How Long Will a Power Station Run a Fan?

By Hicham M. · Updated October 17, 2026 · How we calculate

Fans are one of the cheapest things to run on a battery. A 20-inch box fan at medium-high draws about 75 W, so a 1,000 Wh power station runs it for about 11 hours and a 2,000 Wh one for about 23 hours. A modern ceiling fan on high uses less than half that, and a 12 V cabin fan only a few watts.

The catch is heat. The CDC says to use fans only when it’s cooler than 90°F indoors; above that, moving hot air over your skin can raise your body temperature instead of lowering it.

Running75 Wtypical range 50–90 W

Starting (surge)150 Wfor a split second

Average75 Wwhile on

Per day0.6 kWhat 8 h/day

Calculate with your model Find the right size

Runtime by power station

Nonstop runtime for one box fan at 75 W average, with 85% inverter efficiency. Models that can't supply its running or starting power are listed separately below.

How long each power station runs a box fan: longest 10
Power station	Battery	Runtime
Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus	5,040 Wh	2.4 days
EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3	4,096 Wh	46 hours
Goal Zero Yeti PRO 4000	3,994 Wh	45 hours
Anker SOLIX F3800	3,840 Wh	44 hours
Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus	3,840 Wh	44 hours
EcoFlow DELTA Pro Older	3,600 Wh	41 hours
Anker SOLIX F3000	3,072 Wh	35 hours
BLUETTI Elite 300	3,014 Wh	34 hours
BLUETTI Apex 300	2,765 Wh	31 hours
BLUETTI Elite 200 V2	2,074 Wh	24 hours

Show the other 44 models that can run it

How long each power station runs a box fan: the rest
Power station	Battery	Runtime
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max	2,048 Wh	23 hours
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus	2,048 Wh	23 hours
EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max Older	2,048 Wh	23 hours
BLUETTI AC200L	2,048 Wh	23 hours
BLUETTI AC200MAX Older	2,048 Wh	23 hours
Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2	2,048 Wh	23 hours
Anker SOLIX F2000 (767) Older	2,048 Wh	23 hours
DJI Power 2000	2,048 Wh	23 hours
Jackery Explorer 2000 v2	2,042 Wh	23 hours
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Older	2,042 Wh	23 hours
BLUETTI AC200P Older	2,000 Wh	23 hours
Jackery Explorer 1500 v2	1,536 Wh	17 hours
Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra	1,536 Wh	17 hours
Goal Zero Yeti 1500X Older	1,516 Wh	17 hours
Goal Zero Yeti 1500	1,505 Wh	17 hours
Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus	1,264 Wh	14 hours
Anker SOLIX F1200 (757) Older	1,229 Wh	14 hours
BLUETTI AC180	1,152 Wh	13 hours
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2	1,070 Wh	12 hours
Anker SOLIX C1000	1,056 Wh	12 hours
EcoFlow DELTA 3	1,024 Wh	12 hours
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus	1,024 Wh	12 hours
EcoFlow DELTA 2 Older	1,024 Wh	12 hours
BLUETTI Elite 100 V2	1,024 Wh	12 hours
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2	1,024 Wh	12 hours
DJI Power 1000	1,024 Wh	12 hours
Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro Older	1,002 Wh	11 hours
Jackery Explorer 1000 Older	1,002 Wh	11 hours
Goal Zero Yeti 1000	998 Wh	11 hours
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro Older	768 Wh	8.7 hours
Anker SOLIX C800 Plus	768 Wh	8.7 hours
BLUETTI EB70S Older	716 Wh	8.1 hours
Goal Zero Yeti 700	677 Wh	7.7 hours
Jackery Explorer 500 Older	518 Wh	5.9 hours
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max Older	512 Wh	5.8 hours
DJI Power 500	512 Wh	5.8 hours
Jackery Explorer 300	293 Wh	3.3 hours
Jackery Explorer 300 v2	288 Wh	3.3 hours
Anker SOLIX C300	288 Wh	3.3 hours
EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus	286 Wh	3.2 hours
BLUETTI EB3A Older	269 Wh	3 hours
Jackery Explorer 240 v2	256 Wh	2.9 hours
EcoFlow RIVER 3	245 Wh	2.8 hours
Jackery Explorer 240 Older	240 Wh	2.7 hours

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes our numbers, and every model in our database is included whether or not it pays us. Learn more.

