There are many cases in which due to power outages items that are stored in the refrigerator and freezer get spoiled. to prevent this in emergencies there is a need to use a generator to run a refrigerator and freezer but many people get confused about what size generator to use. So this article will guide you in detail about what size generator to run the refrigerator and freezer.
What size generator to run the refrigerator and freezer?
It is very easy to know what size generator to run the refrigerator and freezer to use by checking the wattage of the appliances and then getting the generator that is able to produce the same running wattage. But you should note that the wattage consumed while running and the wattage consumed to start are very different. For example, if your refrigerator and freezer run on 700 watts but you just cannot buy a 700w Running wattage generator. The following are some differences between wattage consumption:
- running watts.
- Starting watts.

Running watts:
A freezer and refrigerator can use running watts from 50 watts to 1500 watts.
Starting watts:
A freezer and refrigerator can use the starting watts from 200 watts to 600 watts.
For example, a refrigerator runs on 700 watts and also needs additional 2200 watts as starting wattage which means that the total starting wattage is 2900 watts.so, it is common that buying a generator of 700 watts will not run the fridge so you should buy a generator of at least 3000 watts. So by calculating in this way you will know what size generator to run the refrigerator and freezer.
The wattage depends upon the different sizes of the refrigerator and freezer and you have to choose the right size of the generator to run the refrigerator and freezer so that a refrigerator and freezer are able to run properly on it. Next, you will read the wattage used by different sizes of refrigerators.
How to find starting wattage of the refrigerator and freezer?
The easy way to find the starting watts of a refrigerator and freezer is to multiply the running watts by 4. Let’s understand by taking an example suppose the running watts of a refrigerator and freezer is up to 2000 watts then the starting watts of the refrigerator and freezer are,
Starting watts = 4 × running watts = 4000W

Now let’s know in detail what size of the generator should be used to run a refrigerator and fridge.
Generator size:
You should not choose the generator by checking the running wattage of the freezer and refrigerator. As to buying the right size of the generator the starting wattage of the refrigerator and freezer matters.

The following are some points to see how big the generator you should use for different sizes of refrigerators and freezers:
- A generator of thousand watts can be used for all Mini fridges and the eco-friendly energy star refrigerator and freezers.
- A generator of up to 3000 watts can be used to run a standard refrigerator and freezer. A 3000 watts generator is considered the most common generator which is used to run a refrigerator and freezer.
- Generators having 5000 + watts can be used to run all big and huge refrigerators and freezers.
Running and starting watts of refrigerator and freezer:
The following is a table showing the running and starting watts of different sizes of refrigerators and freezers:
Refrigerator And Freezer | Running Watts | Starting Watts |
Small Mini Fridge | 50 watts | 200 watts |
Standard Mini Fridge | 75 watts | 300 watts |
Big Mini Fridge | 100 watts | 400 watts |
Small Energy Star Fridge | 132 watts | 528 watts |
Standard Energy Star Fridge | 192 watts | 768 watts |
Big Energy Star Fridge | 250 watts | 1,000 watts |
Small Fridge | 400 watts | 1,200 watts |
Standard Fridge | 700 watts | 2,900 watts |
Big Side-By-Side Fridge | 1,000 watts | 4,000 watts |
Biggest Fridge | 1,500 watts | 6,000 watts |
Generator recommendations:
- For the Mini fridges and energy star freezes the best 1000 watts generator to run the refrigerator and freezer is the Honda EU10001 which is a very quiet multipurpose to use and does have an inverter motor. But the price of the generator is more. To buy a cheap generator of 1000 watts to run a refrigerator and freezer you can choose the power smart 1000 watts generator.
- For running a standard refrigerator and freezer you need a 3000 Watts generator to run the refrigerator and freezer. it is the quietest generator of 3000 Watts is the Honda EU3000IS as it is able to provide all the necessary starting watts to start a refrigerator and freezer and to run it. A generator with lower quality and cheaper 3000 watts is the craftsman C00100300 3000i.
Conclusion:
So you bring the right size of generator to run the refrigerator and freezer by calculating the starting watts and running watts of the refrigerator and freezer. And how should we calculate the starting watts the formula is mentioned above.
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