need to keep some of your essential household appliances running.

Generally, it is important to keep some of our household appliances running during an emergency to maintain the condition of foods and preserve them for a longer time.

Whenever you think of preserving or storing foods in fresh condition for a certain amount of time, the first thing that comes to your mind is the refrigerator.

The refrigerator is one of the most essential household appliances that people need to run frequently, even in emergencies. However, you may think of using a generator to keep your refrigerator running.

But it may not be easy as it seems, because there are a variety of refrigerators available in different homes, and each of them has different starting and running watts.

That is why you should always opt for a 3000 watts generator, which is pretty much compatible with every other household refrigerator.

Amount of electricity usage of a refrigerator: 

Generally, people tend to have different size refrigerators in their house and each of them has different running and starting watts. In most cases, the running watts of a standard refrigerator range from 200 watts two 1500 watts.

In addition to that, the starting watts of a refrigerator may range from 750 watts to 3000 watts.

That is why you should always choose the right size generator that will be able to power up your refrigerator and run it seamlessly without any interruption.

If you do not choose the right sized generator for the refrigerator, it can cause significant damage to the refrigerator components.

You should also avoid choosing an undersized generator because it will not be able to provide adequate electricity that is required to run the refrigerator.

It is very important to keep in mind the watts and amperage of the refrigerator so that it can be easily run using a generator. Nowadays, some refrigerators with modern technologies consume lower electricity.

That is why having a large size generator may help you to provide electric connection to other appliances as well. Using the right size generator to run your refrigerator will be much more efficient and convenient during a power shortage or power surge.

Factors that determine how much electricity a refrigerator uses: 

When choosing the generator to run your refrigerator, you need to keep in mind some facts that will help you to determine the electricity consumption rate of your refrigerator. You should not choose an undersized generator.

An undersized generator will not be able to provide the refrigerator with enough power supply to run the refrigerator smoothly.

As a result, due to frequent power drops, the refrigerator may damage some of its components while running. Below is a brief discussion on a few factors that determine how much electricity is refrigerator uses: 

Type: 

There are a variety of refrigerators available in the market. Typical refrigerators have compressors that will use electricity when it needs to impress the gas.

So, the power consumption of a such type of refrigerator with a compressor will be more.

Size: 

Size is one of the most significant factors that determine how much electricity a refrigerator use. Smaller refrigerators will use lower electricity, while larger refrigerators will use higher electricity. 

Age: 

With age, the working efficiency of a refrigerator gets lowered and the compressor will require more power to run the refrigerator.

That is why you should always keep in mind the factor of age when considering the electricity consumption rate of a refrigerator. 

How long will these generators run a refrigerator?

Generally, when you need to keep a refrigerator running during a power surge or bar shortage, you will need to use a generator. Nowadays there are many different types of generators available in the market that has different wattage power supply capability.

However, you should be very careful when choosing the right size generator to provide you with maximum power output and efficiency. Choosing an undersized generator will not be able to provide you with the proper electric flow.

As a result, the refrigerator may get damaged. Below is a brief discussion on different types of generators and discussed how long these generators can run a refrigerator: 

1000 watt: 

Generally, refrigerators nowadays do not consume much power, considering that a 1000 Watt generator will be able to run its refrigerator for as many as four hours.

1200 watt: 

Generally, a 1200 Watt generator can run a refrigerator for around 4 hours to five hours.

1400 watt: 

Nowadays, refrigerators have many unique features that help to save electricity while running, considering that a 1400 watts generator will be able to run a refrigerator for around six hours.

2000 watt: 

Generally, a 2000 watts generator can run a refrigerator for around 8 hours or so.

3000 watt:

In most cases, a 3000-watt generator can run a refrigerator for more than 12 hours if the refrigerator is not opened frequently.

3500 watt:

Generally, a 3500-watt generator can run a modern refrigerator for around 18 hours to 19 hours constantly if any other appliance is not connected.

4000 watt:

If you are facing a severe power surge in your area, you can use a 4000-watt generator to run a refrigerator for straight 24 hours.

5000 watt:

You can easily run a refrigerator using a 500 watts generator for a long time. It will be able to provide you with a power supply for 30 hours.

What type of generator can power a refrigerator?

The generator is a commonly available type of backup power supply system that provides you with a seamless power supply during a power outage and power shortage.

Nowadays, almost every house has a generator that can provide power supply to essential household appliances.

Generally, the refrigerator is one of the most essential kitchen appliances that is needed to be run frequently during a power outage or shortage. In addition to that, it should be capable of providing service during an emergency.

That is why you may consider using a generator to power up the refrigerator. You should be careful when choosing the right size generator, because an undersized generator may not be able to provide you with the adequate power supply.

Nowadays, refrigerator comes with modern technologies that enable them to consume less power.

That is why you should be very careful when choosing the right size generator and measure the wattage, amperage, and electricity consumption rate of a refrigerator before connecting it to a generator.

Below is a brief discussion on what type of generator can power a refrigerator: 

Electric generator: 

Yes, it is possible to run a refrigerator using an electric generator if the generator can provide enough power supply to the refrigerator.

Gas generator: 

It is perfectly safe and fine to run a refrigerator using the gas generator as well as any other household appliances as long as the generator has a hard watt allowance compared to the refrigerator.

Inverter generator: 

An inverter generator can run a refrigerator if the inverter generator comes with the right power. There are many different sizes of inverters, but you should choose the right one to run the refrigerator.

Portable solar generator: 

By considering several things, you can run a refrigerator using a portable solar generator.

Battery-powered generator:

You can rely on using a battery generator to run a refrigerator without any issues. It will be able to provide you with a power supply for four to 15 hours straight.

Is it safe to run a refrigerator on a generator?

It is completely fine and safe to run a refrigerator using a generator as long as the generator can provide an adequate power supply to the refrigerator.

You should always choose the right size generator to run the refrigerator. In addition to that, you should always keep a 25% reserve power supply to the generator so that it can handle the starting watts and run lots of a refrigerator without any issue. 

Final Thoughts

Generally, it is recommended to use a 3000 watts generator to run a refrigerator because it can provide you with the proper electric flow that is required to run a refrigerator. Sing on the size of the refrigerator, the generator size may vary. So, you should be wise when choosing one.