How long will it run my fridge?
Which power station runs a fridge longer?
A fridge runs longer on the station with more watt-hours left after inverter loss, when the continuous output covers the compressor.
The hours depend on the fridge's average watts, the station's watt-hour capacity, and inverter efficiency.
This page uses the BLUETTI FridgePower at 2,016 watt-hours and 1,800 watts continuous, as of October 5, 2026.
Published specs
| Item | Spec | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 12V portable fridge | Load | 1.03 Ah/h at 12 V DC, ambient 32 C, internal 4 C, as of October 5, 2026 |
| compact mini fridge | Load | 321 kilowatt-hours a year, 3.0 cubic feet, compact refrigerator, as of October 5, 2026 |
| Energy Star full-size | Load | 359 kilowatt-hours a year, 17.5 cubic feet, top freezer, no ice maker, as of October 5, 2026 |
| large French-door with ice and water | Load | 755 kilowatt-hours a year, 30.7 cubic feet, bottom freezer with through-the-door ice, as of October 5, 2026 |
| BLUETTI FridgePower | Capacity | 2,016 watt-hours, as of October 5, 2026 |
| BLUETTI FridgePower | Output | 1,800 watts, as of October 5, 2026 |
| BLUETTI FridgePower | Surge | 3,600 watts, as of October 5, 2026 |
| BLUETTI FridgePower | Chemistry | LiFePO4, as of October 19, 2026 |
A BLUETTI FridgePower at 2,016 watt-hours and 85% inverter efficiency runs this Energy Star full-size for about 1.7 days (41.8 hours). As of October 5, 2026.
ENERGY STAR lists the GE GTE18DTN series, a 17.5 cubic foot top freezer with no ice maker, at 359 kilowatt-hours a year. That averages about 40.98 watts. As of October 5, 2026.
Startup surge is not in those hours. The inverter still has to handle the surge when the compressor starts. As of October 5, 2026.
Estimated runtime
Multi-day
1.7 days (41.8 hours)
2,016 watt-hours at 85% inverter efficiency is 1713.6 watt-hours delivered. This load averages 40.98 watts. 1713.6 divided by 40.98 is about 41.8 hours.
Assumption: inverter efficiency is 85%.
A start surge is not published for this preset. These hours are the running load only.
A clamp meter with an inrush or max-current mode, used with an AC line splitter so the clamp goes around a single conductor, can measure startup current. Multiply those amps by the volts on the line to get a rough watts figure.
AstroAI Inrush Digital Clamp Meter Multimeter 1000A TRMS 6000 Counts
Triplett ET200 AC Line Splitter and GFCI Outlet/Receptacle Tester with 5 Visual Indicators
Use a line splitter only on corded plug-in loads. Leave hardwired pumps to an electrician.
Affiliate link, I may earn a commission.
Worked example
Energy Star full-size on the BLUETTI FridgePower (2,016 watt-hours) at 85% inverter efficiency. Specs in this example are as of October 5, 2026.
| Step | Figure |
|---|---|
| Published energy | 359 kilowatt-hours a year |
| Daily energy | 359 / 365 = 0.9836 kilowatt-hours a day |
| Average watts | 0.98356 x 1000 / 24 = 40.98 watts |
| Nameplate volts | 120 volts |
| Delivered watt-hours | 2,016 x 0.85 = 1713.6 |
| Hours | 1713.6 / 40.98 = about 41.8 |
Result: 1.7 days (41.8 hours).
