Battery Equivalents and Replacements

Boat, Camping, RV, and Household Appliances Wattage Charts

When powering home appliances using power generators and power stations, it is of utmost importance to know how much power our appliances require in order to operate properly and to avoid issues of overloading the power generators and power stations.

Our appliances chart includes the most common appliances, tools, and gadgets used at homes, RVs, on boats/yachts, camping, etc.

Updated: March 31, 2023.

wattage chart 1

Intro To Power Sources In Emergencies

Before listing how many watts appliances actually need, it is important to explain a few things first:

Running Watts vs. Starting Watts

Every power generator (usually powered by gas, diesel, propane, or natural gas) features both running watts and starting watts.

Running watts are watts that the power generator is able to provide continuously, while starting watts are the power that the power generator is able to provide for short periods of time, preventing power issues when spikes occur.

Starting watts are very important when powering appliances and tools with electric motors - when starting, electric motors require more power than during normal operation.

Power Generators vs. Power Stations

Power generators feature internal combustion engines which burn fuel (gas, diesel, propane, natural gas, etc.), converting chemical energy into mechanical energy and then using alternators/dynamos ('electric generators'), they convert mechanical energy into electric power, which is then filtered/converted using onboard electronics into the actual electricity with stable voltage and as little distortions as possible (THD preferably less than 3%).

On the other hand, power stations use onboard batteries (mostly lightweight but powerful lithium-ion batteries) and electronics to convert chemical energy in the batteries into electric energy.

Outdoor vs. Indoor Power Generators

power station 1 There is no such thing as an 'indoor power generator'. End of discussion.

In order to generate energy, power generators use oxygen from the air and burn fuel, creating fumes rich in carbon dioxide and containing other gases, including very dangerous carbon monoxide (no smell, no taste, no color ...).

Some power generators feature an option of connecting their mufflers with longer exhaust tubes for extracting fumes directly outside, but if there is any issue with such systems, exhaust fumes can quickly fill the room and harm (and kill) everybody inside. This is a serious warning!

If you need a power generator during really bad weather, take your power generator outside and protect it from the elements like rain, snow, wind, and similar. And if the indoor power source is absolutely required, use lithium-powered power stations as indoor power sources.

 Appliances Wattage Charts

Here is the list of most common household appliances, tools, and gadgets, often powered by home, RV, camping, boat, etc., power generators.

Note: for actual power requirements of your devices, the best practice is to check the device itself - power requirements are usually written using 'small' letters on the back or at the bottom, usually in the form 'Running Watts/Starting Watts' (both values given in Watts), or just 'Running Watts' (shown in watts).

Home

Appliance/Tool Running Watts Starting Watts
Aquarium 200 250
Blender 300 800
Box Fan 20" 200 350
Ceiling Fan 100 300
Central AC 10.000 BTU 1500 2400
Central AC 24.000 BTU 3800 5000
Central AC 40.000 BTU 6000 7500
Clothes Dryer - Electric 5000 7000
Clothes Dryer - Gas 700 1800
Coffee Maker 1000 0
Curling Iron 1500 0
Deep Freezer 500 1500
Dishwasher 1300 1800
Electric Can Opener 170 220
Electric Grill 1.6 kW 1600 0
Electric Stove 2kW 2000 0
Electric Water Heater 4 kW 4000 0
Food Processor 400 0
Furnace Fan 1/3 HP 700 1400
Furnace Fan 1/2 HP 800 2350
Garage Door Opener 1/2 HP 900 2400
Hair Dryer 1.5 kW 1500 0
Heat Pump 4700 5500
Humidifier 13 gal. 175 0
Iron (Clothes) 1500 0
Iron (Waffles) 1200 0
Light Bulb 60 W 60 0
Light Bulb 75 W 75 0
Light LED Bulb 10 W 10 0
Microwave Oven 600 W 600 0
Microwave Oven 1000 W 1000 0
Refrigerator/Freezer 700 2200
RV Air Conditioner
7.000 BTU
900 1700
RV Air Conditioner
10.000 BTU
1200 2000
RV Air Conditioner
13.500 BTU
1600 2500
RV Air Conditioner
15.000 BTU
1700 2700
Security System 500 0
Space Heater 2 kW 2000 0
Sump Pump 1/3 HP 800 1300
Sump Pump 1/2 HP 1050 2200
Television 27" 500 0
Toaster 900 0
Toaster Oven 1200 0
Vacuum Cleaner 12 Amps 1440 2500
VCR 100 0
Washing Machine 1200 2300
Well Pump 1/2 HP 1000 2100
Window AC 5.000 BTU 600 900
Window AC 10.000 BTU 1200 1800
Window AC 12.000 BTU 1500 2300
Window AC 15.000 BTU 1900 2900
 

