Can A Portable Power Station Run Your Fridge In An Emergency?

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Every time the power goes out, the first thing you're probably concerned about is the refrigerator. You don't want your food to spoil and go to waste, especially if you just went grocery shopping the day before. Thankfully, there are some ways to keep your fridge cold during a power outage. For one, try to avoid opening the doors to trap the cold air inside. Tossing in some ice packs or frozen water containers can also lower the temperature for longer.

These tips, however, will only work if you already have some ice and frozen bottles ready. If you're unprepared and are afraid your food might warm up, you need a more robust solution like a portable power station. This large battery pack can help you survive a power outage by keeping your electronics charged and ready for use.

The question is, can a power station run an appliance as big as your fridge, too? The short answer is yes; a portable power station may be small, but it's capable enough to power your refrigerator. There are some considerations you should look into first, though.

Not all portable power stations are created equal. What you use to charge your phone or power your laptop might not be enough to run your fridge. That's why the right size matters, and this largely depends on the specs of your refrigerator and how long you want to power it.

To figure out the ideal portable power station for your fridge, you'll have to look at two things on your appliance: starting watts and running watts. The starting watts is the temporary power it needs to turn on, while the running watts is the much lower power it consumes when it's actually operating (usually around two to three times less). For a portable power station to run the fridge, its surge peak (or surge output or surge power) and max AC output should be higher than the fridge's starting and running watts, respectively. If the power station's starting and running watts are below the refrigerator's rated wattages, it likely won't start. To be on the safe side, the power station should be about double the ratings of your fridge.

On top of the surge and max outputs, you need to choose a portable power station with enough capacity to deliver power to your fridge for as long as you need. The capacity is measured in watt-hours (Wh), which you can readily find on the spec sheet. The higher this capacity, the longer the power station can drive your appliance.

To make sure you buy the right size portable power station, you need to calculate and find the wattage ratings of both the fridge and the station. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do so:

1. Determine the fridge's wattage rating:
   1. Find the information sticker, typically on the inside sidewall or by the door.
   2. If there's a wattage rating listed, write it down. If there isn't, multiply the voltage by the current to get the wattage instead.
2. Take note of the fridge's starting watts. According to Jackery, large refrigerators consume at most 2,000W at startup, while average-sized ones use up 1,000W. The small fridges, mini coolers, and compact/RV refrigerators need 600W, 400W, and 120W, respectively. If you're unsure which category your fridge falls under, you can just multiply the wattage rating by two or three.
3. Compute the fridge's running watts. Divide the wattage rating by three to get the actual running watts. This is because the fridge's compressor is only active for roughly 30% of the time, so its actual consumption is usually just a third of the advertised rating.
4. Find the ratings of the portable power station you want to buy:
   1. Check if the fridge's starting watts are well under the power station's surge peak.
   2. To give you some leeway, double the running watts of the fridge to get the power station's max output. Most models from major portable power station brands like the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus and ECOFLOW DELTA Pro 3 offer max outputs above 2,000W, though, so doubling the running watts generally won't be a problem.
5. Estimate how many hours your chosen portable power station can power the fridge:
   1. Take the capacity in Wh of the power station.
   2. Divide the capacity by the fridge's running watts.
   3. To know the estimated runtime in hours, multiply the result by 0.85 to account for the battery inefficiency, which is normally about 85%.

When hunting for the ideal portable power station, you might also want to consider extra features like charging time, weather-proofing, and physical size.