How many amps does a small refrigerator draw?

Category: home and garden home appliances
4.4/5 (931 Views . 29 Votes)
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average refrigerator uses approximately 725 watts of electricity and 15 to 20 amps, this adds up to approximately 10 percent or more of your utility bill.



Also to know is, how much power does a small fridge draw?

Compact refrigerators, typically ranging from 1.7 to 4.4 cubic feet, receive an Energy Star rating when they consume no more than 239.42 kilowatt-hours per year for manual defrost versions, or up to 318.4 kWH/year for units with partial automatic defrost.

Likewise, can I run a refrigerator on a 15 amp circuit? Power Consumption With a 110-volt current, a 750-watt appliance will require 6.8 amps to operate. A refrigerator will use roughly half of the available amperage of a standard 15-amp circuit, and over one third of a 20-amp circuit.

Keeping this in view, how many amps does a typical refrigerator draw?

6 amps

How many amps does a 12v fridge draw?

Watts / Volts = Amps per hour A slightly different example is a 60 watt fridge running on a 12 volt power source uses 60 /12 = 5 amps, but only while the motor runs.

38 Related Question Answers Found

Can a 1000 watt generator run a refrigerator?

If you're using a 1000 Watts generator for camping trips, I always recommend using a 12V DC refrigerator with a deep cycle battery. You can charge the battery with no problem using a 1000 Watts generator and you have the benefit of keeping your refrigerator running even when the generator is switched off.

Will a mini fridge increase electric bill?

A mini refrigerator can max out your utility bill
But they aren't as efficient at using energy. It costs $180 but could cost you $80 per year to run if the refrigerator temperature is set to the recommended 37 degrees (based on a national average of 11.8 cents per kilowatt hour).

Can a 2000 watt generator run a refrigerator?

Speaking of which, one of the most common appliances, either in an RV or at home, that you are likely to always want to be able to power is a refrigerator. Luckily, with a 2000 watt generator, you can indeed run a mid-sized refrigerator as long as its energy star rated and uses no more than 1200 of starting watt power.

How long will a mini fridge run on a deep cycle battery?

I don't know what the duty cycle of your typical refrigerator is, but I would guess that the batteries would only need to last through a two or three cycles to keep the contents cool for four hours (which isn't very long). The 8 hour rate for a typical deep cycle battery is 180 amp/hours.

Do fridges use a lot of electricity?


A typical fridge of about 400-500 litres can use around 495kWh of electricity each year, which equates to a cost of about $163.35, based on an energy usage rate 33c/kWh. Energy usage rates vary across the country, but typically around 13 per cent of your energy bill is likely to be attributed to running your fridge.

How many watts per hour does a mini fridge use?

NewAir mini fridges use from 85 to 100 watts, depending on their size. Smaller fridges don't cycle on and off as often as larger ones do. We'll use an example in which a NewAir fridge runs for 1/3 of the 24 hour day. That's 8 hours.

How many solar panels does it take to run a mini fridge?

The 160 watt panel with 3 good hours of sunlight (which is about average) will get you 480 watts to use daily, if the fridge runs 5 hours at 80 watts you will use up 400 watts.

What size generator do I need to run a refrigerator and freezer?

For example, if you want a generator to run a refrigerator and a freezer, the wattage (table 2) of the refrigerator would be 800 and the freezer would be 1,000. To select the correct size generator, you decide if both refrigerator and freezer are to start at the same time. If so, you would need (1,800 X 4) 7,200 watts.

Does a fridge need a 20 amp circuit?

Refrigerator Circuit
A modern refrigerator requires a dedicated 20-amp, 120/125-volt circuit. You may currently have a smaller refrigerator plugged into a general lighting circuit, but during any major remodeling, a dedicated 120/125-volt circuit for the refrigerator should be installed.

Can I run a refrigerator on an extension cord?


Yes, you can use one if the capacity is adequate. But most refrigerator manufacturers recommend against using an extension cord for a variety of reasons. One concern is that you're going to use a cord that's not capable of carrying the load without heating up too much. This can turn into a fire hazard.

How many appliances can be on a 15 amp circuit?

The total load exceeds 1,800 watts for a 15-amp circuit. (120 volts x 15 amps = 1,800 watts.) Look for the amp rating of the circuit in tiny numbers on the circuit breaker switch or fuse to determine how many outlets you can have on a 15-amp circuit. For a 20-amp circuit, the load limit is 2,400 watts.

How many amps does a 1000 watt microwave draw?

Looks like a typical "1000 watt" microwave will require about 1700 watts of wall power. Dividing by 120 (volts), that would be 14 amps. For such a microwave, you better put in at least a 20 amp circuit. Even with nothing else on the circuit.

Can a refrigerator and microwave be on the same circuit?

Can a Refrigerator and Microwave Be on the Same Circuit? Microwaves and refrigerators are heavy-duty appliances that use large amounts of energy and therefore need to be powered by a dedicated circuit. A dedicated circuit is designed for use by only one appliance.

How many plugs can you put on a 15 amp breaker?

for a 15 amp circuit this allowed for 10 outlets and on a 20 amp circuit 13 outlets were allowed.

Can you use a 15 amp receptacle on a 20 amp breaker?


BOTTOM LINE: 15 AMP OUTLETS ARE FINE IN A 20 AMP CIRCUIT AS LONG AS IT IS NOT THE ONLY OUTLET IN THE CIRCUIT. It's referring to single receptacles, I.e., a microwave outlet a sump pump. You install a 15A single receptacle, and code requires that to now be a 15A circuit, with a 15A breaker.

Should fridge be on own circuit?

1 Answer. In the US, under the NEC, a residential kitchen fridge is not required to be on a dedicated circuit. It is certainly a good idea and best practice, but not a requirement. A fridge can be on one of the minimum two required "small appliance branch circuits".

How do I know what AMP my appliance is?

Divide the watts of a given electrical item by the total number of volts available from the electric outlet to calculate amperage draw. The amount of current flowing through the wire is measured in amperes, or amps. The equivalent of available electricity at the power source is voltage, or volts.