A portable power station like the BILD Power OffGrid Pro provides enough power and battery capacity to keep home refrigerators running during long power outages. Most household fridges use between 100 and 300 watts, higher for larger or older units while running. However, they require a brief startup surge of about 500 –1,500W, occasionally higher for larger refrigerators, when the refrigerator’s compressor kicks on. The OffGrid Pro, with 3,600W of continuous output, is a safe option that can run most home refrigerators without issue. It can also handle the startup surges that smaller battery units may struggle with.
The capacity of a power station greatly relies on how much power your specific fridge draws. You can check the yellow EnergyGuide label on your refrigerator by the manufacturer. This label shows how much electricity your refrigerator uses.
Modern home refrigerators use between 100 and 400W when running. Older models or larger units with ice makers may consume more power. Startup surge power is also an important factor to consider. When your fridge compressor starts, it may require 2 to 3 times more power for a few seconds. Your power station needs to handle both numbers.
A portable power station provides many advantages over a gasoline-powered generator. Generators are often very loud, need more ventilation, and are never safe to operate indoors. A power station like OGP Pro, on the other hand, can sit quietly in your basement or even kitchen and easily start working the moment the power goes out.
Also, portable power stations don’t keep you worried about maintaining a gasoline stock or dealing with unexpected engine issues. There’s also no fuel smell and no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Many portable power stations, including OGP Pro, can also recharge using solar panels. During long outages, solar charging can help keep the battery topped up so the refrigerator continues running.
It depends on how much energy your refrigerator consumes. Most fridges have an on and off cycle while running. Its compressor may run for 15 minutes every hour, so it draws six hours of power in 24 hours.
Let’s assume a fridge consumes 200 watts of power when running. Over a 10-hour night, the compressor may run for about 2.5 hours, which equals roughly 500 watt-hours of power. A power station with significant capacity, like the OffGrid Pro, handles this easily. The challenge arises when the compressor system gets older, or the door is not closed properly, which forces the compressor to run a longer cycle.
There are a few things to watch out for when running a refrigerator on a power station backup.
The biggest limitation is battery capacity. Once your power station’s battery is depleted, your fridge stops running.
Some refrigerators demand more power than others. Side-by-side models with ice makers and water dispensers tend to use more electricity.
Recharging a power station takes time. Plugging into a wall outlet might take several hours to fully charge a larger unit. Solar charging depends on the weather and how many panels you have.
A fridge is likely to shut down or trip as a safety precaution if the startup surge is too high to handle for the power station.
If you plan to power a refrigerator during outages, choose a power station with enough continuous output and battery capacity to handle both the running watts and the startup surge. Larger units can keep a fridge running longer and even power additional essentials during an emergency.
