Can A BLUETTI Solar Generator Power A Washing Machine?

According to Statista, more than 80 percent of households in the United States own a washing machine.

Just to give you some perspective, that is more than 131.2 million households to date.

To not acknowledge the prominence of washing machines in households would be ignoring one of the largest parts of the household appliances industry.

With that being said, many of you have asked us whether or not a BLUETTI solar generator is capable of powering a washing machine. 

In this article, we aim to break that question down and give you the answer. 

How much energy does a washing machine use?

By now, you are likely aware of the fact that solar generators are capable of powering anything as long as the appliance in question uses electricity.

However, there are some things you will need to take into consideration. For example, the specifications of your solar generator. 

But first, to figure out whether or not your BLUETTI solar generator is capable of powering a washing machine, we need to understand how much energy a washing machine actually uses. 

The easiest way to determine how much energy a washing machine uses will be to first establish its power rating (in watts). 

Most washing machines will have a nameplate on the back of it indicating its power draw in watts. 

On average, washing machines use between 400 - 1400 watts of electricity. Now, of course, this number fluctuates and is largely dependent on the model of the washer you have. 

To calculate the energy usage, all you have to do is multiply the total wattage by the amount of time you aim to use the washer. 

Most washing machines utilize 1 hour to complete a wash cycle. 

Therefore, a washing machine that draws 900 watts of power will use 900 watt hours (0.9 kWh) of energy.

Let's assume you use your washing machine 2 times per week. That would work out to 1800 Wh or 1.8 kWh a week. 

There are 52 weeks in a year. This means you would use 93,600 Wh or 93.6 kWh a year running your washing machine. 

In fact, let's make a table highlighting total energy usage for washing machines with varying amounts of power draw.

(Please note the above table comes courtesy of EnergySage)

Can a BLUETTI solar generator power a washing machine?

Yes, and no. This really all comes down to the model of solar generator you choose.

The two most important figures to pay attention to are power draw and total energy used per cycle.

BLUETTI solar generators come with different power ratings and energy capacities. 

You will want to make sure that the solar generator you choose matches your washer at home. 

For example, if your washer is rated at 900 watts, you will want to make sure your BLUETTI solar generator is rated a bit above that. 

In this case, a suitable option would be the BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 Portable Power Station. With 2,600W of AC output and 2,073.6Wh of capacity, it provides sufficient power headroom for many compatible household washing machines.

You should also make sure that your chosen portable power station has enough battery capacity for the amount of energy your washing machine consumes during a complete cycle. Actual energy consumption can vary considerably depending on the washer model, cycle duration, water temperature, and selected settings.

For example, a washing machine rated at 900W does not necessarily consume 900Wh during every wash. The appliance may draw different amounts of power at different stages of the cycle, so checking its actual energy consumption per cycle provides a more accurate estimate.

How many times can you use a BLUETTI portable power station to wash your clothes?

The number of loads you can run on a single charge depends on the washing machine's actual energy consumption and the usable battery capacity of the power station. With a 2,073.6Wh battery, the BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 can provide backup power for compatible washing machines, but the exact number of wash cycles will vary by appliance and wash program.

To estimate runtime more accurately, check how many watt-hours (Wh) or kilowatt-hours (kWh) your washing machine uses per cycle and compare that figure with the available battery capacity. You should also allow for conversion losses and other real-world operating conditions rather than calculating runtime from rated wattage alone.

Final Thoughts

Remember, the most important thing is to size your solar generator correctly. As long as you do this, then there is no doubt your BLUETTI solar generator will be capable of powering any washing machine on the market. 

If you are looking for the most usage times from one charge, we recommend taking a look at some of our higher-capacity generators, such as the EP500 Pro, the AC300, and the AC500. 

The EP500 Pro, for example, has 5100 Wh of energy storage, meaning it could power a washing machine for 5 cycles before being depleted. 

With that being said, the AC500 is capable of a maximum energy capacity of 36,864 Wh. 

You do the maths on how many times you could wash your clothes on one full charge with this model of solar generator.