Real fans, real watts

Published fan power figures
Fan	Published draw	On 1,000 Wh at the top figure
Lasko B20401 (20-inch box)	50–80 W	11 hours
Lasko B20548 (20-inch box)	65–90 W	9.4 hours
Lasko 3720 (20-inch box)	75–112 W	7.6 hours
Lasko 2522 (16-inch pedestal)	43–58 W	15 hours
Lasko 2744 (16-inch stand)	50–72 W	12 hours
ENERGY STAR 52-inch ceiling fan (median)	3.4 W low, 28.6 W high	30 hours
Caframo Sirocco II (12 V cabin fan)	0.12–0.35 A at 12 V (1.4–4.2 W)	8.9 days on DC

Lasko lists a watt range per model without saying which speed gives which figure, so we use the top of the range. The ceiling fan row is our median of the 626 certified 52-inch models with both speeds listed in ENERGY STAR’s data (October 2026). AC runtimes use 85% inverter efficiency; the 12 V fan uses 90% for the DC port.

Two things stand out. Box fans vary more than you’d think: the 3720 can draw 40% more than the B20401. And at a few watts, the inverter’s own idle draw, which station makers don’t publish, becomes a big share of the total (see how we calculate). A DC fan on the 12 V port avoids it.

When a fan isn’t enough

The CDC’s heat guidance is blunt: “Use fans, but only if indoor temperatures are less than 90°F,” and “in temperatures above 90°F, a fan can increase body temperature.” It recommends air conditioning, or finding a place that has it, and suggests calling 2-1-1 to find a cooling center.

So in a summer outage, a power station and a fan can keep a bedroom bearable on a warm night, but they don’t replace a cooling plan for a heat wave. A small window AC on a big station is an option; see running a window AC for what that takes.

Getting more hours out of it

Run the fan on low. Fan power falls quickly with speed: the median certified 52-inch ceiling fan uses 3.4 W on low against 28.6 W on high.
Use a fan with a 12 V or USB-C input if you can, and power it from the station’s DC ports. That skips the inverter’s losses and idle draw.
Keep an indoor thermometer where you sleep. Once it reads 90°F or more, the CDC’s advice is air conditioning or a cooling center (dial 2-1-1), not a fan.
A cordless fan can save the station for other things. Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ Hybrid fan, for example, runs from its tool battery or from an AC extension cord.
Add the fan alongside your fridge and router in the runtime calculator to see a whole night.

Questions

How many watts does a box fan use?

Lasko’s 20-inch box fans list between 50 and 112 W depending on the model, without saying which speed draws what. We plan on 75 W at medium-high.

How long will a power station run a ceiling fan?

A typical ENERGY STAR 52-inch ceiling fan uses about 29 W on high, so a 1,000 Wh station runs it for about 30 hours. On low, at about 3 W, the inverter’s own draw, which makers don’t publish, can be bigger than the fan’s.

Does a fan help in a heat wave during a power outage?

Only up to a point. The CDC says to use fans only when indoor temperatures are below 90°F, because above that a fan can raise body temperature. Plan for air conditioning or a cooling center in extreme heat.

Do fans need extra starting watts?

Not much. Champion’s wattage chart says box, window and ceiling fans need no extra starting watts; Honda’s chart lists a portable fan at 40 W running and 120 W to start. Either way, any power station can start one.

Sources

Wattage figures are typical values from the sources below. Your appliance may differ, so check its label or measure it with a plug-in watt meter.