What Does Running/Rated Wattage Mean?

A generator's Running or Rated Wattage is the continuous watts needed to keep an appliance running or the continuous watts a generator can produce. ​

  • Apr 3, 2023
  • Knowledge

Title
What Does Running/Rated Wattage Mean?
URL Name
What-Does-Running-Rated-Wattage-Mean

Public Answer
A generator's Running or Rated Wattage is the continuous power needed to run an appliance or the maximum power a generator can produce for an extended period. Appliances with electric motors may require Surge or Starting Wattage, which is additional power required for starting, typically lasting 2-3 seconds. Generators can also provide surge wattage, which is the maximum power a generator can deliver for a short time.

Knowing the Running and Surge Wattage of an appliance can help determine the right generator size for use during a power outage. For example, a refrigerator/freezer requires 700 running watts but can surge to 2200 watts, while an electric clothes dryer requires 5400 running watts and can surge to 6750 watts.
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