HoldBackup / Planning
How long will it run?
Hours for 12 home loads on 4 sizes of portable power station, worked out from published figures. This is arithmetic, not a test. We have no lab and ran none of these setups.
This page has no store links. The guides it links to carry disclosed affiliate links. To size your own mix of loads, use the size calculator.
What the table shows
- A 1,070 Wh station runs a top-freezer fridge for about 15 hours. Dividing the label by the load says 26.
- That station gives a CPAP with no humidifier about 138 hours on DC and 30 on AC. The gap is the cost of running an inverter.
- Watt-hours aren't the only limit. The 288 Wh station's 300 W inverter can't run the sump pump or the kettle at all.
Food
Hours on a full charge: arithmetic, not a test
| Criterion | 288 Wh300 W AC limit | 1,070 Wh1,500 W AC limit | 1,536 Wh2,000 W AC limit | 2,042 Wh2,200 W AC limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top-freezer fridge, 16 to 20 cu ft41.8 W, yearly average | 4.6 h | 15 h | 20 h | 29 h |
| Bottom-freezer fridge, 25 to 29 cu ft79.9 W, yearly average | 2.7 h | 9.3 h | 13 h | 18 h |
| Chest freezer24.5 W, yearly average | 6.7 h | 21 h | 28 h | 41 h |
Yearly kWh turned into average watts, so compressor cycling is already in the number. Hours assume the inverter can start the compressor, which this table doesn't check.
These are new, certified models. An older fridge can use more, so use your own EnergyGuide label or a plug-in meter. On the 288 Wh station, check the compressor start first: its inverter peaks at 600 W.
With no power at all, USDA says a closed fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours and a full, closed freezer holds for about 48. The FoodSafety.gov chart lists what to keep and what to throw out. For the rest of the sizing, read running a refrigerator on a portable power station or the chest freezer guide.
CPAP
If you rely on CPAP, treat this as a starting point, not medical advice. Ask your equipment provider which converter fits your machine, and keep a second plan.
Hours on a full charge: arithmetic, not a test
| Criterion | 288 Wh300 W AC limit | 1,070 Wh1,500 W AC limit | 1,536 Wh2,000 W AC limit | 2,042 Wh2,200 W AC limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPAP on DC, no humidifier6.6 W, ResMed S9 | 37 h | 138 h | 198 h | 263 h |
| CPAP on DC, humidifier on24.4 W, ResMed S9 | 10 h | 37 h | 54 h | 71 h |
| CPAP on AC, no humidifier12.2 W, ResMed S9 | 10 h | 30 h | 38 h | 57 h |
| CPAP on AC, humidifier on36.1 W, ResMed S9 | 5.1 h | 17 h | 22 h | 32 h |
ResMed S9 Elite or AutoSet at pressure 10, humidifier at setting 3 where it's on. DC means a ResMed DC-to-DC converter on the station's 12 V car port. AC means the station's AC outlet.
At 8 hours a night, the 1,070 Wh station covers about 17 nights on DC and 4 on AC with no humidifier, and about 5 and 2 with it. ResMed's battery guide adds a 50% safety margin to its own sizes. These rows don't, so leave room of your own.
We use the S9 because it's the machine that guide lists both ways, so the rows compare like with like. It lists the AirSense 10 on a DC converter only: at the same pressure with SlimLine tubing, 0.93 A at 12 V (11.2 W) with no humidifier and 2.30 A (27.6 W) with it at setting 4. It doesn't list the AirSense 11.
ResMed strongly recommends a DC converter over an inverter, and a power station's AC outlet is an inverter. Its guide names the humidifiers that can run from one and warns that others risk damage or injury. The two AC rows are for the S9 with its H5i humidifier, not for every machine.
Network and computers
Hours on a full charge: arithmetic, not a test
| Criterion | 288 Wh300 W AC limit | 1,070 Wh1,500 W AC limit | 1,536 Wh2,000 W AC limit | 2,042 Wh2,200 W AC limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modem and Wi-Fi router17.5 W, idle | 8.3 h | 26 h | 33 h | 49 h |
| 4-bay NAS, in use40.5 W, QNAP TS-464 | 4.7 h | 16 h | 21 h | 30 h |
| Laptop on a 40 W adapter40 W, adapter rating | 4.7 h | 16 h | 21 h | 30 h |
The modem and router figures are idle or ready-state numbers, so a busy network draws more.
Small loads can trip an auto-off. Jackery's Explorer 1000 v2 manual says Energy Saving Mode is on by default and turns all outputs off after 12 hours when the AC load stays at 25 W or less. The modem and router (17.5 W) and a CPAP on AC with no humidifier (12.2 W) both sit under that. To turn the mode off, hold the AC and main power buttons until its icon disappears. Check your own station's manual for the same rule.
A station isn't a UPS for a NAS. Jackery says its 20 ms switchover isn't for data servers or workstations, so read the UPS guide for a home office NAS. For the network alone, a small UPS is the other route: a UPS for your router and modem.
Pumps and kettles
Run time on a full charge: arithmetic, not a test
| Criterion | 288 Wh300 W AC limit | 1,070 Wh1,500 W AC limit | 1,536 Wh2,000 W AC limit | 2,042 Wh2,200 W AC limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sump pump, 3/10 hp, while pumping1,116 W, Zoeller Model 53 | Over the limit | 48 min | 1.1 h | 1.5 h |
| Electric kettle, while heating1,500 W, Hamilton Beach | Over the limit | 36 min, at the limit | 51 min | 1.1 h |
These times are for the load running the whole time. 'Over the limit' means the load is above the inverter's continuous rating. 'At the limit' means it matches the rating with no margin.
Sump pump. The table gives pumping time, not outage time, because a pump runs only when the pit fills. As an assumed example, a pump running 6 minutes an hour averages 112 W, so the 1,070 Wh station lasts about 7 hours. Yours depends on the water coming in.
Kettle. Heating 1 liter from 20 °C to boiling takes at least 93 Wh by physics. That's at most 14 liters on the 1,536 Wh station, before kettle losses and anything else you need the battery for. See the kettle guide.
How it's worked out
usable Wh = rated Wh × 0.85hours = usable Wh ÷ (load W + standby W)
Here's the top-freezer fridge on the 1,070 Wh station: 1,070 Wh × 0.85 = 910 Wh usable, and 910 ÷ (41.8 + 18) = 15.2 hours. The sum works for any station. Put in its label, its standby figure and your load. If you want to go further, the watt-hours guide covers sizing.
Why 0.85
OutdoorGearLab measured AC output on 14 stations and reports 75% to 93% of the claimed capacity, and its summary mentions results as low as 60%. The median of its table is 85% by our count, and it measured 85% on the Explorer 1000 v2. Popular Mechanics also gives 85% as typical. Jackery's own quick formula uses 0.8, which would cut every figure here by about 6%.
We found no maker page that lists depth of discharge and inverter efficiency as separate figures, so this one measured factor stands in for both.
Why standby is added
Jackery's support pages list a standby figure for each model but don't say what state it's measured in. We add it to every AC row as the cost of keeping the inverter on. It can overlap with the 0.85, because a measured output already pays for some idle draw, so AC rows lean low. ResMed's inverter figures also include a stand-alone inverter's loss, so the CPAP AC rows lean lower still.
The DC rows add nothing, because Jackery gives no figure for the car port alone. A station still draws something, so treat those two rows as a ceiling.
What the hours leave out
- Startup. Compressors and pump motors pull more for a moment when they start. EnergyGuide labels don't list it and Zoeller's product page gives no starting current, so leave headroom and try the setup before you need it.
- Battery age. Jackery rates the Explorer 1000 v2 to hold at least 70% after 4,000 cycles.
- Everything else. Other loads on the same station shorten these times, and recharging during the outage lengthens them.
Sources
Each figure was read on the page linked here on November 1, 2026. The "yearly average" rows come from energy-label test figures, not from a home in an outage.
Loads
- Top-freezer fridge, 16 to 20 cu ft: 41.8 W. Median of the 396 full-size top-freezer models of 16 to 20 cu ft on ENERGY STAR's certified list, pulled November 1, 2026. 366 kWh a year ÷ 8,760 hours = 41.8 W. ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Refrigerators
- Bottom-freezer fridge, 25 to 29 cu ft: 79.9 W. Median of the 283 full-size bottom-freezer models of 25 to 29 cu ft on the same list, pulled the same day. 700 kWh a year ÷ 8,760 hours = 79.9 W. ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Refrigerators
- Chest freezer: 24.5 W. ENERGY STAR says a certified chest freezer uses about 215 kWh a year. 215 kWh a year ÷ 8,760 hours = 24.5 W. ENERGY STAR: Freezers
- CPAP on DC, no humidifier: 6.6 W. ResMed lists 0.55 A at 12 V for the S9 Elite and AutoSet on its DC converter at pressure 10. 0.55 A × 12 V = 6.6 W. ResMed battery guide
- CPAP on DC, humidifier on: 24.4 W. ResMed lists 2.03 A at 12 V for the same setup with the H5i humidifier at setting 3. 2.03 A × 12 V = 24.4 W. ResMed battery guide
- CPAP on AC, no humidifier: 12.2 W. ResMed lists 1.02 A at 12 V for the S9 Elite and AutoSet on an inverter at pressure 10, with EPR off. 1.02 A × 12 V = 12.2 W. ResMed battery guide
- CPAP on AC, humidifier on: 36.1 W. ResMed lists 3.01 A at 12 V for the same setup with the H5i humidifier at setting 3. 3.01 A × 12 V = 36.1 W. ResMed battery guide
- Modem and Wi-Fi router: 17.5 W. Xfinity lists the Technicolor TC4400 modem at 11 W ready state, and TP-Link lists the Archer AX55 router at 6.5 W idle. 11 W + 6.5 W = 17.5 W. Xfinity: energy usage of your internet equipment, TP-Link: idle power consumption
- 4-bay NAS, in use: 40.5 W. QNAP lists the TS-464 at 40.536 W in typical operation with all four bays full, and 21.618 W with its disks on standby. QNAP TS-464 hardware specs
- Laptop on a 40 W adapter: 40 W. Apple lists a 40 W adapter with a 60 W maximum for the 13-inch MacBook Air. We use the 40 W rating. Apple: MacBook Air tech specs
- Sump pump, 3/10 hp, while pumping: 1,116 W. Zoeller rates the Model 53 at 9.7 A on 115 V. Amps times volts is a nameplate figure, so real running watts can be lower. 9.7 A × 115 V = 1,116 W. Zoeller Model 53 sump pump
- Electric kettle, while heating: 1,500 W. Hamilton Beach lists 1,500 W for its 1.7-liter variable temperature kettle. Hamilton Beach 1.7-liter kettle
Stations
Jackery's line sets the columns because its support pages list a standby figure for each model. That's a sourcing choice, not a recommendation.
The four stations, by Jackery's published figures
| Criterion | Explorer 300 Plus | Explorer 1000 v2 | Explorer 1500 v2 | Explorer 2000 v2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rated capacity | 288 Wh | 1,070 Wh | 1,536 Wh | 2,042 Wh |
| Usable at 0.85 | 245 Wh | 910 Wh | 1,306 Wh | 1,736 Wh |
| Continuous AC | 300 W | 1,500 W | 2,000 W | 2,200 W |
| Peak | 600 W | 3,000 W | 4,000 W | 4,400 W |
| Standby | 12 W | 18 W | 22 W | 18 W |
Usable is calculated: rated watt-hours × 0.85. Everything else is manufacturer-rated.
- Jackery Explorer 300 Plus support page
- Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 support page
- Jackery Explorer 1500 v2 support page
- Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 support page
Download and cite
Download the table as a CSV. It has one line for each load and station, with the sum's inputs and the source link.
This URL stays the same. If a number changes, the updated date moves and the change is listed below. To cite the page:
HoldBackup Team. "How long will it run? Portable power station runtime table." HoldBackup. Updated November 1, 2026. https://holdbackup.com/runtime
Found a mistake? Tell us on the contact page.
Changes
- : First published.