How to read this chart
Six columns, six different questions.
Running is what an appliance pulls while it is working. It is the nameplate figure, and what a generator has to hold steady for hours.
Starting is the split second when a motor or compressor spins up, at two to five times running watts. Resistive items, meaning anything that is really just a heating element, have no inrush: their starting figure equals their running figure, and that is not a mistake in the table. Starting watts versus running watts has the full story.
Average is the draw once cycling is counted. A refrigerator compressor runs about a third of an hour; a kettle is on for three minutes. This column weights running watts by that duty fraction and adds back idle draw for anything holding a boiler hot.
Per hour is the same measurement read as energy: average watts sustained for an hour equals that many watt-hours. They track each other, but energy is what empties a battery, so it gets its own column.
Amps is running watts divided by 120 volts. A 15 amp circuit is designed to carry about 12 amps continuously, a 20 amp circuit about 16. That 80 percent figure is the rule of thumb electricians work to, and it is why a heater and a coffee maker on one kitchen circuit trip the breaker.
The amps column is calculated at each item's own supply voltage, so the 240 volt equipment here, including electric ranges, water heaters, dryers, well pumps and commercial fryers, shows the amps it actually pulls on its two-pole circuit rather than an inflated 120 volt figure. Compare those amps against the breaker feeding the circuit, not against the generator.
A nameplate is a ceiling, not an average
The number printed on an appliance is the most it will ever draw, at its hardest working moment. Almost nothing lives there. That gap is why people buy a 5,000 watt generator for a 2,000 watt problem. The running column tells you how big the source must be; the per hour column tells you how long it lasts. The watts calculator does both at once, including the surge maths.
Everything below is a typical figure for a typical unit. If the appliance you own has a label, use the label. This chart exists for when it does not.
Cooling & refrigeration
Everything here has a compressor or a motor, so the starting column is always the higher one. A refrigerator rated at 150 watts asks for 750 for an instant, which is why a small inverter that carries a fridge all day can still refuse to start it. Notice how far the average column sits below running for the fridges and freezers, and how close it sits for the air conditioners, which barely rest on a hot day. There is a full breakdown in how many watts a refrigerator uses.
| Appliance | Running | Starting | Average | Per hour | Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator (18–22 cu ft) | 150 W | 750 W | 55 W | 50 Wh | 1.3 A |
| Mini fridge (3–5 cu ft) | 80 W | 320 W | 30 W | 30 Wh | 0.7 A |
| Chest freezer (7–15 cu ft) | 120 W | 600 W | 40 W | 40 Wh | 1.0 A |
| Upright freezer | 160 W | 800 W | 60 W | 60 Wh | 1.3 A |
| Window air conditioner (5,000 BTU) | 500 W | 1,500 W | 350 W | 350 Wh | 4.2 A |
| Window air conditioner (8,000 BTU) | 720 W | 2,150 W | 500 W | 500 Wh | 6.0 A |
| Window air conditioner (12,000 BTU) | 1,100 W | 3,300 W | 770 W | 770 Wh | 9.2 A |
| Portable air conditioner (10,000 BTU) | 1,000 W | 2,800 W | 750 W | 750 Wh | 8.3 A |
| Central A/C (2 ton) | 2,500 W | 7,500 W | 1,500 W | 1.50 kWh | 10 A |
| Central A/C (3 ton) | 3,500 W | 10,500 W | 2,100 W | 2.10 kWh | 15 A |
| Box or pedestal fan | 75 W | 150 W | 75 W | 80 Wh | 0.6 A |
| Ceiling fan | 60 W | 120 W | 60 W | 60 Wh | 0.5 A |
Heating & climate
The mirror image. An electric space heater draws 1,500 watts with no surge at all and is still the fastest way to flatten a battery on this page. The row people miss is the gas furnace blower: the furnace burns gas, but the blower is an electric motor, and in an outage that motor is what you are actually powering. It surges to nearly 2,350 watts, often the largest single spike on a home backup list.
