Appliance Wattage Library

12V coolers can be efficient on DC, but duty cycle depends on ambient temperature and insulation.

Small fridges vary widely by insulation, room temperature, and door openings. The 45% duty-cycle default is a conservative planning assumption for cycling behavior, not a measured guarantee; measure with a watt meter when possible.

Electric blankets cycle by heat setting. Lower settings can reduce average draw.

Fans are usually good power-station loads. Check the label because speed setting changes draw.

Emergency radios are usually low draw, but charging mode and volume can change consumption.

Console draw changes between menu, streaming, and gameplay. Include the TV or monitor as a separate load.

Projector draw depends on brightness mode and speaker use. Add streaming sticks or speakers separately.

Heating water is power-hungry. A short brew may use little total energy but still needs enough continuous output.

Kettles are short but very high draw. Many small stations cannot run them even when total Wh looks sufficient.

Microwaves are high-draw short-duration loads. Use input power consumption from the label or manual, not cooking-output wattage, and check continuous station output.

Resistive heaters drain batteries quickly. Power setting and thermostat mode can change draw, so plan from the exact mode you will use.

Toasters are short-use resistive loads that require high continuous output. Rated input varies by model, voltage, and slice capacity, so check the exact nameplate.

Fridges cycle on and off. The calculator treats the entered wattage as compressor running wattage and applies a duty-cycle estimate.

Screen size, brightness, and panel type matter. Check the label or use a plug-in watt meter.

For home internet backup, include modem or ONT, router, and any mesh nodes as separate loads.

Direct DC power can be more efficient than using an AC brick. USB-C PD requirements still need headroom.

Snow melt, boot, heat, router behavior, and network activity can change draw. This profile uses Starlink's published average range.

Mesh nodes are small steady loads, but multiple nodes add up during long outages.

Router wattage is usually steady, but modem, ONT, and mesh nodes should be counted as separate loads.

LED lights are low-load essentials. Add each bulb or fixture if several will run during an outage.

This is a comfort-focused estimate, not medical advice. Use the CPAP manufacturer's battery guidance for critical planning.

Humidifiers and heated tubes can more than double power draw. This is a comfort-focused estimate, not medical advice. Use the CPAP manufacturer's battery guidance for critical planning.

Travel CPAP units can draw less than full-size machines, especially without heated humidification. This is a comfort-focused estimate, not medical advice. Use the CPAP manufacturer's battery guidance for critical planning.

Camera chargers are small loads. USB-C chargers may avoid AC inverter losses.

Phone charging is usually a small load. Count multiple phones separately or increase quantity in Advanced mode.

USB-C charging efficiency is usually better than AC inverter charging, but charger and cable limits still matter.

Monitor draw depends on size, brightness, refresh rate, and panel type.

Desktop draw varies heavily with CPU/GPU load and monitor count. Gaming PCs can exceed this range.

Laptop draw depends on charger rating, battery state, screen brightness, CPU/GPU load, and whether charging over USB-C DC.