Appliance Wattage Chart for Generators
Typical running and starting watts for common household appliances, from manufacturer sizing charts. Use the running watts to add up your load, and the starting watts to check the biggest motor's surge.
| Appliance | Running watts | Starting watts | Circuit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water & flooding | |||
| Sump pump (1/3 HP) | 800 | 1,300 | 120 V |
| Sump pump (1/2 HP) | 1,050 | 2,150 | 120 V |
| Well pump (1/2 HP) | 1,000 | 2,100 | 240 V |
| Well pump (3/4 HP) | 1,500 | 3,000 | 240 V |
| Well pump (1 HP) | 2,000 | 5,000 | 240 V |
| Kitchen | |||
| Refrigerator | 300 | 1,500 | 120 V |
| Freezer (chest or upright) | 200 | 1,000 | 120 V |
| Microwave | 1,000 | 1,000 | 120 V |
| Coffee maker | 900 | 900 | 120 V |
| Electric cooktop (2 burners) | 3,000 | 3,000 | 240 V |
| Dishwasher | 1,500 | 1,500 | 120 V |
| Heating & cooling | |||
| Gas furnace blower (1/3 HP) | 700 | 1,400 | 120 V |
| Gas furnace blower (1/2 HP) | 875 | 2,350 | 120 V |
| Boiler, gas or oil (burner + circulator) | 300 | 700 | 120 V |
| Central AC or heat pump (2 ton) | 2,000 | 6,000 3,200 W with soft start | 240 V |
| Central AC or heat pump (3 ton) | 3,200 | 9,500 5,000 W with soft start | 240 V |
| Central AC or heat pump (4 ton) | 4,300 | 12,500 6,800 W with soft start | 240 V |
| Central AC or heat pump (5 ton) | 5,300 | 15,500 8,500 W with soft start | 240 V |
| Window AC (10,000 BTU) | 900 | 2,700 | 120 V |
| Space heater | 1,500 | 1,500 | 120 V |
| Dehumidifier | 600 | 900 | 120 V |
| Lights, internet & devices | |||
| LED lighting (whole house) | 200 | 200 | 120 V |
| Wi-Fi router + modem | 30 | 30 | 120 V |
| TV | 150 | 150 | 120 V |
| Computer + monitor | 150 | 150 | 120 V |
| Phone & laptop chargers | 60 | 60 | 120 V |
| Garage door opener (1/2 HP) | 875 | 2,350 | 120 V |
| Laundry & large electric loads | |||
| Washing machine | 1,150 | 2,250 | 120 V |
| Gas dryer | 700 | 1,800 | 120 V |
| Electric dryer | 5,400 | 6,750 | 240 V |
| Electric water heater | 4,500 | 4,500 | 240 V |
| EV charger (Level 2) | 7,200 | 7,200 | 240 V |
| Medical | |||
| CPAP machine | 60 | 60 | 120 V |
| Oxygen concentrator | 350 | 700 | 120 V |
How to read your own appliance's label
- Watts listed: that's the running watts. For anything with a motor, expect starting watts two to three times higher.
- Only amps listed: multiply amps by volts (120 or 240) to get watts. A 120-volt appliance drawing 6 amps runs about 720 watts.
- Air conditioners and heat pumps: the outdoor unit's label lists "LRA" (locked rotor amps). LRA × 240 is a rough upper bound for the starting surge; a soft-start kit cuts it by roughly half.
Ready to add it up? Open the generator size calculator.