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 yousurvive a power outageby 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.
How to pick a power station to run your fridge
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 thepower station’s starting and running wattsare 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.
How to calculate the right size portable power station for your fridge
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:
When hunting for the ideal portable power station, you might also want to consider extra features like charging time, weather-proofing, and physical size.
