The small-size microwave generally uses 500 to 600 watts of energy. The consumption of energy would be different depending on the brand and technology.
Quick Answer
Let’s say your microwave requires 600 watts of energy. In this case, you would need an inverter with the size of 800 to 1200 watts of energy.
Will a 1000-watt inverter run a 700-watt microwave?
The 700-watt microwave may consume approx 1200 watts to cook or heat the food. The excess amount of energy should be compensated by the inverter. The inverter with the size of 1000 watts will lack the energy supply.
As a result, the microwave will stop working. When you start the microwave, it will use 700 watts, but as you start cooking or heating, the microwave would require 1200 or 1500 watts of power.
Will a 3000-watt inverter run a microwave?
The inverter has to compensate for the surge energy requirement of the equipment when you start the device. The peak output should be calculated to understand how much energy would require to power the device.
The inverter should accommodate the startup draw.
A typical 2000-watt inverter supports the peak surge output of 3000 watts. You can connect one device with a maximum output of 3000 watts or two separate devices of 800 watts and 2800 watts.
So please choose the correct size of the inverter, or else you will not use it to run the microwave or other appliances.
How big of an inverter do I need to run a 700-watt microwave?
The microwave that requires 700 watts output can run on the 1000 watts inverter. But it is recommended that you should connect to the 1200 watts of the inverter.
How many watts does it take to run a microwave?
The capacity of the microwave determines the consumption of energy. The tiny microwave starts at 600 watts. Comparatively, full-size microwaves may consume 800 to 1200 watts.
The large-size commercial-grade microwave may require more than 1800 watts or higher.
When you are selecting the inverter, ensure that the inverter can handle the surge power requirement of the electronic device.
Also, the inverters are not 100% efficient. The inverter may produce 80% maximum output, and 20% may consume to run the inverter itself.
Calculating the 80% available watts of total inverter capacity would give you an estimation of the total output of your inverter.
Based on these estimated figures, find out what your inverter can power. Every electronic device packaging would have the watts mentioned on it.
Check before buying it and also confirm that the microwave supports the inverter.
Will a 2000w inverter run a microwave?
Yes. The 2000 watts output would be sufficient to run the small size inverter that requires 900 to 1000 watts. The 2000 watts inverter can handle the peak output of up to 3000 watts.
So when you are connecting the device to the inverter, ensure that the surge energy should not cross the maximum limit of the inverter.
The starting draw energy may need a sufficient charge. Else the equipment will not work. Choose the right size of inverter.
Will a 1500-watt inverter run a 700-watt microwave?
Yes. You can comfortably run the 700-watt microwave using the 1500-watt inverter. A microwave would require an additional energy supply during the peak. The 700 watts microwave may reach the maximum capacity of 1200 watts.
Hence, the 1500-watt inverter can quickly compensate for the required energy and power of the device.
What size inverter do I need for a 900-watt microwave?
The 900 watts microwave would require energy between 1600 to 1800 watts. The additional energy is to compensate for the surge energy requirement of the microwave oven.
The power consumption of microwave ovens is generally calculated based on the cooking power. It is entirely different from the overall power consumption of the inverter.
The actual consumption of energy is usually high. Depending on the size of the microwave oven, the typical microwave may consume 40% to 100% extra power than what the manufacturer has stated on the packaging.
That’s why in many cases when you connect the inverter with the similar watts consumed by the microwave, the device may not run.
The surge energy is not provided to the microwave, which stops the equipment from running.
Will a 2000-watt generator run a microwave?
Yes. The 2000 watts could power the 650 watts microwave. Remember that the microwave would have a peak energy requirement. The surge energy will reach 1000 watts or more in the case of 650 watts microwave.
The large size microwave may consume more than 1000 watts. It would be best if you calculated the surge energy before you decide to connect the microwave.
The 2000 watts may not provide 100% of its energy to power the device. Typically the generators are 80% efficient in transferring energy.
So you can expect 1800 watts of energy supply from the generator. The remaining 20% is used to power the generator and other inbuilt equipment.
Are 1000 watts enough for a microwave?
You may run the tiny microwave with high efficiency in energy consumption. The 1000 watts inverter may power the microwave with a capacity of 650 watts. Every microwave requires a surge energy supply at the beginning.
Once the microwave has started, the surge energy drops, and the microwave will run on the average energy supply.
If the inverter cannot support the peak energy supply, then your microwave may not even begin. So it would be best if you connected the microwave that offers sufficient energy supply to make the equipment run smoothly.
How big of an inverter do I need for a 700-watt microwave?
The microwaves are not highly efficient in using energy at an optimum level. Most microwaves are 60% efficient. So you can see that most of the energy is lost during the process.
If you plan to power the 700 watts of microwave, you may require 1200 watts of the inverter to power the appliance.
It is recommended to use the higher energy inverter when it comes to powering the device. The 2000 watts of constant energy flow may be sufficient to compensate in the peak hours.
What size inverter should you buy to run the home appliances?
The size of the inverter depends on the type of appliance. Check the manufacturing details to find the watts requirement of the appliance. Consider the watts when choosing the inverter.
Remember that the inverter is not going to perform at 100% of its capacity. It is always 70% to 80% of the energy production at a steady rate.
Always buy the higher model of the inverter that is required. The 10% to 20% extra powers would offer smooth functioning to the appliance and keep the energy flow seamless.
Example:
You want to power the microwave and lamp.
Now the microwave watts requirement is 1200 watts and the lamp 75 watts.
Total watts requirement: 1275 watts
When you decide to buy the inverter to power these two devices, you must keep 40% buffer energy free to initially deal with the surge energy.
You may require the inverter with the capacity of 2000 to 2000 watts to power these two appliances.
Remember that the surge watts is depending on the appliance performance and the technology used in the manufacturing.
The branded microwave with an energy-efficient component may consume less energy. Also, it may require less peak energy to power the device.
Ensure that you supply sufficient units to the equipment; otherwise, the equipment may stop working.
You can use the following formula to find the actual watts requirement.
Multiply: AMPS x 120 (AC voltage) = Watts.
E.g. Wattage is 10 AMPS x 120 V = 1200 Watt
If you are not able to find the wattage, then consult with the manufacturer of the product. They will help you to identify the actual energy requirement of the product.
Also, the manufacturer will provide you with the details of the supported inverter to power your device.
There are many online forums where you can share your queries to get help from experts.
It is essential that before you decide to connect the inverter to any of the home appliances, you calculate the actual requirement of the energy.
It will prevent you from damaging your home appliance.
Conclusion:
The invert size comes in different ranges, including 1000w, 1500w, 2000w, and 3000w. The performance of the inverter is determined based on the type of inverter and the appliance connected to them.
Always place the appliance near the inverter and use the shortest distance wire to transfer the electricity. It will reduce energy loss, and your appliance will have a sufficient supply of energy during peak hours.
Generally, peak time lasts for a few seconds, and later the appliance will consume the energy at a steady rate, as mentioned by the manufacturer of the product.
The inverter has to meet the peak hour requirement, and then the load on the inverter will be reduced significantly.
So when you choose the inverter to run the microwave or any other home appliance, consider all these suggestions to avoid trouble.
Eng. Matthew Joseph Nandirio is the Founder of walkingsolar.
After graduating from the University of Houston in 2002, matt started working as a Solar Electrical Engineer for several multi-national solar energy companies.
He has a wide range of experiences including solar system requirement analysis, planning, maintaining, debugging and even solar device development through research.
He now shares his 20 years of expertise through his articles on the walkingsolar website.
Further, he is also the author of two books on Solar Technology, “Solar Power for Villages” and “DIY Solar System for Dummies”.
