What Size Inverter Do I Need to Run a Fridge?

In the modern world, almost every other household has a fridge or refrigerator. It keeps your foods safe and thus is a very important piece of equipment in a kitchen. If your area faces a power cut the first thing you are worried about is your fridge not working. The kitchen work gets a lot more troublesome without your fridge working. You can switch to an inverter to handle such power-cut situations. And if you are not buying one cause you are confused about what size inverter do I need to run a fridge, then this blog will solve this problem for you.

What Size Inverter Do I Need to Run a Fridge?

In order to keep the interior of a refrigerator at a constant, cool temperature, the refrigerator’s compressor cycles on and off at regular intervals. When turned on, a refrigerator uses a substantial quantity of electricity. Overload power might be three to ten times the continuous watts. Hence for the question that what size inverter do I need to run a fridge, the appropriate answer would be,  the inverter must be resilient even though the transient only lasts milliseconds. Make sure the inverter you purchase can withstand the running power and the surge wattage of your refrigerator when making your selection.  The recommended minimum rating for an inverter is five times the electricity consumption of your refrigerator. This should ensure that the inverter can manage the continuous power of the fridge as well as the first surge power it needs to start. For example, A refrigerator that requires 200W of power can be operated with an inverter that provides 1000W/2000W (continuous/surge). Hence, it’s important to find an inverter that can handle both the running power and surge power of your fridge for the most accurate sizing. So all in all, you’ll need to assess how much energy your refrigerator consumes. But also the fridge’s surge wattage is a major factor in this. After this, let’s learn what is the meaning of powering a fridge with an inverter.

Also See: What Size Inverter to Run a TV

What Does it Mean by Powering a Fridge With an Inverter?

After learning what size inverter do I need to run a fridge, you must also be curious about powering a fridge with an inverter. Power outages can happen at any time. Most of us have encountered power outages, either in rural or urban locations, primarily as a result of load shedding. Although inverter battery backups have been useful for powering some smaller home appliances in the past, they haven’t been able to reliably run larger appliances like refrigerators until recently. Manufacturers of refrigerators have developed “Smart Inverter” technology that allows the appliance to be powered by a standard household inverter. Cool technology like this can help you keep your food fresh even if you lose electricity for hours at a time. In conventional refrigerators, the compressor has only one speed, either on or off. A refrigerator with a single-speed compressor uses that compressor to run at full speed to circulate the refrigerant through the system (typically 3,600rpm). The refrigerator’s compressor switches off once the set temperature has been reached.

Smart inverter refrigerators function very differently from standard refrigerators. These refrigerators use compressors that can rotate at rates anywhere from about 1,000 to 4,300 revolutions per minute (rpm). In the case of a power outage, a variable-speed compressor will automatically switch to its most energy-efficient setting. Because of this, it may run the refrigerator off of the power from a home inverter. These fridges have low power consumption, so they can keep food cool for long periods even when the power is out. Read our feature on inverter technology in refrigerators to learn about its benefits.

The amount of time an inverter-backed refrigerator can run is mostly determined by the inverter’s capacity (VA – Volt Ampere) and the battery’s capacity (Ah – Ampere-hours). The VA represents the inverter’s voltage and current output to appliances, while the Ah represents the battery’s runtime in hours. Most houses have inverter batteries installed to power at least one ceiling fan and two compact fluorescent lights in case of a blackout. Taking into account the fact that a smart inverter fridge needs at least 90W to function, the total power consumption of all the appliances, including the lights and fans, would be around 185W.

A smart inverter technology refrigerator’s battery life can be estimated using this method. Please keep in mind that the exact figures will vary depending on factors like the inverter, the batteries, the user’s habits, and the specific refrigerator type. Now its time to further see will a 750-watt inverter run a refrigerator.

Will a 750-Watt Inverter Run a Refrigerator?

Now that you have learned what size inverter do I need to run a fridge, you must also be wondering- will a 750-watt inverter run a refrigerator? Yes, a 750W inverter can run a refrigerator. In general, the surge or peak capacity of an inverter should be twice as high as the running wattage. That’s three times the 750-watt output of the inverter. This signifies the inverter has a very short duration of operation at this watt load.

