How many watts does a chest freezer use — and what can run it?

The figures are for a Frigidaire FFFC07M1TW, a 7 cu ft chest freezer. Its product specifications sheet lists 5 amps at 120 volts (600 W) and a connected load of 0.6 kW, plus 250 kWh of annual energy, which is where the 29 W average comes from. The gap between 600 W and 29 W is large because the amp figure is a rating, not the compressor's draw while it runs; the Champion wattage chart puts a freezer's running draw at 100–500 W. The 1,000 W starting figure is the top of the same chart's 500–1,000 W freezer range, because Frigidaire publishes no locked-rotor current.

What changes the draw

A chest freezer's compressor cycles with its thermostat. It runs longer in a warm garage, after the lid has been open, or after warm food goes in; a full, closed freezer cycles less often. The yearly average spreads all of this over 8,760 hours.

Why the starting draw matters

Each time the compressor starts, it draws a short burst well above its running current. A station has to cover that burst on top of anything else already connected — see how loads are added. Here the continuous rating is the tighter limit: the 600 W rating rules out 500 W-class stations even when their peak is enough.

Reading the tables

"Runtime at 600 W" is a floor that assumes the compressor runs at its full rating without stopping. "At average draw" uses 29 W. Example: the Bluetti AC70 has no maker factor on its record, so the default 0.85 applies: 768 Wh × 0.85 ÷ 29 W = 22.5 hours.