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Battery backup, UPS, and generators

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Running a refrigerator on a portable power station

It can work, if the station handles the compressor's startup surge and stores enough energy for the hours you need. Check both before an outage, not during one.

Two numbers matter

A refrigerator's compressor cycles on and off. While it runs, a typical kitchen fridge draws somewhere around 100 to 250 watts, and for a moment at startup it can draw several times that. So you need an inverter rated above the running watts, with surge headroom for the start, and enough watt-hours of battery for the time you need to cover.

Find your fridge's numbers

The easiest way is to measure. Plug the fridge into a plug-in energy meter for a full day: it shows the running watts and the kilowatt-hours used in 24 hours. Without a meter, the yellow EnergyGuide label or the spec sheet lists estimated yearly kilowatt-hours; divide by 365 for a rough daily figure.

A plug-in meter won't catch the startup surge, which lasts a fraction of a second, and the EnergyGuide label does not list it. Unless the maker lists it, leave the inverter plenty of headroom, several times the running watts. Frost-free fridges also run a defrost heater for a short stretch now and then, which can draw more than the compressor, so size for whichever is higher.

Estimate the hours

Divide the station's rated watt-hours by the fridge's average draw, then plan on 10 to 20 percent less for inverter losses. A fridge that uses 1.2 kilowatt-hours a day averages 50 watts, because the compressor is off much of the time. A station rated at 1,000 watt-hours would then cover roughly 20 hours on paper, or about 16 to 18 hours after losses. Keep the door closed as much as you can.

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Recharging during a longer outage

When the battery runs low, the station has to recharge from a wall outlet once power is back, a car parked outdoors (never idling in a garage), solar panels, or a generator running outdoors. Solar recharge depends on panel size and sun, so treat it as a way to stretch the station, not as a guarantee. If outages where you live last for days, compare the options in standby vs portable generators.

Food safety while the power is out

USDA guidance says an unopened refrigerator keeps food cold for about 4 hours without power, and a full, closed freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours (about 24 hours if half full). After 4 hours without power, throw out refrigerated perishables such as meat, fish, eggs, and leftovers. Keeping the doors shut buys time whether or not the fridge is on backup power. The FoodSafety.gov power outage chart lists what to keep and what to throw out.

Questions

Do I need a pure sine wave power station for a refrigerator?
Many portable power stations already have pure sine wave inverters, but check the spec sheet. Compressors and other motors run best on pure sine wave power.
Can one power station run a fridge and a freezer at the same time?
Only if its inverter can carry both running loads, including the moment both compressors start together, and its battery covers both of their daily energy use. Add the two sets of numbers before you choose.
Are the price buttons on this page live store links?
Only when the button says "Check price on Amazon". A grey "Check current price" button is a placeholder that goes nowhere. A live button first goes to a HoldBackup /go/ link that counts the click, then to Amazon.

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