The 750W inverter can be powered by either the standard electrical outlet (110V or 120V) or by batteries. Indefinite operation is possible when the inverter is set to AC and there is a power source. Battery life determines how long it may be used after being charged. List all the equipment, machines, and other gadgets that will be powered by the inverter to generate the most precise cost estimate possible. The watts added up should give you a rough estimate of how long the power will last. Yes, a 750W inverter can run a refrigerator.

Depending upon the following:

• Quite a few home gadgets feature adaptable functionality. Since blenders are typically only used for a few seconds at a time, their hourly power consumption is quite high (around 700 watts). The same may be said for various appliances and tools; contrary to appearances, their use is far lower than they appear to be.
• A device’s energy consumption may differ from one another based on its specific manufacturing. Some home appliances will be more efficient than others, even though they have identical specifications.
• Using shorter, thicker wires improves the efficiency of inverters. To minimize energy loss, keep the cord length between the inverter and the batteries as short as possible.

Also See: Can a 1500-Watt Inverter Run a Microwave?

Will a 1000-Watt Inverter Run a Refrigerator?

Yes, a 1000 W inverter can run a refrigerator. If it’s a newer, more efficient model, then yes. Most current refrigerators that are around 16 cubic feet in size should be able to be powered by a 1000-watt inverter with a 2000-watt surge capacity. Knowing the power consumption of your refrigerator (especially if it is an older model) and the rated surge capacity of the inverter can ensure that you get an appropriately sized inverter, especially if your fridge is quite large. After this, let’s find out will a 1500-watt inverter run a refrigerator. This should have taught you will a 1000-watt inverter run a refrigerator or not.

Will a 1500-Watt Inverter Run a Refrigerator?

It is not safe to operate your inverter at maximum capacity due to the inverter efficiency rate and the type of inverter you have. It’s also important to get the right-sized battery and cord. Assume that a 1500W inverter can support a 1500W load.

No more than 1300 watts of power should be drawn at any given time, whether from a single source or several. There are many considerations to make before operating the load on your inverter, including the size of the battery and the size of the cable needed to transmit the load. This should have answered will a 1500-watt inverter run a refrigerator.

Also Read: What Can a 2000-Watt Inverter Run?

The Upper Limit of a Surge

The term “surge power” refers to an instantaneous and powerful increase in electrical current that allows the machinery to function. Most of the time, the Watt rating supplied to an inverter is its continuous rating. However, the maximum surge rating of an inverter is the amount of power it can give momentarily to kick-start a device that requires a surge of electricity. Particularly for those with electric motors, a surge of electricity is required to get them started. Some home equipment, such as the refrigerator or refreeze, microwave, dishwasher, clothes washer, vacuum cleaner, etc., need an electrical surge to get going. The great news is that most inverters have surge protection built in. The maximum surge power will be between twice and three times the continuous output. This means that for a short time, your 1500-watt inverter will be capable of delivering 3000 watts of power. The conversion from DC to AC will result in some power loss due to the inverter’s efficiency. Inverters are not 100% efficient, although they do have an average efficiency of 85%.

Therefore, a 1500W inverter would require 1725 DC watts from the battery (1500 + 15% = 1725) to supply energy to a 1500W load.

The average electricity consumption of a refrigerator is between 100 and 250 watts. An inverter rated at 1500 watts can, therefore, reliably run a refrigerator. To power a refrigerator, you’ll need a pure sine wave inverter. In addition, the refrigerator starts with a short burst of electricity that uses 400 to 600 watts, which can be handled by a 1500-watt inverter. A 1500-watt inverter, for example, may power appliances requiring up to 1300 watts of output power, such as a refrigerator, TV, compact microwave, laptop, space heater, etc. After this, let’s find out will a 2000-watt inverter run a refrigerator.

Will a 2000-Watt Inverter Run a Refrigerator?

Yes, a 2000W inverter can run a refrigerator, when the refrigerator’s total power usage is less than 4000 watts, a 2000W inverter will be able to supply it. Inverters may power energy-efficient refrigerators with a capacity of 21 to 24 cubic feet because these models only require 1200 to 1500 watts to operate.

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