Appliance wattage chart
Running watts and additional starting watts for common appliances, taken from Generac's official Wattage Worksheet, Generac owner's-manual wattage charts, and Home Depot's generator sizing guide. Where the sources disagree, the range column shows the disagreement — we don't average conflicts into a fake-precise number. Your appliance's own label beats every row here.
| Appliance | Running watts (default) | Range across sources | Additional starting watts | Motor? | Source |
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How to read this chart: "Running watts (default)" is the figure our calculators use — one named source's number, identified in the row's source column/note. "Additional starting watts" is what a motor load adds for a moment at startup, on top of running watts; your generator or power station must cover running total + the single largest additional figure (methodology). Generac's GP17500E chart marks motor items with an asterisk and instructs 3× running watts for starting — for those rows, the additional figure is derived by that rule (2× running) and the row note says so. Two rows (central AC, electric furnace) have no default: the published ranges are too wide to pick one honestly, so they're listed for reference and excluded from the calculators.
The label rule: every manufacturer of these tables — Generac included — prints some version of "wattages are approximate; check the appliance nameplate." A $20 plug-in energy meter is the ground truth for your specific appliance.
WattLong is reader-supported. Some links on this site are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure. All figures are estimates — verify with the manufacturer, the appliance nameplate, and a licensed electrician before relying on them.