What size backup for a side-by-side refrigerator?
A typical certified side-by-side needs about 2,612.9 Wh for a day. That is often more than a top freezer. The side-by-side figure is an ENERGY STAR sample, not every model.
Details and sources
ENERGY STAR’s certified list, in the November 8, 2026 snapshot, has 128 U.S. side-by-side rows that are not compact. Low, typical, and high annual use in that list are the 10th percentile, median, and 90th percentile: 485, 642, and 762 kWh a year. Ten percent of those certified rows sit outside each end. Old units and non-certified units are not in the list. This is not a brand average.
At the median, 24 hours needs about 2,612.9 Wh. Estimated runtimes for in-stock matches, then any preorder that also covers the target:
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus: about 28.2 hours. Watt-hours cover this 24-hour assumption.
- Jackery HomePower 3000: about 28.2 hours. Watt-hours cover this 24-hour assumption.
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus + Smart Extra Battery: about 37.6 hours. Watt-hours cover this 24-hour assumption.
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus + DELTA 3 Max Plus Extra Battery: about 47.0 hours. Watt-hours cover this 24-hour assumption.
- Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus + Battery Pack 5000 Plus: about 92.6 hours. Watt-hours cover this 24-hour assumption.
A through-the-door ice dispenser can move a real unit above this median. The yellow label is the better input. Startup watts are still unknown, so none of these lines confirms the compressor will start.