Job Site

Appliance/Tool  Running Watts Starting Watts
Air Compressor 1/4 HP 900 1600
Air Compressor 1 HP 1600 4500
Airless Sprayer 600 1200
Belt Sander 1200 2400
Circular Saw 7 1/4 inch 1400 2300
Electric Drill 3/8 inch 4 Amps 450 700
Electric Drill 1/2 inch 5.4 Amps 600 900
Halogen Work Light 300 W 300 0
Halogen Work Light 500 W 500 0
Halogen Work Light 1 kW 1000 0
Hammer Drill 1.2 kW 1200 3500
Miter Saw 10 inch 1800 2500
Planer/Jointer 6 inch 1800 2500
Reciprocating Saw 900 1300
Table Saw 10 inch 2000 2800

Office

Appliance/Tool  Running Watts Starting Watts
Copy Machine 1600 0
Fax Machine 70 0
Inkjet Printer 80 0
Laptop 200 0
Laser Printer 900 0
PC w/21" Flat Screen 800 0

Recreation/Outdoor

Appliance/Tool  Running Watts Starting Watts
AM/FM Radio 100 0
CD/DVD Player 100 0
Cell Phone Charger 25 0
Electric Trolling Motor
12V 55 lbs
800 1300
Electric Trolling Motor
12V 30 lbs, Kayak
450 700
Hedge Trimmer (Corded, 4 Amps) 500 900
Inflator Pump 50 150
Mower (Corded, 14 Amps) 1700 3000
Outdoor Light String 250 0
Outdoor LED Light String 35 0
Stereo 250 0
X-Box, Wii, Playstation 40 0

wattage chart 2Note: power requirements change over time - some appliances/tools/devices get stronger, while others become more efficient.

Again, it is the best practice to check the power requirements labeled directly on the appliance/tool/device.

When calculating what appliances and tools your power generator may run, always use the worst-case scenario, just in case.

Power generators feature many safety systems, including overload protection, but abusing the overload protection system may result in a damaged or even destroyed power generator - not to mention possible issues due to the lack of electric power for the most important appliances that satisfy essential human needs, especially during blackouts, natural disasters and similar.

How Do I Calculate The Required Wattage During The Blackout?

If You want to calculate the required wattage for your next blackout, list the devices and appliances You want to run, and add some extra watts for safety.

For example, You want to run:

  • Medium Size Refrigerator: 400 Running Watts, 1500 Starting Watts,
  • 8 (eight) 8W LED light bulbs: 64 Watts,
  • 10000 BTU AC: 1200 Running Watts, 1800 Starting Watts,
  • Ceiling Fan: 100 Running Watts, 300 Starting Watts,
  • Small Laptop: 100 Watts,
  • Medium Size Desktop: 400 Watts,
  • Few USB Chargers: 100 Watts.

The total wattage requirement, in this case, is ~2400 Running Watts, with an additional ~1000W required for starting various devices.

Note: You never start two devices at the same time, only one by one.

Also, You would like to periodically turn on the microwave oven (1000W), toaster (1000W), and iron (1500W), but only one of these at the same time. Since iron requires the most (1500W) of these three, the required total Running Watts are ~4000W and Starting Watts ~5000W.

Since You also must calculate some power reserve for safety reasons, your best solution would be a power generator with ~5500-6000 Running Watts and ~7000 Starting Watts.

This looks like a big generator, but don't forget that AC units are energy much more efficient than electric space heaters. Also, just in case, when making lists like these, always check your devices and their actual power requirements - if You need a power source for 30-60 minutes, do You really need an AC unit, refrigerator, and iron?

Small, compact, and relatively cheap 2000W and 3000W power generators can power a list of home appliances and devices if electricity-hungry appliances are not used during the blackout...