100+ household appliances with the number every other chart leaves out: the starting surge. Tick the ones you'd run in an outage and we compute the real peak you need.
Search or filter, then tick the appliances you'd want running during a power outage. The bar at the bottom keeps a live total — including the surge math most charts ignore.
| Pick | Appliance | Category | Running watts | Starting watts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Showing 0 appliances. Figures are typical for US/Canada household models; see the range under each number and the FAQ on accuracy below.
Every backup-power decision starts with two questions: how many watts do my appliances draw, and how hard do they start. Most wattage charts online answer only the first — then a sump pump that "only draws 1,000 W" stalls a 2,000 W inverter at 2 a.m., because its motor demanded 2,300 W for half a second. That half-second is the difference between a dry basement and a flooded one, which is why every motor-driven appliance in our database carries a starting figure alongside its running watts.
The math the list-builder above uses is the standard sizing method: add up the running watts of everything you select, then add the largest single surge on top — because in practice your motors don't all start in the same instant. The result is the peak your power source must survive. Runtime is a separate question: it depends on battery capacity in watt-hours, and we deliberately don't guess it here from nameplate figures, because real runtime also loses 10–20% to the inverter and, on many power stations, another 20–70 W to the unit's own idle drain.
We compiled the figures from U.S. Department of Energy appliance tables, manufacturer specification sheets, and the generator-sizing charts published by Generac, Honda and Champion, then sanity-checked them against real owner measurements reported in DIY power forums. Each entry shows a typical value plus the honest low–high range, because a compact fridge and a French-door giant are not the same appliance. When your load is critical — medical devices, sump pumps — measure your own unit; the FAQ below explains how and where cheap meters mislead.
Running watts are the steady draw. Starting (surge) watts are the brief spike a motor or compressor needs to spin up — typically 2–4× running, lasting under a second. Fridges, pumps, blowers and ACs surge; kettles, heaters and electronics don't. Your backup source must cover the surge, not just the running number.
Nameplates show maximum rated amps. Amps × volts is VA, which for motor loads exceeds real watts, and it's a worst-case rating. Our chart lists typical measured running watts with a realistic range — that's what determines runtime.
Each entry is a typical value plus a low–high range from DOE tables, manufacturer spec sheets and Generac/Honda/Champion sizing charts. Your model can differ — the range shows how much. For critical loads, measure your own unit.
A $25 plug-in watt meter shows running watts well — but updates ~once a second and misses motor starting peaks (a pump showing 880 W can spike over 1,500 W). For surge you need a clamp meter with inrush mode, or use our starting-watt column as headroom.
Cover the sum of everything running plus the single largest surge on top — our list-builder does this automatically. And beware "2× surge" inverter ratings that last milliseconds: real motors can take up to a second to spin up, so leave margin for pumps and blowers.
Electric resistance heat: space heaters, electric water heaters, electric dryers, electric ranges — they empty even big batteries in 1–4 hours. Central AC needs surge beyond most portables. Battery the fridge, freezer, furnace blower, sump pump, internet and lights; leave big heat to gas or a generator.