How to Choose a Portable Power Station for a House or Apartment
A portable power station helps maintain your everyday routine during
blackouts: keeping the internet and lights running, working on a
laptop, and powering a refrigerator and boiler. Before buying,
determine which appliances will operate simultaneously and how many
hours of backup power you need.
Power and Capacity: How Much Energy Appliances Consume
Rated power in watts determines which appliances you can connect,
while capacity in watt-hours determines how long they will run.
Approximate consumption:
| Appliance |
Consumption |
| Wi-Fi router |
10–20 W |
| LED lamp |
8–12 W |
| Laptop |
45–100 W |
| TV |
70–120 W |
| Gas boiler |
80–200 W |
| Refrigerator |
100–200 W |
| Desktop PC with monitor |
150–500 W |
| Kettle, hair dryer, or heater |
1500–2500 W |
Check the exact consumption on the rating plate, power supply, or in
the instruction manual. A refrigerator's starting power may be 2–5
times higher than its running power, while for some large or older
models it may reach 1200–1500 W. If the station's peak power is lower,
the refrigerator may not start.
Ready-Made Blackout Scenarios
Internet, lighting, and work. A 15 W router, a 65 W laptop, two
10 W LED lamps, and a smartphone charging consume around 120 W.
A power station rated at 300–500 W with a capacity of 500 Wh will
provide approximately 3–3.5 hours of operation.
Refrigerator, boiler, router, and lighting. The running load
will be around 305 W. Choose a power station rated at 1000 W or more
with sufficient peak power. A 1024 Wh model will provide approximately
2.5–3 hours, while a 2048 Wh model will provide around 5–5.5 hours.
Actual runtime depends on the appliances' duty cycles.
Calculation formula: capacity in Wh × 0.8 / load in W. A 2000 W
kettle consumes around 167 Wh in five minutes, so during a prolonged
outage it is better to reserve energy for communications, lighting,
the refrigerator, and heating.
Boiler, UPS Function, and Battery
For a gas boiler, a pure sine wave is not the only important factor.
Phase-dependent models may fail to detect the flame if the station has
a “floating” neutral or lacks the required grounding. Check
compatibility and the connection diagram in the boiler and station
manuals; do not install jumpers yourself.
Also check the UPS/EPS transfer time. A 20–30 ms delay usually does
not affect a laptop with its own battery, but it may cause a PC,
server, or other sensitive equipment to reboot. Critical equipment
requires a compatible UPS, not just EPS mode.
LiFePO4 batteries generally offer a longer cycle life. Many models may
only be charged at temperatures from 0 °C, so in winter check the
manual before charging the station on a balcony or in an unheated
garage. The exception is models equipped with battery heating.
Charging, Ports, and Safe Connection
Compare charging time from a wall outlet, solar panel support,
USB-C power output, and the option to add an extra battery. The total
load of all outlets must not exceed the station's rated power.
Never connect a power station to your home's electrical network using
a “male-to-male” cable through a standard outlet. Exposed contacts and
backfeeding create a risk of electric shock and fire. Home circuits
require a separate input and a source transfer switch installed by an
electrician according to the manufacturer's wiring diagram.
Popular Portable Power Station Brands
Buyers most often search for BLUETTI, EcoFlow, and Anker. They also
compare:
Look beyond the brand and consider power, capacity, battery type,
charging speed, and warranty.
How E-Catalog Helps You Prepare for Blackouts
E-Catalog helps you choose a portable power station for a specific
scenario — from running a router and laptop to powering a refrigerator
and boiler. Filters help eliminate unsuitable models, while comparing
specifications, reviews, and prices in Ukrainian stores helps you find
the right balance between backup time, comfort, and budget, so everyday
life does not come to a standstill when the power grid goes down.
