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Refrigerator Compressor Amp Calculator

What circuit does your fridge actually need?

Convert refrigerator wattage to running and starting amps, then size the dedicated circuit. Uses Ohm's law (Amps = Watts ÷ Volts), compressor surge multipliers, and NEC 210.19 continuous-load sizing (125%).

⏱ ~30 secOhm's law + NEC 210.19Installation & Setup
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W ÷ V
Running amps
Ohm's law
3–5×
Surge
Standard compressor
1.75×
Surge
Inverter
125%
Circuit margin
NEC 210.19
STEP 01

Three inputs.
Real circuit spec.

Wattage from the nameplate, voltage from the outlet, compressor type from the spec sheet.

W
Find on the inside-fridge nameplate or spec sheet.
V
Updates live as you type
Running amperage
1.25A
15-amp circuit · 15A breaker · 14 AWG
Starting surge
5.0 A
Required circuit
1.6 A
Under the hood

Ohm's law. NEC sizing.

Running amps = watts ÷ volts. Surge multipliers come from compressor manufacturer ratings; circuit sizing follows NEC 210.19(A) and conductor ampacity from NEC 310.16.

  1. 01

    Running amps (Ohm's law)

    Amps = watts ÷ voltage. A 150W fridge on 120V draws 1.25 amps continuous.

  2. 02

    Starting surge

    Standard compressor: 4× running amps. Inverter: 1.75×. Variable speed: 2×. Brief but high — must not nuisance-trip the breaker.

  3. 03

    Circuit per NEC 210.19

    Required circuit = running amps × 125% safety margin. Round up to the next standard breaker size: 15, 20, 30, or 40A.

  4. 04

    Wire gauge per NEC 310.16

    14 AWG for 15A, 12 AWG for 20A, 10 AWG for 30A, 8 AWG for 40A. Derate for ambient temp and conductor count.

Questions

Frequently asked

Modern household refrigerators run between 1.5 and 6 amps at 120V (roughly 180–725 watts). Starting surge can briefly hit 3–5x that for single-speed compressors. Inverter compressors stay closer to 1.5–2x running amps.
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Next step

Upgrading the kitchen? Shop side-by-side fridges.

Browse side-by-side refrigerators at Fridge.com — most ship with low-amperage inverter compressors that work on standard 15A circuits.

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