Assumptions
| Assumption | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Inverter efficiency | 85%, as of October 5, 2026 | Starting assumption for AC output. Change it in the calculator if you know a different percent. |
| Runtime formula | watt-hours x efficiency / average watts, as of October 5, 2026 | Hours use average watts only. Startup surge is not in the formula. |
| Average watts | daily kilowatt-hours x 1000 / 24, as of October 5, 2026 | Every preset is stored as daily energy, then turned into average watts this way. |
| Duty cycle | Custom running watts only, as of October 5, 2026 | Duty cycle is the percent of the hour the compressor runs. It is not applied on top of a daily energy preset. |
| ENERGY STAR year | 365 days, as of October 5, 2026 | Annual kilowatt-hours on the ENERGY STAR list are divided by 365. |
| 12V portable | 0.29664 kilowatt-hours a day, as of October 5, 2026 | Dometic CFX3 45, 1.03 amp-hours per hour at 12 volts, room 32 C, cabinet 4 C. |
| FridgePower | 2,016 watt-hours, as of October 5, 2026 | BLUETTI US manual battery capacity. Continuous AC output is 1,800 watts, with 3,600 surge watts, at 120 volts. |
| Product pick | FridgePower when the running load fits, as of October 5, 2026 | The hour band is a label. The station stays on the result when its continuous rating covers the running watts. |
Questions
How long will a 2,016 watt-hour station run a full-size fridge?
About 1.7 days (41.8 hours) at 85% inverter efficiency. The full-size preset is the GE GTE18DTN series, 17.5 cubic feet, listed by ENERGY STAR at 359 kilowatt-hours a year. That is about 40.98 watts on average. 2,016 watt-hours times 0.85 is 1713.6 watt-hours, and that divided by 40.98 is about 41.8 hours. As of October 5, 2026.
Does this count the startup surge?
No. The hours use average watts only. A compressor can draw a short surge when it starts, and the inverter has to handle that surge or the station will shut off. These presets do not include a published surge watt number. As of October 5, 2026.
Why is inverter efficiency 85%?
85% is the starting assumption, and the result shows the percent in use. You can change it. The hours are watt-hours times that efficiency, divided by average watts. A 12V fridge on a DC outlet may skip the inverter, so this estimate can be short of a real DC run. As of October 5, 2026.
What if my fridge is not one of the four presets?
Choose running watts plus the percent of the hour the compressor runs, or enter kilowatt-hours per day. A plug-in meter can give you both. A yearly EnergyGuide number works too: divide it by 365. As of October 5, 2026.
Which station matches the result?
The station on this page is the BLUETTI FridgePower, 2,016 watt-hours, 1,800 watts continuous, and 3,600 surge watts. It stays on the result when that continuous rating covers the running load, including a run under 8 hours or longer than a day. Affiliate link, I may earn a commission. As of October 5, 2026.
Sources
Updated .
- Dometic CFX3 45Dometic lists the CFX3 45 at 1.03 amp-hours per hour on 12 volt DC, with the room at 32 C and the cabinet at 4 C. That is 12.36 watts, or 0.29664 kilowatt-hours a day. As of October 5, 2026.
- GE GDE03GGK series (ENERGY STAR pd_id 2254758)ENERGY STAR lists the GE GDE03GGK series, a 3.0 cubic foot compact refrigerator, at 321 kilowatt-hours a year. Divided by 365, that is about 0.8795 kilowatt-hours a day. As of October 5, 2026.
- GE GTE18DTN series (ENERGY STAR pd_id 2344546)ENERGY STAR lists the GE GTE18DTN series, a 17.5 cubic foot top freezer with no ice maker, at 359 kilowatt-hours a year. That averages about 40.98 watts. As of October 5, 2026.
- LG LRFXS3106 (ENERGY STAR pd_id 2557191)ENERGY STAR lists the LG LRFXS3106 as a 30.7 cubic foot bottom freezer with through-the-door ice, at 755 kilowatt-hours a year. That is the French-door layout: fridge doors on top, freezer below, ice and water in the door. As of October 5, 2026.
- BLUETTI FridgePowerBLUETTI lists FridgePower at 2,016 watt-hours, 1,800 watts continuous AC, and 3,600 watts surge, at 120 volts. Manual: https://s4.bluettipower.com/bluetti/purchasePageBiz/2026/06/FridgePower%C2%A0User%20Manual-1781410555039-a5a5.pdf As of October 5, 2026.
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