What Size Generator for a Refrigerator?
A 2,200W inverter runs a refrigerator. The planning number is 700 running watts with a 2,200W spike when the compressor starts, and the 2,200W inverter class (1,800W rated, 2,200W peak) covers that spike with the fridge as the only load. Newer fridges draw far less; the table below has the ranges.
Wattage by type
| Refrigerator type | Running | Starting |
|---|---|---|
| New top-freezer (inverter compressor) | 150 to 400 W | 800 to 1,200 W |
| Side-by-side with ice maker | 300 to 800 W | 1,200 to 2,200 W |
| Planning number (older unit) | 700 W | 2,200 W |
| Old garage fridge | 700 to 1,200 W | 2,000 to 3,000 W |
| Mini fridge | 100 W | 350 W |
What it takes with company
Same engine as the wattage picker: running total plus the single biggest start spike, then the smallest class that carries it with 20% headroom.
| Load list | Running | Peak | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fridge alone | 700 W | 2,200 W | 2,200W inverter |
| Fridge + lights + chargers + Wi-Fi | 900 W | 2,400 W | 3,400W inverter |
| Fridge + chest freezer | 1,200 W | 2,700 W | 3,400W inverter |
| Fridge + freezer + the basics | 1,400 W | 2,900 W | 3,400W inverter |
The details that change the answer
The compressor is the whole problem. Running, a fridge is a light bulb with a door; starting, its induction motor pulls two to three times the running figure for about a second. A generator that can't deliver that second stalls or drops voltage, the compressor's overload trips, and it tries again a minute later. That cycle (generator groans, fridge clicks, repeat) is the classic symptom of an undersized unit.
Check your nameplate before buying anything: it's a sticker inside the door frame or behind the kick plate, listing amps. Amps times 115 volts is running watts. A fridge made in the last decade often runs under 400W with a soft inverter-driven compressor, which is why people run them on 2,000W units and even big power stations without drama. The 700/2,200 planning figure assumes you don't know, which is the right assumption for the garage fridge.
Outage tactics beat watts. A closed fridge holds safe temperature about 4 hours (FDA figure), a full chest freezer about 48. You don't need the generator on the fridge continuously; an hour of runtime every three or four keeps it cold and stretches your gas can by two thirds.
Questions people ask
Will a 1,000W generator run a refrigerator?
A new inverter-compressor fridge, usually yes: those run 150 to 400W and start under 1,200. An older fridge, usually no; the 2,000 to 2,200W start spike stalls a 1,000W unit. The nameplate amps (times 115 for watts) settle it, and if it lists LRA, that number is the true start requirement.
Can I run a fridge on an extension cord from the generator?
Yes, and it is the normal setup. Use a 12 AWG or heavier outdoor cord, as short as practical; a thin 16 AWG cord drops enough voltage to make the compressor start harder. The generator stays outside, 20 feet from the house, exhaust pointed away. No cord through a sealed window gap into a closed garage, ever, because that is how CO gets in.