| Appliance | Running | Starting | Average | Per hour | Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gas furnace blower (1/2 hp) | 800 W | 2,350 W | 290 W | 290 Wh | 6.7 A |
| Electric space heater | 1,500 W | 1,500 W | 900 W | 900 Wh | 13 A |
| Pellet stove | 300 W | 800 W | 200 W | 200 Wh | 2.5 A |
| Electric blanket | 180 W | 180 W | 70 W | 70 Wh | 1.5 A |
| Boiler circulation pump | 120 W | 360 W | 70 W | 70 Wh | 1.0 A |
| Dehumidifier | 480 W | 1,450 W | 290 W | 290 Wh | 4.0 A |
Home kitchen
Kitchen appliances have the highest running watts in a house and some of the lowest energy use, because they run for minutes at a time. An electric kettle is 1,500 watts running and about 60 watts averaged across an hour. Two traps: the wattage on a microwave door is cooking power, not draw, so a 1,000 watt microwave pulls roughly 1,500 watts from the outlet; and a portable induction burner at 1,800 watts lands at exactly 15 amps, so it needs a 20 amp outlet to itself.
| Appliance | Running | Starting | Average | Per hour | Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microwave (1,000 W cooking) | 1,500 W | 1,500 W | 120 W | 120 Wh | 13 A |
| Drip coffee maker | 900 W | 900 W | 270 W | 270 Wh | 7.5 A |
| Electric kettle | 1,500 W | 1,500 W | 60 W | 60 Wh | 13 A |
| Toaster | 1,100 W | 1,100 W | 45 W | 40 Wh | 9.2 A |
| Air fryer | 1,500 W | 1,500 W | 750 W | 750 Wh | 13 A |
| Portable induction burner | 1,800 W | 1,800 W | 900 W | 900 Wh | 15 A |
| Dishwasher | 1,200 W | 1,800 W | 540 W | 540 Wh | 10 A |
| Electric range element | 2,400 W | 2,400 W | 1,200 W | 1.20 kWh | 10 A |
| Slow cooker | 250 W | 250 W | 150 W | 150 Wh | 2.1 A |
| Rice cooker (commercial 20 cup) | 1,550 W | 1,550 W | 580 W | 580 Wh | 13 A |
Water & sanitation
Pumps are why home generators get sized up. A 1/3 horsepower sump pump runs at 800 watts and starts at 2,400, yet uses almost no energy over a day because it works in short bursts. Size for the surge, then budget energy on how often it kicks in. The dryer, the tank water heater and both well pumps run on 240 volts, and their amps below are shown at 240, which is why the figures look modest next to their wattage.
| Appliance | Running | Starting | Average | Per hour | Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sump pump (1/3 hp) | 800 W | 2,400 W | 65 W | 60 Wh | 6.7 A |
| Sump pump (1/2 hp) | 1,050 W | 3,150 W | 85 W | 80 Wh | 8.8 A |
| Well pump (1/2 hp) | 1,000 W | 3,000 W | 40 W | 40 Wh | 4.2 A |
| Well pump (1 hp) | 2,000 W | 6,000 W | 80 W | 80 Wh | 8.3 A |
| Electric water heater (tank) | 4,500 W | 4,500 W | 900 W | 900 Wh | 19 A |
| Clothes washer | 500 W | 1,400 W | 200 W | 200 Wh | 4.2 A |
| Clothes dryer (electric) | 5,000 W | 6,750 W | 4,000 W | 4.00 kWh | 21 A |
| Hand-wash station water heater | 1,400 W | 1,400 W | 140 W | 140 Wh | 12 A |
Lights & electronics
Put every light, screen and charger in a house together and the total is still smaller than one air fryer. It is the category worth keeping on a battery. The outlier is the garage door opener, at 550 watts running and 1,650 starting but about 10 watts averaged over an hour, because it works for seconds a day. If you run a CPAP on battery, switch the heated humidifier off.
