Scenarios › Power station for a home outage: fridge + CPAP + sump pump
Power station for a home outage (fridge + CPAP + sump pump)
The classic storm-night kit: keep the fridge cold, run a CPAP overnight, and keep the sump pump ready so the basement stays dry. The sump pump’s 1,500 W startup surge is what sets the minimum inverter — here is the unit that covers all three, with room to grow.
3,373 Whcapacity needed
990 Wrunning watts
2,040 Wsurge to clear
12 hruntime horizon
This load: Refrigerator (modern) · CPAP Machine (no humidifier) · Sump Pump (1/3 HP). Want to tweak it? Open the full sizing tool and adjust the appliances and hours.
What size you need
You need about 3,373 Wh — and 12 units fit. The smallest sufficient is the Mango Power Power E; we never push more capacity than your load can use. Surge to clear: 2,040 W.
The math
Running watts (everything on at once) = 990 W
Surge watts (worst single startup + the rest running) = 2,040 W
Average draw (cyclic loads counted by their duty cycle) = 253 W
Watt-hours = 253 W × 12 h ÷ 90% usable reserve = 3,373 Wh
1
Mango Power Power Esmallest that fits
3,506 Wh 3,000 W cont · 4,800 W surge expandable ~12 h on this load $$$
First Mango Power entry — a 3.5 kWh, 3,000 W home-backup unit on CATL LFP cells rated 6,000+ cycles, expandable to 14 kWh with add-on batteries.
LiFePO4 (CATL) · 0-80% in 60 min AC (30A fast-charge cable); full in ~1.5 h · 100 lb
2
EcoFlow DELTA Pro
3,600 Wh 3,600 W cont · 7,200 W surge expandable ~13 h on this load $$$
The whole-home contender on wheels — 3,600 W, expandable to 25 kWh, panel-ready with a transfer switch.
LiFePO4 · AC + EV charging; expandable to 25 kWh · 99 lb
3
Growatt HELIOS 3600
3,686 Wh 3,600 W cont · 4,500 W surge expandable ~13 h on this load $$$
Whole-home-class unit, expandable to 36 kWh; Watt+ mode boosts to 4,500 W of loads.
LiFePO4 · Simultaneous 120V/240V + XT60/Anderson solar input for fast combined charging · 99 lb
4
Bluetti Elite 400
3,840 Wh 2,600 W cont · 3,900 W surge ~14 h on this load $$$
Bluetti's own billed as the lightest 3.8 kWh station on the market — a non-expandable, sealed unit undercutting the EcoFlow DELTA Pro and Anker SOLIX F2600 on price/capacity; part of the new Elite series alongside the existing elite-300/elite-100-v2/elite-200-v2.
LiFePO4 · AC+solar combined 0-80% in 70 min (2,800 W); AC-only full in 2.5 h; solar max 1,000 W · 86 lb
5
Anker SOLIX F3800
3,840 Wh 6,000 W cont · 9,000 W surge expandable ~14 h on this load $$$
A 6,000 W, 240 V system for whole-home backup including a well pump and electric range, expandable to ~27 kWh.
LiFePO4 · 120/240 V; expandable to 26.9 kWh · 132 lb
6
Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus
3,840 Wh 6,000 W cont · 12,000 W surge expandable ~14 h on this load $$$
The newer-generation F3800 — same 3,840 Wh and 6,000 W continuous rating, but double the solar input (3,200 W) and adds 240V gas-generator bypass charging for extended outages.
LiFePO4 · ~1.5 h with 240V generator input; under 3 h AC; up to 3,200W dual-MPPT solar · 137 lb
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Disclosure.
The load, appliance by appliance
⚡ Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician. Appliance wattages are representative chart values and vary by model; check your nameplates. Duty cycle (how much of the time a load actually draws) is how we keep the watt-hour estimate from overselling capacity.
Common questions
Power station for a home outage (fridge + CPAP + sump pump)
For Refrigerator (modern), CPAP Machine (no humidifier), Sump Pump (1/3 HP) over 12 h, you need about 3,373 Wh of capacity, 990 W continuous output, and at least 2,040 W of surge. The smallest unit that clears all three is the Mango Power Power E; a step-up like the Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus adds headroom for longer outages.
How many watt-hours does this load need?
About 3,373 Wh for 12 h — we take the duty-weighted average draw (253 W, since cyclic loads like fridges and pumps don't run constantly), multiply by the hours, and divide by a usable-capacity reserve. Running watts are 990 W; surge is 2,040 W.
Other scenarios
Sources: appliance wattages — standard appliance/generator sizing charts; station specs — manufacturer published specifications (compiled 2026-10-05; approximate). Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician.