How much power does each appliance use per day?
Each row run through the same engine as the simulator · 2026-09-11
An appliance without a schedule does not have a daily consumption: it has a kW. A 5.5 kW dryer uses 5 kWh or 15 depending on how many loads you run, and hiding that behind «a dryer uses X» is how sizing goes wrong. So every row here says what it assumes.
| Appliance | Running | Schedule | kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fridge | 0.06 kW | 24 hours, cycling | 1.44 |
| Freezer, 5-7 cu ft | 0.055 kW | 24 hours, cycling | 1.42 |
| Freezer, 12-15 cu ft | 0.085 kW | 24 hours, cycling | 2.19 |
| Freezer, 20+ cu ft | 0.125 kW | 24 hours, cycling | 3.22 |
| 30-gallon tank water heater | 4.5 kW | Heating 6 h on solar | 10 |
| 40-gallon tank water heater | 4.5 kW | Heating 6 h on solar | 12 |
| 50-gallon tank water heater | 4.5 kW | Heating 6 h on solar | 15 |
| 80-gallon tank water heater | 5.5 kW | Heating 6 h on solar | 21 |
| Tankless water heater, 3.5 kW · point of use | 3.5 kW | 4 showers of 10 min | 2.33 |
| Tankless water heater, 6 kW · one shower | 6 kW | 4 showers of 10 min | 4 |
| Tankless water heater, 11 kW · a good shower | 11 kW | 4 showers of 10 min | 7.33 |
| Tankless water heater, 18 kW · whole house | 18 kW | 4 showers of 10 min | 12 |
| Tankless water heater, 27 kW · whole house | 27 kW | 4 showers of 10 min | 18 |
| Dryer, electric 240 v | 5.5 kW | 1 load a week | 4.95 |
| Dryer, compact 240 v | 3.5 kW | 1 load a week | 4.2 |
| Dryer, heat pump | 0.9 kW | 1 load a week | 1.44 |
| Dryer, gas | 0.35 kW | 1 load a week | 0.32 |
| 1/2 HP pool pump | 0.55 kW | 8 h a day | 4.4 |
| 3/4 HP pool pump | 0.8 kW | 8 h a day | 6.4 |
| 1 HP pool pump | 1.1 kW | 8 h a day | 8.8 |
| 1 HP variable speed pool pump | 0.35 kW | 8 h a day | 2.8 |
| Dehumidifier, 20-30 pints | 0.28 kW | 8 h on solar | 2.24 |
| Dehumidifier, 40-50 pints | 0.45 kW | 8 h on solar | 3.6 |
| Dehumidifier, 70+ pints | 0.7 kW | 8 h on solar | 5.6 |
| Water pump, light use | — | Spread over the day | 0.17 |
| Water pump, normal use | — | Spread over the day | 0.38 |
| Water pump, irrigation use | — | Spread over the day | 1 |
| Electric stove · breakfast | 5 kW | One meal | 1.5 |
| Electric stove · lunch | 8 kW | One meal | 2.5 |
| Electric stove · dinner | 8 kW | One meal | 4 |
| The inverter, just for being on | — | 24 hours | 1.2 |
The three that surprise people
The tank water heater. The biggest single number on this table after the A/C — 21 kWh a day for the 80-gallon tank water heater. It is also the easiest to move onto the sun: heating at midday costs the battery nothing.
The inverter itself. 1.2 kWh a day for being switched on, before a single appliance runs. Over a year that is more than most people's fridge, and no quote mentions it.
The freezer in the carport. Small kW, all 24 hours. It never shows up on anyone's list and it runs while you sleep, which is when it comes out of the battery.
Add up your own house, appliance by appliance →
Free, no card and no sign-up. Each one with its own schedule, your town's sun, and the day complete — including how many days you last with no grid.
Each row is one run of the hour-by-hour engine with that appliance on and everything else off, on a clear day at 75 °F in a three-bedroom house. Figures are typical residential equipment; yours will differ with its age and efficiency. The A/C has its own page because it deserves the detail: how much an A/C uses per day.