| Appliance | Running | Starting | Average | Per hour | Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LED lighting (10 bulbs) | 90 W | 90 W | 90 W | 90 Wh | 0.8 A |
| TV (55" LED) | 100 W | 100 W | 100 W | 100 Wh | 0.8 A |
| Laptop | 65 W | 65 W | 55 W | 50 Wh | 0.5 A |
| Phone charging (per phone) | 20 W | 20 W | 10 W | 10 Wh | 0.2 A |
| Wi-Fi router and modem | 15 W | 15 W | 15 W | 20 Wh | 0.1 A |
| Starlink dish | 60 W | 120 W | 55 W | 60 Wh | 0.5 A |
| CPAP machine (no humidifier) | 40 W | 40 W | 40 W | 40 Wh | 0.3 A |
| CPAP with heated humidifier | 90 W | 90 W | 65 W | 60 Wh | 0.8 A |
| Garage door opener | 550 W | 1,650 W | 10 W | 10 Wh | 4.6 A |
| Security system / cameras | 30 W | 30 W | 30 W | 30 Wh | 0.3 A |
Food truck & coffee cart
The biggest list here, and the one most charts get wrong. Commercial espresso machines are quoted at their element rating, but the boiler idles near 180 watts holding temperature and only pulls the full load while recovering after a shot. The commercial blender has the worst surge-to-energy ratio on the site: 4,500 watts to start, about 75 watts averaged over an hour. Fryers and griddles are the reverse, resistive so nothing surges, but they hold a high average all service. Do not forget the hood fan, which runs flat out from open to close.
| Appliance | Running | Starting | Average | Per hour | Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso machine (1 group, commercial) | 1,800 W | 1,800 W | 500 W | 500 Wh | 15 A |
| Espresso machine (2 group, commercial) | 2,800 W | 2,800 W | 930 W | 930 Wh | 12 A |
| Espresso machine (prosumer, single boiler) | 1,350 W | 1,350 W | 280 W | 280 Wh | 11 A |
| Commercial batch brewer | 1,600 W | 1,600 W | 560 W | 560 Wh | 13 A |
| Espresso grinder (on demand) | 400 W | 1,200 W | 20 W | 20 Wh | 3.3 A |
| Commercial blender | 1,500 W | 4,500 W | 75 W | 80 Wh | 13 A |
| Electric fryer (single basket) | 3,500 W | 3,500 W | 1,400 W | 1.40 kWh | 15 A |
| Electric fryer (double basket) | 5,000 W | 5,000 W | 2,250 W | 2.25 kWh | 21 A |
| Electric griddle (24") | 3,000 W | 3,000 W | 1,350 W | 1.35 kWh | 13 A |
| Electric griddle (36") | 4,500 W | 4,500 W | 2,050 W | 2.02 kWh | 19 A |
| Panini press / sandwich grill | 1,800 W | 1,800 W | 730 W | 730 Wh | 15 A |
| Steam table (3 well) | 1,500 W | 1,500 W | 790 W | 790 Wh | 13 A |
| Countertop food warmer | 800 W | 800 W | 380 W | 380 Wh | 6.7 A |
| Refrigerated prep table | 400 W | 1,600 W | 160 W | 160 Wh | 3.3 A |
| Undercounter commercial fridge | 350 W | 1,400 W | 140 W | 140 Wh | 2.9 A |
| Undercounter ice machine | 600 W | 1,800 W | 320 W | 320 Wh | 5.0 A |
| Soft-serve machine (countertop) | 1,800 W | 5,400 W | 1,050 W | 1.02 kWh | 15 A |
| Slushie / granita machine (2 bowl) | 1,100 W | 3,300 W | 740 W | 740 Wh | 9.2 A |
| Exhaust hood fan | 500 W | 1,500 W | 500 W | 500 Wh | 4.2 A |
| POS terminal and card reader | 60 W | 60 W | 60 W | 60 Wh | 0.5 A |
| Hot dog roller | 1,100 W | 1,100 W | 620 W | 620 Wh | 9.2 A |
| Popcorn machine (8 oz) | 1,400 W | 1,400 W | 680 W | 680 Wh | 12 A |
| Cotton candy machine | 1,050 W | 2,100 W | 530 W | 530 Wh | 8.8 A |
| Commercial waffle iron | 1,400 W | 1,400 W | 680 W | 680 Wh | 12 A |
| Countertop electric pizza oven | 3,200 W | 3,200 W | 1,800 W | 1.80 kWh | 13 A |
| Heated holding cabinet | 1,600 W | 1,600 W | 660 W | 660 Wh | 13 A |
Events & market stalls
Amplifier ratings are the thing to watch. The wattage printed on a PA system is peak music power, and average draw across a set is far lower. The bounce house blower is the opposite surprise: it runs flat out the entire time the inflatable is up, with no duty cycle to save you, and surges to 2,700 watts. An electric patio heater quietly out-consumes everything else on a stall.
