Refrigerator Wattage for Dummies

current measurement with ammeter

We're well aware that the average person knows little more about electricity than, "This is a plug. That is a switch." While that's not optimal, at least it isn't (generally) dangerous stupidity – just garden-variety ignorance. And while we're on the topic of garden-variety ignorance, we'd like to introduce you to returning DotD David Robinson (not the former US Navy and San Antonio Spurs center). Robinson's lack of... common sense? was evident as he pounded out yet another eHow.com post back in 2013. We checked out his answer to, "How to Check the Wattage of a Refrigerator" at SFGate.com... and found it lacking.

Of course there are lots of ways to learn the wattage rating of your 'fridge. Heck, we even know a reason why you might want to: sizing an emergency generator (oddly, Robinson never mentioned a "Why do you care, anyway?"). Whatever the case, after burning up sixty-plus words explaining such minutia as who James Watt was (not Reagan's Secretary of the Interior...), Robinson got to the three (or more) steps required by eHow:

1. "Disconnect the power to the refrigerator and then access the rear of the appliance."
2. "Locate the manufacturer's data plate attached to the back or bottom of the appliance..."
3. "Locate the numerical value associated with the wording '"[sic]Watts,' 'Power' or 'Wattage.' Record the value..."
4. "Return the refrigerator to its original position and reconnect the power supply."

We suspect the only reason Robinson mentioned the power supply was to get from one "step" – read the rated wattage from the name plate – to four. We can think of no other reason to disconnect the power...
...but that's beside the point. The OQ specifically asked about checking the wattage, not learning the wattage, and that suggests to us that someone thinks the 'fridge is drawing excessive power. Reading the rated wattage off the nameplate, four steps or one, ain't gonna tell you that.

What you need to do is use an ammeter to measure the current the appliance is drawing and multiply that number by the circuit's voltage. For example, the 'fridge draws six amps on a 110-volt circuit, which is about 660 watts. We said "about" because it's an approximation, but "close enough for government work" (and more accurate than eHow). Be aware that the current draw changes as the compressor cycles on-off, among other events.

Sure, Dave's method will tell you the rated wattage of the 'fridge (running? startup? what?), but only a Dumbass of the Day thinks that's "checking the wattage."

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