| Appliance | Running | Starting | Average | Per hour | Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA system (small, 2 speakers) | 200 W | 400 W | 150 W | 150 Wh | 1.7 A |
| PA system (band / DJ rig) | 900 W | 1,800 W | 650 W | 650 Wh | 7.5 A |
| LED stage / market lighting | 300 W | 450 W | 300 W | 300 Wh | 2.5 A |
| String lights (100 ft LED) | 50 W | 50 W | 50 W | 50 Wh | 0.4 A |
| Projector | 300 W | 400 W | 300 W | 300 Wh | 2.5 A |
| Electric patio heater | 1,500 W | 1,500 W | 1,200 W | 1.20 kWh | 13 A |
| Misting fan | 200 W | 500 W | 200 W | 200 Wh | 1.7 A |
| Bounce house blower | 900 W | 2,700 W | 900 W | 900 Wh | 7.5 A |
| Photo booth (printer + screen) | 350 W | 700 W | 250 W | 250 Wh | 2.9 A |
RV & camping
Compare the three air conditioner rows and you have the whole soft start argument in one place. A 13,500 BTU roof unit runs at 1,400 watts either way, but the surge falls from 3,500 to 1,800 with a soft start kit, the difference between needing a 3,500 watt generator and getting by with a 2,200. The fridge rows matter too: an absorption fridge on electric draws several times what a 12 volt compressor fridge does.
| Appliance | Running | Starting | Average | Per hour | Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RV air conditioner (13,500 BTU) | 1,400 W | 3,500 W | 980 W | 980 Wh | 12 A |
| RV air conditioner (15,000 BTU) | 1,700 W | 4,000 W | 1,200 W | 1.19 kWh | 14 A |
| RV air conditioner with soft start (13,500 BTU) | 1,400 W | 1,800 W | 980 W | 980 Wh | 12 A |
| RV converter / battery charger | 450 W | 450 W | 280 W | 280 Wh | 3.8 A |
| RV water pump | 60 W | 180 W | 6 W | 10 Wh | 0.5 A |
| RV fridge (absorption, on electric) | 330 W | 330 W | 200 W | 200 Wh | 2.7 A |
| RV fridge (12 V compressor) | 60 W | 240 W | 25 W | 30 Wh | 0.5 A |
| RV water heater (electric element) | 1,400 W | 1,400 W | 280 W | 280 Wh | 12 A |
| RV microwave | 1,000 W | 1,000 W | 85 W | 80 Wh | 8.3 A |
| RV TV and satellite receiver | 90 W | 90 W | 90 W | 90 Wh | 0.8 A |
| 12 V electric cooler | 45 W | 180 W | 20 W | 20 Wh | 0.4 A |
Tools & jobsite
Power tools use very little energy and demand enormous peaks. A miter saw spends a few seconds per cut actually cutting, so its hourly figure is tiny, but it wants 3,600 watts the moment you pull the trigger. The air compressor is worse because it starts against tank pressure: a 1,500 watt motor asks for 4,500. On a jobsite the real risk is two trades pulling triggers at once, the one case where the single-surge rule can let you down.
| Appliance | Running | Starting | Average | Per hour | Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circular saw (7-1/4") | 1,400 W | 2,500 W | 170 W | 170 Wh | 12 A |
| Miter saw (10–12 in) | 1,800 W | 3,600 W | 140 W | 140 Wh | 15 A |
| Table saw (contractor) | 1,800 W | 4,500 W | 270 W | 270 Wh | 15 A |
| Air compressor (2 hp) | 1,500 W | 4,500 W | 450 W | 450 Wh | 13 A |
| Electric pressure washer | 1,400 W | 3,500 W | 840 W | 840 Wh | 12 A |
| Wet tile saw | 1,200 W | 2,400 W | 360 W | 360 Wh | 10 A |
| LED work lights (pair) | 100 W | 100 W | 100 W | 100 Wh | 0.8 A |
| Cordless tool battery charger | 100 W | 100 W | 70 W | 70 Wh | 0.8 A |
| MIG welder (140 A, 120 V) | 3,000 W | 3,000 W | 640 W | 640 Wh | 25 A |
Turning the chart into an answer
Reading watts off a table is the easy half. The work is adding them up correctly: total the running watts of everything that can be on at once, add one surge rather than all of them, then use the per hour column to work out how long a tank or a battery lasts. Three sums, three different rules, and it is exactly what the sizing calculator does when you tick the same items off this list.